First Person Arts

8:58

Huge crowd here tonight.  It’s the elite of the Competitive eating world.  Bill Simmons “El Wingador” is here. Humble Bob Shoudt.  A bunch of IFOCE eaters.  Check out the IFOCE website

I think I saw Coondog O’Karma in the house too.

9:12 

This is a real insider crowd.  They’re getting jokes nobody else would get.  They know everybody in this film.  Wingettes included.  Bill Simmons is the Rocky of Wingbowl.

10:12

This film is pretty unbelievable and should be seen by all Philadelphians and lovers of competitive eating enthusiasts.  The conclusion is absolutely stunning. Man Man is on the soundtrack.

10:16

I swear I hear sniffles in the crowd.

Starting just a hair late here at 7:20, but we have a great crowd assembled.  Red Tettemer is well represented!  Thanks  for turning out!  

Oh wow, this is hilarious.  Davy Rothbart could just come back every night. 

Too busy laughing to blog.  Sheesh.  Join his e-mail list to get updates. Join ours too, while you’re at it.

7:56

He’s telling a hilarious, painful self-effacing story about faking out his deaf mother.   Oh hey, the sketchbook reporter is here!

5:50

Lori Tharps is in the house, straight out of Mt. Airy!  A goodly crowd is gathered, readers of Lori’s blog My American Melting Pot, no doubt.  She’s promising a “Kinky Weekend” there right now.  (And for her blog readers, there’s no sign of Broccoli!).  She’ll be reading from Kinky Gazpacho.  She’ll be introduced by one of my favorite Story Slammers and all-around First Person star Angel Hogan!

6:08

6:15

Angel introduces Lori: 

6:33

Tharps on stage: 

She just told a hilarious story about being the only black girl on her swim team.

6:41

Wow, I guess marriage proposals come easy in Morocco!  Much easier dating than Milwaukee.  Keep that in mind Milwaukeeans.  Spain was in her blood very early on–her first kiss was from a Spanish exchange student!  Best description of being an exchange student in Spain: “No parents, lots of Sangria”

After Lori Tharps reads from Kinky Gazpacho tonight at 6pm, Davy Rothbart from Found Magazine takes the stage.  

The First Person Festival continues today at the Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St.  Tickets for tonight’s events are no longer available on-line but can be purchased in person at the Festival site!  

Start your friday off right with the First Person Arts Members’ Happy Hour at 5pm.  Come join us, become a member and share a Philly Brewing Company beer with other lovers of memoir and documentary art.  At 6pm, we’ll have a FREE reading by Lori Tharps from her book Kinky Gazpacho.  You can read more about Lori at her blog, My American Melting Pot.  Then at 7pm, stick around for Davy Rothbart of Found Magazine who will share the hilarious and revealing stories behind the discarded notes, letters and photographs his readers send in droves.  Get a daily dose of Found at his website!  And finally, at 8:30pm, El Wingador will be in the house with his Wingettes for the Philadelphia Premiere of Swallow Your Pride, Josh Camerote’s documentary about Philadelphia’s storied eating competition, WingBowl.

Take a look at today’s Inquirer for a coverage of the weekend’s events!