Avid Bookshop hosts Rob Spillman and Garrard Conley

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When the New Town Revue was first held in 2011, its name paid homage to late Athens musician Vic Chestnutt. As a prolific local musician throughout the 1990s, the singer wrote music with a striking narrative tone that caught the attention of legends such as R.E.M., the Indigo Girls and Madonna. 

In the spirit of Chestnutt’s creativity, the series has strived to give the Athens community a platform for listening to talented writers and musicians that cover different subject matters and cross over mediums. 

The collaborative showcase of music and literature can be found at In Avid Bookshop on Prince Avenue. The eclectic indie bookstore provides the perfect backdrop for the series.

“When we heard Avid Bookshop was opening, we wanted to start a series uniquely for the Athens community and decided to focus on literature and music,” said Deirdre Sugiuchi, founder of the series.

The series is committed to showcasing the diverse spectrum of creative writing, with themes including Shakespeare, comic books and international fiction to mention a few. Avid Bookshop is hosting the latest installment — which will focus on memoirs — on Sept. 1 with special literary guests, Rob Spillman and Garrard Conley. Local musician, Erin Lovett of Four Eyes, will be performing live throughout the event. This particular New Town Revue takes place only a day before the AJC Decatur Book Festival, which takes place from Sept. 2 to 4.

“We’re really committed to having emerging, as well as established, writers. And in this upcoming series, we have two writers that I really admire,” Sugiuchi said.

Rob Spillman is the cofounder and editor of Tin House, a renowned literary magazine that features a selection of fiction, nonfiction and poetry works in each quarterly issue. Spillman will be reading excerpts from his memoir, All Tomorrow’s Parties, which centers on his struggle splitting his childhood between Berlin and the United States and finding his place in the artistic world. 

Garrard Conley will be reading from his memoir, Boy Erased, about his time growing up in rural Arkansas and being sent to a church-supported conversion therapy program for homosexuality. His story reflects a journey to find understanding and peace despite deep opposition from his loved ones.

“The memoirs are completely different, but they’re both amazing coming-of-age stories. They show young men finding themselves in art, even though they are wildly different,” Sugiuchi said of the books.  

The event will feature individual readings by Spillman and Conley, as well as an open discussion between the authors with the audience. It begins at 6:30 p.m. and admittance is free.