Neil Gaiman

Live At The Aladdin captures the Portland, Oregon stop on Neil Gaiman's eighth and final reading tour to benefit the non-profit Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. More than four hundred fans paid to attend this special event, which includes dramatic readings from his short fiction and poetry, including stories from his collections Angels & Visitations and Smoke and Mirrors. Of particular note is the short story "Chivalry", which Miramax President Harvey Weinstein personally optioned for film. Gaiman's readings have a stronger performative aspect than what one commonly expects from an author reading. "I've been doing these tours since 1993", said Gaiman. "I've really enjoyed returning people to the days when an author would take his work to the public, when a literary reading was something exciting, fun, and theatrical. Dickens did it. Oscar Wilde did it And, in a much lesser way, so have I". Apart from the reading itself, Gaiman's performance includes a lively Q&A segment that is sure to entertain even the most casual fan of his work. In addition to Gaiman's performance, Live At The Aladdin includes behind-the-scenes documentary footage and interview segments shot over the course of his reading tour, making this tape a must-have for any fan of his work.