On November 8 the Superstition Review reading series was pleased to feature Melissa Pritchard. The intimate atmosphere of the reading allowed for a personal view of her story Echorché, Flayed Man. Music from an Italian composer, the pungent scent of incense and a few words from Patricia Murphy and Reading Series Coordinator Mary Richardson provided the perfect introduction. While a large group of friends, colleagues and admirers filled the Pima Auditorium in the Memorial Union at ASU, her voice was quiet and seemed to engage us individually as she read. As Melissa stood against a backdrop lit with magenta bulbs, the audience silently absorbed each emotion-filled sentence.
After the applause from eager listeners Melissa answered several questions. She touched on working with A Public Space and the technicalities of writing a story that is both fiction, and also the true story of certain individuals from La Specula, the museum in Italy upon which the story takes place. Echorché, Flayed Man has been published in Issue 11 of A Public Space and will also appear in her latest book The Odditorium, to be released in January 2011.
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I must admit that this was the first reading I’ve attended, and I was so pleased to be a part of the gathered audience. Melissa’s storytelling was captivating, and her words so eloquently written. Superstition Review did a wonderful job showcasing this author and I look forward to attending more of their readings in the future.
Melissa Pritchard has such a lovely voice. I would have her read to me any time:) And I need to go to that wax museum too…
Such a great reading! And a great turnout! First reading I’ve ever been to and it’s really different. The atmosphere is really neat and everyone is so in-tune with the musical language of Melissa’s story. I really enjoyed it. Melissa Pritchard was the perfect selection for this.
This was very well-written! Even though I wasn’t there I felt like I was based on your description of the event. It’s awesome that there was music from an Italian composer. I can’t wait for the events this semester!