Drink[dot]Think a Success in San Francisco
Tuesday night Drink.Think started the first event of its national tour at Cantina, in San Francisco. The event was held in Cantina's basement lounge which is an L shaped room with a raised seating area in the corner that served as the stage. Kara Newman, creator and curator of the Drink.Think events served as the evening's MC. There were nine featured readers who each read from prepared pieces for about five minutes. The readings ranged the gamut from poems about grape fungus, to travel logs about tequila tours.
By far the funniest reading of the night was Camper English's poem "Who Do I Have to F-- (To Get a Drink in This Bar)?" It tells the story of two friends odyssey to a fancy cocktail bar and the barriers they faced to get a drink. While its rhyme scheme sounded simple it proved to be very engaging and funny.
One travel log of note was read by Duggen McDonnell. Duggen, also the owner of Cantia, read his piece from Mutineer magazine called “Where Your Heart Lives: A Pisco Story.” The piece was very well written and well read, demonstrating that Duggen's training in theater and writing have been put to good use. The story had a good range of emotions throughout and had a definite arc that resolved in a very pleasant and satisfying way. If you happen to find a copy of the July/August 2012 edition of Mutineer I recommend reading it.
The last, and in my opinion the best reading of the night came from Virginia Miller. Her piece, specifically written for the event, was a very personal story about her journey from a non-drinking household to a drink writer who prefers her spirits neat and at cask strength. Her story had many of the hallmarks of good writing: it was both funny and poignant; and she used vivid imagery and metaphors to transport the listener into her world of words. And while she described her journey as a fall from grace, it seems as though grace has allowed her to build a career out of her passions and filled her with a love for life that recognizes the pleasures of food and drink as gifts to be shared with others.