For artists whose respective galaxies of creative freedom are celebrated the world over, tonight is ironically fraught with things you can’t do, like ask David Lynch, Gnarls Barkley's Danger Mouse or Sparklehorse — the authors of Dark Night of the Soul — to sign more than one item when you buy the book; or personalize the signed book; or have it signed for you in case you didn’t feel like showing up. Written with Mouse, the book package, published in an edition of 5,000, boasts art hand-numbered by Lynch himself (cramp!) and a blank CD-R — a statement spawned by a contract kerfuffle between Mr. Mouse and Mr. EMI. Paeans to “The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan” notwithstanding, it’s a rare glimpse of these artistic titans in the warm, pleasantly musty safety of a bookstore, where Lynch’s “gripping horror beneath suburban banality” meets St. John of the Cross’ knowledge of God through love every day.

Tue., July 7, 8 p.m., 2009

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