It is with not-minimal pleasure and completely un-ironic excitement that Gelf Magazine would like to announce the debut of its Non-Motivational Speaker Series in the Lower East Side, on Thursday, March 27, at 8 pm.

Graphic by Mister Lister

Following the lead of Gelf's acclaimed Varsity Letters, which has showcased dozens of prominent sportswriters, the Non-Motivational Speaker Series will present views alternative and overlooked on subjects that define our curiously postmodern life. A different theme will be tackled on the last Thursday of each month: Comedy, amateur pornography, the anti-organic movement, and blogging are just some of the delectable pieces of brain candy ready to be plucked from the goody bag of topics. Like Varsity Letters, every event will feature three speakers, each invited for his or her unique knowledge and authority.

Comedy will be the first topic. Featured speakers are stand-up comic Kumail Nanjiani, recipient of "The Best Comedian Award" at the 2007 Chicago Comedy Awards, former opener for Zach Galifianakis, and member of the comedy troupe BLERDs; Patrice Evans (aka The Assimilated Negro, or TAN), a New York City-based writer, blogger, and producer who has contributed to the New York Times, NPR, Gawker, Time Out New York, Huffington Post, EbonyJet, Penthouse, and Deadspin; and Todd Hanson, longtime writer and editor at the Onion and co-author of Our Dumb World: The Onion's Atlas of the Planet Earth, 73rd Edition.

The event will start at 8 pm at the Happy Ending Lounge, and is free.

Logistics:

Happy Ending Lounge (official site, CitySearch, MySpace)
(between Forsyth and Eldridge)
212-334-9676
J/M/Z/F to Delancey
B/D to Grand Street
Look for the hot-pink awning with the words "Health Club" on it.

Doors open at 7:30.
Readings start at 8 sharp.
FREE!

Copies of Onion books will be available for sale, courtesy of Mobile Libris. Questions? Suggestions for future readings? Theories on expanding nuclear non-proliferation in the 3rd World? Let us know.