Brooklyn, Ep. 3

February 19, 2014 — On a night that heated up Brooklyn's chilly February, Literary Death Match debuted at Littlefield with a thrilling show that saw Rickey Laurentiis outduel Jen Doll in an Olympics-themed "athlon" finale by the narrowest of margins, winning Laurentiis the LDM Brooklyn, Ep. 3 crown. 

But before the finale was even a consideration, the night began with 2013 Creative Writing NEA Fellow and 2012 Ruth Lilly Poetry Foundation Fellow Rickey Laurentiis, who blew minds with a series of powerfully-read poems. Then came Joseph Riippi (author of A Cloth House) who read a stirring exerpt from his new novel Because, about trying to remember his grandfather. 

The mic was then handed over to the trio of all-star judges: The mic was then handed over to the trio of all-star judges: Taylor Negron (playwright/comedian/actor/everything (The Aristocrats, The Last Boy Scout); Albert "Prodigy" Johnson, half of the hip-hop duo Mobb Deep and author of H.N.I.C.; and Jena Friedman, comedian and field producer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The three poured lavish praise on both readers mixed with well-spun hilarities before huddling and making the night's first impossible decision by advancing Laurentiis on as the night's first finalist. 

After a boozy intermission, Round 2 kicked off with Jen Doll, journalist and author of Save the Date: The Occasional Mortifications of a Serial Wedding Guest who read an excerpt from her new book about a wedding with the nerdiest revenge subplot that has ever existed. Next was Mary Phillips-Sandy (writer and managing editor of Comedy Central Digital) who had the crowd on the edge of their seat with a piece that helped them determine if they were dating William Howard Taft. 

Again the mics were handed over to the judges, who thrilled who raved, complimented, cracked wise and hilarified before huddling and deciding it would be Doll who would advance as the night's second finalist. 

Then up stepped LDM creator Adrian Todd Zuniga, who announced the night's finale: Olympics Archery, in which Laurentiis and Doll took turns using a nerf-style bow and arrow to "kiss" IOC founder Pierre de Coubertin on the lips with lipstick-tipped arrows. After struggles at the start, it was Laurentiis who finally found his inner Robin Hood, winning the LDM Brooklyn, Ep. 3 medal and literary immortality to go with it.

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