Last night we hosted our second annual birthday party in honor of the late, great poet laureate of Hyde Park, Albert Huffstickler (December 17, 1927 – February 25, 2002).

Huff was a brave and insightful poet who wasn’t afraid to confront “the simple mystery of ineffable existence” (as Ric Williams said in his eulogy). He was also a passionate supporter of local literature, and a friend and inspiration to many—so it was hardly surprising that so many lovely people came by Malvern Books yesterday to celebrate this great man’s life with readings, reminiscing, and… cake!

And, as always, we had our video camera at the ready to capture some of the action for you. Alas, in our Huffy excitement we lost a little focus, footage-wise—but the audio is crystal clear, so have a listen and enjoy the assorted personal anecdotes and a wonderful selection of poetry, some of it by Huff, and some of it for him. Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by to share their memories of the mighty Huff… long live Huff, indeed, and we hope to see you again this time next year!