Orlando, Ep. 3

October 7, 2015 — After nearly four years away from Orlando, Literary Death Match teamed with Burrow Press for an event at Mad Cow Theatre that wowed from end to end, with the night finishing with David James Poissant outdueling co-finalist Kristen Arnett in a sudden-death Lone Star Lit finale that won Poissant the LDM Orlando, Ep. 3 crown. 

But before the finale was even a consideration, the night kicked off with Kristen Arnett, fiction and essay writer fiction and winner of Ninth Letter's 2015 Literary Award in Fiction, who shared a heart wrenching tale of new love, asphyxiation, and chicken wings. Next up was Kristin Harmel, international bestselling author of The Life Intended and The Sweetness of Forgetting, who read a chapter of an intense novel-in-progress with roots in memories of war.

The mic was then handed over to the night's trio of all-star judges: Billy Collins, every-award winning poet of Aimless Love and two-time U.S. Poet Laureate; Ana Eligio, improviser and SAK main Ensemble member; Preacher Lawson, standup comedian and actor. The trio flung endless praise and quips at both Kristin/Kristen's, but made the painful decision to advance Arnett as the night's first finalist. 

Then came Round 2, which led off with David James Poissant, award-winning author of 2014 LA Times Book Prize Finalist, The Heaven of Animals, who shared a weird and wonderful story that reimagines the world with an added layer of technological and emotional breakdown. Then, finally, it was Erica Dawson, , award-winning poet and author of The Small Blades Hurt and Big-Eyed Afraid who brought brand new poemsbursting with electricity and questions about religion, race, and culture.

Then, again, the judges were center stage, and after doting on both authors, they made the night's second impossible decision, announcing Poissant as the night's second finalist.  

Then up stepped LDM creator Adrian Todd Zuniga who announced the night's finale: One Star Wonder, in which he read off 1-star Amazon book reviews written about classic books. Team Arnett caught fire early on, but then Team Poissant stormed back to force sudden death overtime. With all to play for it was Team Poissant who nailed the final answer, winning him the LDM Orlando, Ep. 3 medal and literary immortality to go with it.