The Apron Strings Short Story Reading at Bread N Butter in Hollywood
Last week, I had the pleasure of doing a short story reading at Bread N Butter, a cute café on Hollywood Boulevard. The reading was organized by We Read Books in LA and featured a handful of Los Angeles creatives performing and reading for an intimate audience. There was music, poetry, acting, and of course, a piece of flash fiction from my book Thirteen Emotions. Which piece? One of my all-time favourites: The Apron Strings.
I’d had a busy day before heading to Bread N Butter: getting the kids ready for the day, attending the Jacquemus boutique opening on Melrose, coming home to cook dinner, and then preparing for my reading. My outfit was pre-planned, however, after picking up a pair of gorgeous earrings at the new Jacquemus store, it was back to the drawing board. There was no way I couldn’t wear them. And I’m so glad I did because literally everyone at the reading complimented them! (If you’re curious, they’re these ones.)
I ended up wearing a pair of linen trousers, a thrifted mesh corset, a secondhand Aya Muse blazer I found at The RealReal, Cult Gaia wedge sandals, and my chocolate suede Le Chiquito bag that perfectly fits a paperback copy of my book. (See above.) Unfortunately, my hand wasn’t matching with the aesthetic of my look. Long story short: on Easter, as I was cooking dinner, I broke a glass mixing bowl, cut open my hand, and had to go get stitches. So, I had my hand bandaged for my reading. Ugh. Not chic, but necessary.
We were requested to arrive at the coffee shop an hour before the start of the event. Having that time to meet the other performers and authors and get to know each other on a more casual level was so nice. Instead of rushing in and keeping every topic of conversation limited to our work, we were able to sit together and talk about… life, thrift stores, astrology. And to have more candid discussions that didn’t only revolve around the quintessential LA question: “So, what do you do?” Of course, we kind of already had an idea of what each of us “did” but you know what I mean.
The Apron Strings Short Story Reading at Bread N Butter
To start, I had to preface The Apron Strings before anyone got the wrong idea. Personally, I have a great relationship with my mother-in-law. My own mother and my grandmother on my dad’s side however… oof. They didn’t get along. Although I loved them both and had a very close relationship with my Grammy, the two of them just didn’t mesh whatsoever. The Apron Strings was partly inspired by something my mom told me happened between them.
Of course, what my mom mentioned was just one small scenario. The story is embellished and fictionalized and pulled from the depths of my mind. After all, it’s a work of fiction. And one that I’m proud of. Fun fact: a couple of years ago, I was contacted by someone who said they wanted to adapt it into a play or short film. I signed a contract and everything to ensure that I would get full credit for writing the story and what not. Nothing ever materialized—at least, as far as I know—but if one person liked the story that much, then I’m sure someone else will, too. Maybe it’s not too late to see an adaptation of The Apron Strings. Or any of the Thirteen Emotions short stories for that matter.
My outfit details:
Jacquemus linen trousers
Thrifted mesh corset
Aya Muse blazer via The RealReal
Le Chiquito suede bag
Jacquemus sunflower earrings
Cult Gaia wedge sandals
See my outfit flat lay on Indyx.
My short story reading bio:
Melina Maria Morry is a full-time author and former fashion copywriter. Born and raised in Canada, she studied journalism in Sydney before ending up in LA, where she currently lives with with her husband and twin boys, sipping iced lattes and writing women’s fiction novels that match her stylish, slow-fashion vibe.
I was so nervous before going up on stage. Thankfully, I don’t think it really shows. I’m not a great public speaker, but this is what I want to do with my life, so I have to get over that fear. It’s my dream to do a book tour, participate in more local readings and signings, events, and to meet readers from all over the world. Manifesting! And working towards that, too.
Thanks to everyone who came out to support this event with We Read Books in LA. And thank you to my friend Danielle for capturing the footage of me!
Have you read The Apron Strings yet? If not, you can pick up a copy of Thirteen Emotions from my bookstore, Amazon, Bookshop, or anywhere books are sold online.
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