RISK MANAGEMENT

We’re all about watching artists do risky things. It keeps us on the edges of our seats, kind of like when David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear and we panicked about whether he could possibly bring her back. The two-year-old Happy Ending Music and Reading Series is kind of like that. Amanda Stern’s beloved salon requires the literary contingent to take a public risk, while the singer-songwriters are forced to do one cover song—and try to get the audience to sing along. The artists leaving their comfort zones tonight include Michael Cunningham (The Hours), A.M. Homes (The Mistress’s Daughter), Nelly Reifler (See Through), and musicians Sam Amidon and Doveman.

Wed., Jan. 5, 7 p.m., 2011