G*d Bless You, Mr. Welsh

Thanks Philebrity...

"It's a funny thing. You would think that with the advent of Scottish World Rock Domination (Camera Obscura, Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian, Franz Ferdinand, The Cribs, the re-ascendance of Orange Juice, and so on), combined with the threads of new fatal heroin coursing through the news cycle, that the time would be high for Irvine Welsh to experience a major revival. After all, dude kinda was and is the harbinger for all of these things and more. Word on the book review circuit is that his latest, The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs, is a fine return to Welsh's deep-dialect, bringing-out-the-worst in people tragiocomic milieu. So why not, say we. Welsh reads at the Free Library on Tuesday, and seriously: What, you're not gonna try and see if he'll drink with you afterwards?

Irvine Welsh reads and talks, Tues., August 15, 7pm, free. Central Library, 19th and Vine Sts. More info here."

HOLY SHIT. Now, I don't really like much contemporary literature, (and I'm not even sure if Welsh counts as a contemporary writer, since he definitely hit his peak in the 90s) but Welsh has a very special place in my heart.

When I was very small I would read insatiably, and sometime in middle school I just stopped caring about reading. Didn't pick up a book for pleasure for a few years. Then I was introduced to Trainspotting and my eyes were reopened, I went to the Free Library (which was a feat, since I had to take a train from the suburbs and then walk quite a bit, at least an hour commute!) and borrowed or sat and read every other book Welsh has written (I later bought most of them). Marabou Stork Nightmares still blows my mind, I really wish I had written that book. When Porno, the "sequel" to Trainspotting came out, I pre-ordered it from Amazon UK and got it before anyone in the States. Now apparently he has a new book out, and although I wonder if I'll be as into his writing as I was as a teenager, I would LOVE to see him in person! And maybe even take a picture or something with/of him! He's such a legend in my little world, the man who single-handedly turned me back on to reading.

So the question is, is anyone else a Welsh fan? Does anyone want to join me? I'm even going to skip work charity Quizzo, which is a big deal, because man, once in a lifetime thing to see one of your hero writers.