Thousands turned up for Neil Gaiman’s highly anticipated performance at Carnegie Hall on June 27. The evening was touted as a “multimedia storytelling event” and showcased the prolific author’s premiere U.S. reading of The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains (William Morrow, 2014) and Hansel and Gretel (Toon Bks., 2014) accompanied by visuals and a live score.
Pre-show excitement was tangible amongst the large crowd, diverse yet united in their mutual love for the notably offbeat author. Sydney-based group, Fourplay Quartet, kicked off the proceedings, earning hearty applause for their rendition of the Doctor Who theme. The foursome performed a number of original pieces, before heralding the arrival of the author himself. Having previously appeared at Carnegie Hall for The Fault in Our Stars (Dutton, 2012) author John Green’s “Evening of Awesome,” Gaiman ruminated on a similar title for his own event: “I was trying to think as I came in, what tonight is. An evening of weird? An evening of unusual? An evening of peculiar?” Whatever it is, welcome.”
The night held true to all of the above, and Gaiman’s equally eccentric fans would’ve expected no less. The first half of the program was dedicated to Hansel and Gretel, giving the audience an exclusive sneak peek of the forthcoming title being published in late October. “Just in time for Halloween,” Gaiman commented, a sentiment that was echoed by Toon editor Françoise Mouly in an earlier phone interview with SLJ.
Mouly is thrilled to include the spooky title in graphic novel publisher’s new line, aimed towards middle grade readers. “It is personal expression at its best,” she claims, citing the connections Gaiman and illustrator Lorenzo Mattotti each forged with the story. Both tapped into the inherent terror of “Hansel and Gretel,” a dark tale that emerged from the very real horrors of the European Great Famine of 1315. Once-prosperous farmers found their crops destroyed by frost; some were driven to murder and cannibalism for survival. It is from these ominous roots that this new edition draws its inspiration, as opposed to more common lighter, sanitized versions.
The latter portion of the evening included the performance of the recently released The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains, a novella based on “several peculiar Scottish legends,” according to Gaiman. The book describes the journey of the small, quick-witted, anonymous protagonist and the enigmatic reaver Calum MacInnes, unlikely companions with a dark, entwined past. The two set off in search of gold, and find much more.
Mouly lauds Gaiman as a 
“true storyteller,” with a rich narrative voice that captivates the reader, and infuses his tales with life. Gaiman delivered The Truth with impeccable rhythm, delving headfirst into the characters’ twists and turns (and lilting Scottish brogue), while keeping a narrative pace that left the audience nearly breathless. The success of the performance was a testament to the significance of a multimedia approach to literacy, a tactic Mouly strongly advocates: “It’s an approach to books as not just literature, but art as well.” Both titles have their roots in graphic arts, with Hansel and Gretel arising out of an art exhibit, commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera House for a series of works dedicated exclusively to the fairy tale, and Truth resulting from a commission for Scottish artist Eddie Campbell by the Sydney Opera House.
Campbell, an acclaimed graphic novelist whose extensive list of works includes Alan Moore’s From Hell (Top Shelf, 2004), appeared briefly after the reading, playfully lamenting the “harm of so many Campbells” in the story: “Twelve, to be exact.” The banter made way for a piece of good news, as Gaiman happily announced that The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains just reached #1 on the New York Times Graphic Novel Bestseller list.
“We should do something to cheer everybody up,” Gaiman quipped at the end of the evening, before striking up the quartet and launching into a cheeky performance of Leon Payne’s, “You Think I’m Psycho Don’t You, Mama?” a deceptively upbeat tune whose lyrics belie the narrator’s psychopathic tendencies. Early on, he had warned that the audience was “in for an unrelieved evening of doom and gloom. I hope nobody minds.” Certainly, it seemed nobody did.