Meet The Malverns #8

Today I’d like to introduce you to Malvern’s resident computer boffin and expert on all things automotive, William Earl Taylor. And Will, in turn, would very much like to introduce you to one of his favorite novels, Termite Parade by San Francisco writer Joshua Mohr (and Will’s not alone in his appreciation of Mr. Mohr’s wry tale; Termite Parade was also selected as an Editors’ Choice by the New York Times Book Review).

Will and Termite Parade

Termites are eating away at young Derek’s brain, influencing him to drop his sweet Mired down a flight of stairs. This story tells a tale of an abusive relationship gone totally wrong and right at the same time. Throw in some armed robbery and bad coffee, and this is a must read!

May’s Mic Maestros

On Saturday evening we were delighted to once again team up with VSA Texas and Pen2Paper for another magnificent and merry installment of The Lion and The Pirate Unplugged. Our May open mic got off to a swingin’ start with an improvised performance by dance group Body Shift (pictured below). Launched in 2010, Body Shift is a mixed-ability dance project that seeks to create a welcoming environment where everyone can find their own unique way to enjoy contemporary dance. Three of the group’s members, Susie Angel, Juan Munoz, and Tanya Winters, gave a wonderful, expressive performance that captured the joy and spontaneity dance can bring to people’s lives.

Body Shift

But wait, there’s more! The ever-popular Dude Choir returned to the Malvern stage—and this time they brought with them a new dude, Caleb Garcia (below left, with Eric Clow and Felipe Archer). The first song they performed dealt with the “precarious situation” of falling in love with one’s personal care attendant! Have a listen…

Dude Choir

And do check out the other fantastic acts below (and the additional pics on our Facebook page). We have performances from past mic-ers “Bear” Beam and Camille Euritt, as well as marvelous turns from Lion & Pirate newcomers Pamela Brouker and Stan VanSandt—and there’s also the debut of a play by K.K. Marshall, read by K.K., Pamela, Caleb, and April Sullivan. Thanks to everyone for making it such a brilliant night of open mic magic, and we hope to see y’all next month!

An Evening with Cindy Huyser

For the May installment of our Poetry Corner, host W. Joe introduced us to the wonderful Cindy Huyser (pictured below, with W. Joe).

Cindy and W. Joe

Joe and Cindy

Cindy Huyser is a poet, a computer scientist, and a former power plant operator—worthy endeavors all, but I assume you’re here for the poetry rather than, say, linear programming chitchat, in which case… check out the footage below! And be sure to keep an eye on our events calendar for details of W. Joe’s upcoming guests.

Larry Brill & The Next Chapter

On Sunday afternoon we played host to something rather… Brill-iant (sorry, you knew it was coming): an afternoon with author Larry Brill and the frolicsome folks from the Next Chapter improv group. Let’s take a look at some footage from their assorted escapades…

First up, Larry Brill introduced us to his new novel, The Patterer, a satirical tale set in the murky world of 18th-century London journalism. Brill spent twenty-five years as a news anchor, and his experiences in the newsroom inform his comic take on Dickensian media mores. The main character of the novel, the excellently named Leeds Merriweather, is the eponymous “patterer,” someone who sells newspapers by standing on a busy street corner shouting out the horrifying headlines of the day to passersby. To read the part of Mr. Merriweather, Larry called on his friend Bobby Post, who did a suitably tip-top job of channeling the charming Leeds.

Next up, our team of intrepid improvisers explained their process: writers in the audience would be selected at random to read a short excerpt from their work, and Next Chapter would then improvise a skit inspired by the material. First name out of the lucky red cup? Austin icon John Kelso, who has been writing a humor column for the Austin American-Statesman since 1977.

For rounds two and three, please welcome Lester Morris, followed by Janet Christian.

And last but assuredly not least, we have Angela Smith, who read from her forthcoming book, Women Drummers (working title: Badass Lady Drummers). Her piece focused on the legendary Teresa Taylor, aka Teresa Nervosa, a drummer for the Butthole Surfers. It’s safe to say Next Chapter had a lot of fun with their take on Ms. Nervosa…

Bigger Than Ever

One doesn’t like to play favorites concerning installments of one’s reading series, so let’s just say that this month’s Everything is Bigger shindig was especially good. Here’s the post-match report…

EIB 5

We had three lovely readers join us for Wednesday’s event: Tim Earley, Jess Stoner, and Will Clark (pictured left to right above, with host Tyler Gobble in red). You can check out more photos on Facebook, and watch all three of them in action below. You may notice that our camera person places the lens cap back on the camera at the start of Jess’ reading—please rest assured that this was not an act of arrant madness. You see, Jess had to come to the reading straight from work, wearing her Postal Service uniform, and apparently USPS workers are not supposed to be filmed while in official garb. Photos are allowed, though, so here’s one of Jess mid-reading, so you can get an idea of the set up:

Jess Stoner

And of course it wouldn’t be a Bigger reading without the giving away of assorted whimsical raffle prizes. Sadly, this month’s sack of swag did not include the coveted homemade Everything is Bigger tank-top—the dye ran on the lettering of Tyler’s latest creation, producing an “ErrrtBrrrisigger” tank-top, which did not meet his exacting apparel standards. Fortunately, we still had a whole heap of whatnots to dispense to lucky winners, including a dice game called “Spicy Farkel” (“a silly game played by silly people,” says one reviewer); a Whoopie Pie! candle (an often overlooked prize pick, despite being described on the Yankee Candle website as “Mmmmm! Creamy vanilla frosting meets moist, rich, chocolate for a treat that is so real you may want to lick your fingers!”); and, best of all, steak coasters! Coasters shaped like steaks!

Steak Coasters

But enough about prizes! Go watch some videos—and stay tuned for news of future Biggers. (We may or may not be taking a summer hiatus; our Events Calendar will keep you in the loop.)

The Play’s The Thing

Malvernite Adam has written about his musical predilections and given us a story suggestion—and now he’s back with a dramatic recommendation for y’all…


AdamTwo Lost in the Filthy Night is an edgy, suspenseful play by Brazilian writer, actor, and journalist Plínio Marcos. The play portrays the type of life that working class people in Brazil must endure. The play only consists of two characters but the script is so well written that there’s never a dull moment throughout the story. There is a constant feeling of anticipation as to what will happen next as the reader goes through the chaotic events with the two characters who are living in extreme poverty. These life conditions cause the two characters to commit a robbery, thinking it will help their situation, only to find that it is the beginning of even more serious problems. Two Lost in the Filthy Night is a disturbing account of how a life of poverty can affect a person’s sense of morals and their value for human life. It is definitely worth recommending to any reader who is looking for a play with a gripping story and dynamic character and dialogue. (The play can be found in 3 Contemporary Brazilian Plays, which also features the work of acclaimed playwrights Leilah Assumpção and Consuelo de Castro—ask us for a copy next time you’re in the store!)