The Budapest Bardroom

At long last we present visual documentation of the recent Bardroom event, held on December 2, 2007. The month rapidly crescendoed into a whirlwind of parties, deadlines, family obligations and shopping mall adventures. Hoped you weathered it all as well as we did!

This was our first event hosted with Treehugger Dan and we’re planning the next one for early February. Details to follow.

Irish poet, Neil McCarthy, let us have it with both barrels.

Talented local poet, Dani Danyi has earned the sobriquet Dani Squared.

Neil Barnett taught us a thing or two about Josip Brod Tito.

The crowd-stirring, rabble-rousing, guitar-strumming Niall Connolly serenaded us.

Secret Agent, Neil Barnett, was suddenly called away on assignment.

So bear with us, folks. We’re just going through the photos of the last Bardroom and, well, let’s just say there’s a bit of room for improvement. Frankly, we need to make sure the photographer at our next event is a teetotaler. But anyway …

David A. Hill (not to be confused with Bardroom founder David Hill) got us off to a ripping start with a gripping tale of adultery and urban legends.

Adam LeBor spun a mesmerizing historical tale of Arab and Jewish families in the Palestinian (Israeli) city of Jaffa.

Good lord, how do we describe this? Jeff Taylor tied together homosexuality, the Catholic Church and the Greek origins of Western culture in his updated lecture entitled “The Michelangelo Code II.”

Marc Nasdor’s poetry … what adjectives come to mind? Relentless, zany, inventive. The man has a knack for combining words and phrases in a completely nonsensical but intuitively obvious way that had us literally gasping for air.

The cool thing about writing a blog like this is you can post photos of your girlfriend and daughter in a completely shameless manner. Anyway, thanks to the Nyittot Muhely for hosting the event. Credit also to Jeff Morsman and Gabor Mandy who regaled us at the open mike. See you all again in December!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In that case, how many words is a video worth?

Ponder that question as you peruse these videos taken by Gabor Mandy at our last Bardroom event, on August 15.

Jeff Taylor opens the evening with his usual aplomb.

Gabor Mandy presents ‘The Worst’. That’s not a criticism of his performance, that’s just the name of the poem.

Heather Hartley reveals her ethnic Hungarian origins.

And finally, Travis Jeppesen explores his dark side.

Gabor has more videos over at YouTube. Meanwhile, we’re planning the next Bardroom event for early October. Watch this space for further details.

As promised, a few post-act teasers from the August 15th Bardroom show in Budapest for those folks who couldn’t make it because, say, they’re still not part of the Bardroom mailing list (about which they should write to events AT bardroom DOT com).

Above, Heather Hartley, our lithe Parisian guest reader receiving one of the Bardroom’s fabulous quiz prizes.

Marissa Beahm stepped up to the open mike to enchant us with her poetry.

Travis Jeppesen visited us from Berlin to read from his newest book…

… and THIS was the book he was reading from.

As usual, venue, bar service, writing implements, organiser-and-reader-exclusive bottled booze was courtesy of Nyitott Műhely.

Of course, this is not a comprehensive directory of every performer who graced us that night and of all the zanyness you rightfully expect from the Bardroom. Such readers as Dani Dányi, Gábor Mándy and Patrick (Masters of Ceremonies Jeff and Steve screwed up; please contact us with your proper name).

But there you go; if you don’t want to miss out, be there next time!

If you were there, share your group experiences in the comments.