Pakistan, Calling Les

May 21, 2009

Les McGehee is hilarious. He and his improv comedy troupe Comedy Sportz have rounded the globe spreading laughter and good, clean fun, so it’s not such a surprise when Les receives notes and praise from all over the world about Comedy Sportz and his book Les McGehee Plays Well With Others.

There are improv comedy groups in both Mexico and Germany touring shows based loosely on his book, but most recently, Les received a note from Pakistan, that he says “makes [him] very proud.” Located in Islamabad, the improv fans found Les through Facebook. They shared some information about their own improv group, set up a teleconference with Les, and sent the following note:

“LES!! You got my message!! lol! I’m so glad you tagged me back. The thing is that, down here in Pakistan, we don’t have a lot of resources to tap into when it comes to specialized forms of performance arts, like improv. So your book, is kinda our improv BIBLE. or Koran for that matter.
;-). Also, the expertsvillage videos were a major bonus.”

On communicating with fans world wide, Les says, “What a fun thing for me!”

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Award-Winning Poet Delivers Metaphysical Novel

May 6, 2009

On Wednesday, May 20 at 7 p.m., Dalton Publishing and Book People (603 N. Lamar) host the official book release and signing for award-winning poet Richard Lance Williams’ debut novel Woman in the Tower: Stories for the Wounded Child. The musical stylings of Les McGehee will liven the celebration and Organic Iced Tea provided by Cafe Caffeine will be served.

Williams’ novel is a journey of fantasy, self-exploration, and renewal. An unnamed man is overtaken by confusion and uncertainty and finds himself on the brink of self-destruction when a knowing presence enters his life and guides him through the darkness with comfort of a most unexpected nature. Woman in the Tower celebrates the transformative powers of fables, exhibiting the effect these stories can have on all of us in times of crisis.

The arc of the tales not only displays a way into the recesses of the human psyche, but also explores the nature of fables, revealing them to be more than simple lessons for naive children in a dangerous world. They are scripts for how we live our interior and exterior lives and a lens through which we view the lives of others. We each have a tale we tell ourselves. Are you a princess or a scullery maid, the lost little girl or the enchanted queen? Are you willing to tell yourself another story? Are you willing to enter the world of the Woman in the Tower?

Who: Richard Lance Williams
What: Book release for Woman in the Tower
Where: BookPeople (603 N. Lamar)
When: Wednesday, May 20 at 7 p.m.

Advance Praise for Woman in the Tower:
“Richard Lance Williams has written a story sequence which bows to Grimm tales without imitating them. They have the same breadth of the Grimm’s great ‘household’ collection and are crammed with the best kind of Jungian imagery. Mr. Williams’ prose has all the sparkle of a fine fairy-tale and he has a sharp, original imagination.”
-Michael Moorcock, Nebula Award-Winning author of Behold the Man

“All we know comes from the stories we tell and the stories we are wise enough to hear. Ric Williams uses narrative as the most subtle of knives where a wise heart can peel away its own onion layers and moonlight words can stitch them up again. This novel is about Story herself, healing, erotic, sustaining.”
-Don Webb, author of When They Came

“This debut novel from accomplished poet Ric Williams channels his familiar voice-oracular, effusive, and playful as a fresh spring that’s come a long way underground. Ric dives into the darkness fearlessly, a shaman on a busman’s holiday, and it’s both a pleasure and an adventure to go along for the ride.”
-Zara Houshmand, author of A Mirror Garden

“Having the courage to choose a story over certainty becomes easier after reading Woman in the Tower. Stories are gestures to lift the veil of the apparent world so we might see the unadorned reality beneath it. With a prose style both punchy and profound, Williams is a master at lifting the veil.”
-Dennis Patrick Slattery, author of The Wounded Body

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