October 6
Noodle Day (for Raymond Federman) happens on October 6 every year. We do this to remember and celebrate Raymond Federman.
Who Was/Is Raymond Federman?
Raymond Federman was/is an experimental author, scholar, professor, father, husband, holocaust survivor, French/American, jazz lover, friend. He passed away on October 6, 2009 at the age of 81.
Can I Celebrate Too?
YES
Great! How Do I Celebrate?
Eat noodles
Is That All?
You should think about Federman, too. Obviously.
Why Isn’t Noodle Day on Federman’s Birthday?
Federman was accused/celebrated for his love of words infecting others—the Federman Virus, as you’ll see it called. A virus continues to spread, it lives on, beyond where it may have originated, across the world and years. So it is with Federman. We celebrate this day because we know he is not dead, but lives on.
Hell, we can celebrate on his birthday too. He’d love that.
Why Noodles?
Noodles are a predominant theme in Federman’s Double or Nothing. He’s sort of linked to them. Plus they are cheap, easy to prepare, and can be enjoyed by most everyone. Also, Virus Day sounds a lot less fun.
Can I Help?
Sure: Link to this site. Use #NDFRF, #NoodleDay or some variation on Mastodon/Instagram/Twitter/X on October 6th. Or Facebook. Talk about it with co-workers. Tell it to a passing stranger in Washington Square. Email it to your literary friend/spouse/child/parent. Spread the word/virus/noodle.
Why Are You Doing This?
Because Federman was a wonderful teacher and person.
Raymond Federman was the sort of person who would hate a conventional opening sentence, and would probably hate a conventional eulogy as well. As an author, his work was called experimental fiction, surfiction, metafiction, and more. Federman was fond of calling it Playgerism. His sense of play inspired Noodle Day. That rhymed, but it was an accident. Honest.
Questions? Check the FAQ (ANDFRFA/OFIG) or ask @noodledayforray on Twitter.