LA, Ep. 4

October 19, 2011 — The LDM stage in the City of Angels was lit bright with talent, as Busby's East played host to a magical 826LA-sponsored event that saw Margaret Wappler out-cupcake-toss co-finalist Jillian Lauren, by icing-splattering Bret Easton Ellis to take home the Literary Death Match crown!

But before the six-some of delicious cupcakes were presented to the finalists, the night kicked off with LDM Austin, Ep. 1 champion Amelia Gray introducing Round 1, which started off with poet Beau Sia (previously featured on Def Poetry Jam) delivering a heartfelt gem inspired by a recent car accident. His daring performance was followed by Wappler, who read a beautiful piece that quieted the buzzing audience, and had onlookers unsure of who would advance. 

The mic was then turned over to the foursome of all-star judges: Jill Soloway (executive producer of Six Feet Underand United States of Tara), Ben Acker and Ben Blacker (creators of the absurdly brilliant Thrilling Adventure Hour), and Marilyn: Intimate Exposures author Susan Bernard (Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Playboy's Playmate of the Month, December 1966). The four bantered wittily, loving Sia's sunglasses, fascinated by Wappler's dress material, enthralled by the delivery of each performer. But it was Wappler who was selected as the night's first finalist. 

After a boozy intermission, Round 2 pitted more brilliance v. brilliance as Charles Yu (author of Third Class Superhero) read a beautifully told excerpt from How to Live in a Science Fictional Universe, followed by New York Times best-selling author of Some Girls, Jillian Lauren, who read from her all-new novel Pretty.  

Again the mic was handed to the judges, who took turns spouting affectionate critique — this time while munching on French fries — and after another difficult deliberation, they decided by a narrow margin, that it was Lauren who would go on to be the night's second finalist. 

Then up stepped LDM creator Adrian Todd Zuniga to introduce a finale so literary that Shakespeare's ghost seemed to fill the room, along with Sandy Koufax's, as the two finalists were tasked with launching cupcakes at a poster of Bret Easton Ellis. The one that was closer with a splatter of icing would be declared the winner. Early on it was Lauren who looked to be in the driver's seat, but for her third toss, she went underhand, launching the dessert so high above the targer, there's rumors that it's yet to come down. Wappler, with one throw to go, went into a zone, reared back, and delivered a strike that won her not only the Literary Death Match crown, but literary immortality to go with it. Success!

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