Nobody Wants Happy Endings

The proposition of having music writers share the stage with musicians can be a dicey prospect. At times, musicians and writers can share a very adversarial relationship since artists don’t want their art confined to labels and writers can’t get enough of labeling art.

Writer and all around creative juggernaut Amanda Stern eases the eternal tension by bringing both musicians and writers together for her Happy Ending Music and Reading Series, an irreverent night of readings and music, and by demanding that the readers commit to one “public risk.” Truth be told, it kind of sounds like code for “embarrass yourself” but hey, who doesn’t love to see that?

“I’m not sure what my risk is going to be,” says Alec Hanley Bemis, featured reader and frequent LA Weekly and New York Times contributor and Brassland label head. "I think it will involve dressing up, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise. Maybe it will be about the narrative qualities of running a record label.” This seems on point for a music writer who describes his approach as “fictionalized non-fiction.”

He shares the task of running Brassland with Bryce and Aaron Dessner, the twin brothers who comprise two-fifths of much-lauded Brooklyn band, The National. Upon hearing of a close partnership with the band mates, one has to wonder if a bit of nepotism didn’t play a part in Bemis consistently placing Boxer in the myriad 2007 critics' year-end Top 10 polls.

“For me to pretend that I’m not involved and can have any real objectivity in regards to music is pretty ridiculous. At the end of the day, I just like what I like.”

At the time of this interview, Bemis also didn’t know what piece he’d be reading, mainly because it hadn’t been written yet. However, given his track record as a former student at Yale to iconic writer and Ken Kesey co-conspirator, Robert Stone, we can be confident that he’ll have no problem whipping together something thoughtful and engaging.

“Robert Stone actually gave me the lowest grades of any professor. I also heard him make a scathing remark to another student about the future of her career as a writer.”

Fortunately for the audience, Bemis is far less curmudgeonly. His tone is even tempered and soothing to the point of being almost disconnected and downright other worldly. He’s what an English professor’s tweed jacket would sound like if it could talk.

Joining Bemis is Daphne Carr, author of Nine Inch Nails' Pretty Hate Machine (Continuum 2007), series editor of Best Music Writing (Da Capo 2007) and contributor to all kinds of other books where stuff gets deconstructed and reconstructed again. Also sharing the stage is My Brightest Diamond, where Shara Worden demonstrates her impressive musical pedigree.

[ April 2, Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St. (betw. Astor Pl. & E. 4th St.), 212-967-7555; 9:30, $15.]