Journalhttp://www.literarydeathmatch.com/journal/en-US2010-09-02T17:52:26ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.5 (http://www.squarespace.com/)NYC, Ep. 29http://www.literarydeathmatch.com/journal/nyc-ep-29.htmlLiterary Death Match2010-08-18T16:26:00ZBenjamin Hale Bruce Benderson Dasha Kelly Elna Baker Melissa Petro Michael Hearst New York City Rachel ShukertBruce Benderson (complete with high-tech nicotine distribution system), Michael Hearst of One Ring Zero (who sadly has never had a run-in with Geraldo Rivera), and Elna Baker (formerly Mormon, currently hilarious). As is LDM custom, the audience selected at random the first round readers, Melissa Petro (of Sex Work Matters: Power and Intimacy in the Sex Industry) and Benjamin Hale (The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore).
]]>Edinburgh, Ep. 1http://www.literarydeathmatch.com/journal/edinburgh-ep-1.htmlLiterary Death Match2010-08-14T19:57:00ZAugust 10, 2010 — Deep in the recesses of a brilliant dungeon (a.k.a. The Banshee Labyrinth), the Literary Death Match's Edinburgh debut — teamed with Utter! at the Free Fringe — was pitch- and picture-perfect, with Scotland's homegrown Jenny Lindsay narrowly winning over Molly Naylor (Whenever I Get Blown Up I Think Of You) in a breakneck game of Pass-the-Haggis to take the LDM crown.

]]>SF, Ep. 32http://www.literarydeathmatch.com/journal/sf-ep-32.htmlLiterary Death Match2010-08-12T20:49:00ZAlia Volz D.A. Powell Jamey Genna K.M. Soehnlein Matt Stewart Russell Blackwood San Francisco Tanya Egan Gibson Tony DushaneTanya Egan Gibson. After citing the correct Shakespearean play, he claimed the winning point by thrusting his cactus forward to pop host M.G. Martin’s cherry (balloon). And yes, the exploding balloon did spew forth a distinctly blood-like liquid.]]>London, Ep. 8http://www.literarydeathmatch.com/journal/london-ep-8.htmlLiterary Death Match2010-08-11T12:18:00ZAbigail Tarttelin Emmy the Great Gavin James Bower Hallie Rubenhold Jack Underwood John Paul Pryor London Miriam Elia Picador UK Todd ZunigaAugust 11, 2010 — A record-breakingly jam-packed Concrete crowd in Shoreditch witnessed the sitting skills of two of London's finest, as poet and Eric Gregory award-winner Jack Underwood's team outdueled Gavin James Bower's in a breakneck-paced game of Muzakal Chairs. The final score was 3-1, capturing Underwood the LDM title. ]]>NYC, Ep. 28http://www.literarydeathmatch.com/journal/nyc-ep-28.htmlLiterary Death Match2010-07-15T08:44:00ZJuly 15, 2010 — Literary Death Match went all poetical for the event's 28th-ever NYC-based episode, that saw a breakneck game of Shove the Balloon through the Hoola Hoop won by Jon Sands over C.S. Carrier by a 4-1 margin.

But before the first balloon was hoisted, LDM NYC Exec Producer Ann Heatherington and co-host Melissa Broder (When You Say One Thing But Mean Your Mother) and creator of The Polestar Poetry Series, commiserated about vermin, reviewed the rules of engagement, and brought out the trio of all-star judges: mega-watt poet Jeff McDaniel (Best American Poetry 1994 and New (American) Poets), high priestess of visual wordplay Kay Rosen (MoMA, The Whitney Museum) and Slam Master Flash Lynne Procope.

Round one pitted one-man soul train Sands (representing Write Bloody Publishing) against verse virtuoso Michael Morse (representing Spinning Jenny).

]]>London, Ep. 7http://www.literarydeathmatch.com/journal/london-ep-7.htmlLiterary Death Match2010-07-14T15:42:00ZBret Easton Ellis Clare Pollard Dave Bromage Lee Rourke London Marie Berry Milly McMahon Nikesh Shukla Simon HicksonJuly 14, 2010 — The Literary Death Match launch of Bret Easton Ellis' Imperial Bedrooms was a ridiculous success, as the '80s-themed evening at Concrete ended with a wild game of Guess the Musical Artist that saw novelist Lee Rourke (representing Melville House) narrowly claim victory over poet Clare Pollard (representing Bloodaxe Books) by a final score of 7-6.

]]>SF, Ep. 31http://www.literarydeathmatch.com/journal/sf-ep-31.htmlLiterary Death Match2010-07-09T20:00:00ZAndrew Paul Nelson Ben McCoy Beth Spotswood Janine Brito Kirya Traber Lisa Brown Pushkar Sharma San Francisco Sathya SridharanKirya Traber raised her face, smeared with white goo, to the mic and gasped, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times … A Tale of Two Cities!” narrowly out-pie-eating/quoting/citing memoirist Andre Perry for the crown.

]]>NYC, Ep. 27http://www.literarydeathmatch.com/journal/nyc-ep-27.htmlLiterary Death Match2010-06-17T09:53:00ZAllison Amend Becky Yamamoto Ben Greenman Michael Boatman New York City Rakesh Satyal Rives Stephen Elliott Todd ZunigaJune 17, 2010 — Brilliance reigned supreme at New York City's 27th-ever Literary Death Match, as four heavyweights slugged it out at Bowery Poetry Club, with The Rumpus founding editor Stephen Elliott out Card Shark'd co-finalist Rakesh Satyal by a final score of 2-1, avenging his LDM first-round knockout 90 episodes ago in San Francisco, and claiming the LDM crown.

]]>SF, Ep. 30http://www.literarydeathmatch.com/journal/sf-ep-30.htmlLiterary Death Match2010-06-11T19:14:00ZBBeth Lisick Brian Boitano Daniel Alarcon Daniel Handler Jillian Lauren Lemony Snicket San Francisco Susie Bright Taylor MaliYerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, saw a record-breaking audience witness an epic and sensational battle that concluded with Etiqueta Negra reader-rep Daniel Alarcón narrowly out-shining Porchlight's Beth Lisick by a score of 6-5 in a Literary Geography Bee that went down to the final, confusing, tie-breaker question. Alarcón, the event's ultimate champion, was sashed and medaled in front of a thrilled and raucous crowd.
]]>London, Ep. 6http://www.literarydeathmatch.com/journal/london-ep-6.htmlLiterary Death Match2010-06-03T16:40:00ZEvie Wyld Grant Gillespie Greg Stekelman Inua Ellams Jools Constant Karen Hayley London Picador UK Sam LeithJune 3, 2010 — Literary Death Match London's return to where it all started — at Old Queens Head — was a levity-fueled evening that saw Big Green Bookshop's Greg Stekelman (A Year in the Life of TheManWhoFellAsleep) out-boot co-finalist Evie Wyld (Fire a Still Small Voice) in a wild World Cup-themed finale by a final, Literary Death Match championship-winning score, of 3-2.

]]>