Charles Johnson headlined the first event in the Hugo Literary Series 2011-2012.

When you attend a literary event, it’s never entirely clear what you should expect. Sometimes you’ll end up sitting in a dusty basement, listening to a debut writer sweat and stutter their way through a few pages. Other times your favorite author will turn out to be unexpectedly witty and charming when they’re not sitting behind a desk, or that writer you’d always meant to get around to will convert you within the space of a few minutes. Once I even ended up talking to Fish from 80s prog-rock band Marillion for almost half an hour.

If you’ve already been lucky enough to buy a ticket to the Hugo Literary Series, however, then you’ll have some idea of just how great a literary event can be. Forget the dry basement readings – the Hugo Literary Series knows how to turn their literature up to eleven.

The 2011-2012 series kicked off last Friday, October 28, with The Haves and the Have Nots, and those present could certainly count themselves among the haves. If you haven’t attended the Literary Series before, the idea is deceptively simple: you give three writers and a musician a common theme, let them work on it for a month, then hold an event to showcase what they’ve come up with. Not only do the audience get to hear some of the best writers (and musicians) around Seattle, but they’re also privy to some truly original and unique pieces of work.

The Haves and the Have Nots proved to be an incendiary theme for the first of the series, and Hugo House Program & Marketing Director Brian McGuigan was keen to point out in his introduction that the choice of subject matter preceded the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations. Clearly Richard Hugo House has its finger on the pulse.

Cartoonist Megan Kelso gave an intriguing presentation on her clandestine literary love affair with Herman Melville (we hope that this eventually makes it into print!), while poetry slam veteran Tara Hardy put some fire into the evening with her incendiary readings. It was David Nixon who almost stole the night, however, presenting an animated music video about his relationship with his brother, and a karmic imbalance between the two siblings that brought tears to some eyes. Nixon is best known for his work with performance-art band “Awesome”, but we can only hope that this spirited video is released for public consumption soon.

The highlight of the evening was saved for last, though, as National Book Award winner Charles Johnson stepped up to the podium to read a new short story written for the Literary Series. Johnson’s blank delivery and minimalist prose allowed the story itself to take center stage, and as it unwound the audience sat spellbound, waiting for the next twist and hanging on every word. It just goes to show that fiction has lost none of its power in this age of 24-hour news and internet media.

The Haves and the Have Nots was only the first in the 2011-2012 Hugo Literary Series, taking place at Richard Hugo House, Seattle. Tickets for the forthcoming events – including readings by Sherman Alexie, Heather McHugh, Sam Lipsyte, Suzanne Morrison and Ben Lerner – can be bought from the Hugo House website.