How To Start a Literary Scene

Dear Republic,

We’ve had several literary scenes this week — from the LES to the shores of Lake Gitchegumee — but how do you actually bring about a literary scene? has some brutally practical tips.

-ROL

HOW TO START A LITERARY SCENE

After much sober reasoning, you will decide to start with the curtains. The footprint and native décor of your apartment probably does not scream ‘literary salon,’ so when faced with transforming the space, you have too many options. But the more you think about it, the more a set of dramatic, floor to ceiling curtains seems vital. Eschew your plans for clashing rugs and eclectic lighting — don’t buy the fancy cheese and the fancy wine. The curtains are the thing.

Of course, if you are at the point where you are thinking about the drapery, you’ve already made some crucial determinations. For instance, you’ve determined that you want to host a literary reading, that your city or town or village cries out for culture and that you might be the person to bring it. Moreover, you have determined which of your talented friends and connections will be the best suited to read their work at the inaugural event. You’ve selected them for their wit and a certain down-to-clown-je-ne-sais-quoi. But having gotten thus far, the problem of creating a suitable space seems insurmountable.

Back to the curtains. You’ve never made curtains and have no idea how to even begin. You could buy some cheap IKEA item, but surely those will not be up to the task of making a stage of your living room. It becomes clear to you that your vision requires a bespoke intervention. Recruit your architect friend at this point. She has plenty of graph paper, a sewing machine, and an ability to visualize physical space, which you sorely lack.

You probably didn’t have a particular expectation of how long it would take to make these curtains. A few hours? Oh aspiring impresario, you have no idea how difficult it is to make curtains. You have not reckoned with the fact that the broader…