Gary Lucas

It's true, it was packed to over-flowing. A few days after my NYC instore here I am in the City of Lights celebrating the publication of my new book "Touched By Grace" my Jawbone Press http://garylucas.com/www/tbg

and for my instore Thursday night--my third at this fantastic bookshop, my favorite in the world, you have to see it to believe it, it is the BEST--presided over by lovely Sylvia Whitman and Laura Keeling with super hep from David Grove and a great enthusiastic staff of nice people, they nurture talent and have young writers staying there year round in special bunk beds in every nook and cranny in the store

Plus you can find fantastic books rare and new there, mainly in English--it is a bibiliophile's paradise, and last year I found a book with color plates by Vorticist William Roberts hitherto unknown by the most devoted historians of the great English Vortex modernist art movement of the early 20th century.

Anyway it was packed to the rafters for my reading and solo performance, they had to set up extra chairs, and around 7pm on Thursday I began playing solo acoustic and then reading excerpts from the book and alternating in this mode for an hour or so--and they sold every copy they had brought in (a big box full) from London!! Guests and visitors included French underground music legend Lionel Foxx (Crium Deirium), Niella Schuppert (French Jeff Buckley Tribute Overlord) and Aurore Raynot, French music icon and actress Elli Medeiros ("Toi Mon Toit"), old friends Minnie Picoux and Eloise Bientz-Bresson, Canadian ex-pat Laurie Gordon, and many others. Special guest vocalist English ex-pat Nick Watt sang "Grae" and "Mojo Pin" beautifully--and a splendid time was had by all.

Last night I went to the Theatre de la Ville here in Paris to see my friend legendary actor Willem Dafoe give a masterful performance in Robert Wilson's new play "The Old Woman" co-starring Mikhail Baryshnikov, and itwas something else!! A delightful and terrifying post-modern twist on classic duo vaudeville turns mixed with a bit of Commedia del'arte, I cant really describe it but to say it was total hallucinatory fun. Here's a photo taken backstage by Elli Medeiros after this incredible event , which I urge you to see (its playing here in Paris for awhile before moving to BAM)

xxGary