Pittsburgh has a bustling literary scene. This is unexpected, I realize, but true. Even the Post-Gazette says so. I haven’t made it to any of the events Bob Hoover mentions in the article — been trying to get to the Slaughterhouse for Choice Cuts for some time but events have conspired against me.
However, I’ve spent many a fine evening at the Gist Street Reading Series. I’m not terribly disappointed that it wasn’t featured in the article because it’s already overfull every month: these days one has to arrive by 7:30 or risk being shut out. The readers are excellent, the crowd is fun and non-stuffy, the vibe is simultaneously mellow and charged, the food is eclectic and delish and abundant, and the wine and beer are kept cool in the bathtub in the middle of the room. I wish more people knew about it, but then we’d need a bigger space and that would entirely change the atmosphere. So it’s best that it remain an ill-kept secret for as long as possible.