LA, Ep. 28

April 11, 2014 — To celebrate all that is amazing about the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Literary Death Match teamed with 826LA for a star-studded return to Largo at the Coronet that saw Rachel McKibbens outduel co-finalist Andres du Bouchet by a score of 9-5 in a Literary Pictionary finale to win McKibbens the LDM LA, Ep. 28 crown. 

But before the finale was even a futurethought, the night began with award-winning British author Geoff Dyer, who read a hilarious excerpt from Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi about a poor British chap who calmly violates the queue at a bank in India, while the victim of the queue-jump struggles to keep his temper. Next up it was du Bouchet, comedian and Emmy-nominated TV writer for CONAN on TBS, who told the knee-slapping story of a too-good-to-be-true Upper West Side "romance." 

The mic was then handed over to the trio of all-star judges: Walter Kirn, author of Up in the Air and the all-new Blood Will Out; Tymberlee Hill, actress featured on Drunk History and Comedy Bang! Bang!; and BJ Novak, actor (The Office; Inglorious Bastards) and author of One More Thing. The three praised both writers with a high-wire act of hilarities and sharply-worded responses before huddling and making the night's first impossible decision by advancing du Bouchet on as the night's first finalist. 

Then it was on to Round 2, which kicked off with Dana Goodyear, a New Yorker staff writer and author of Anything that Moves who read a poem about a rubber vagina factory followed by a non-fiction piece about Franzia and low-budget wine production. Finally, it was Rachel McKibbens, World Poetry Slam Champion (2011), playwright, essayist & author of Pink Elephant, who read a trio of world-rocking poems that surrounded an abusive, bipolar, Mexican mother. 

Again the mics were handed over to the judges, who thrilled — with Kirn saying he'd give more points to whoever made him feel worse to be a man. After a series of wise-cracks and compliments, the three huddled and made the night's second impossible decision, naming McKibbens as the night's second finalist. 

Then up stepped LDM creator Adrian Todd Zuniga, who announced the night's finale: Literary Pictionary, in which the two finalists (paired with teammate/audience members) were tasked with shouting out the titles of famous fantasy novels (Game of Thrones reference)/great '60s novels (Mad Men reference). While Team du Bouchet had a hot start, it was Team McKibbens who shouted out the night's final answer, winning her the LDM LA, Ep. 28 medal and literary immortality to go with it.

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