Monthly Archives: September 2014

The Raw Paw Debut

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Malvern Books is no stranger to fabulous reading series—Everything is Bigger returns on September 16th, and W. Joe’s Poetry Corner returns on September 24th—but we figured there’s room in our calendar for another recurring wingding! And so on Tuesday night we took great delight in hosting the inaugural Raw Paw Reading…

Raw Paw If you’re an Austin lit lover, you’re probably already familiar with Raw Paw. They describe themselves as “a digitally-educated, analog-obsessed media-mob brewing somewhere between counter-culture and pop culture.” They first set up shop as a zine in 2010, and have since expanded into a print and music publishing house.

Raw Paw’s well-attended Malvern debut was a celebration of something rather special: their new poetry imprint, Mind Maze. Each monthly Mind Maze will showcase twenty poems from one of Austin’s best poets (and come complete with a stylish screen-printed cover designed by Nicole Carleton). The first book of the series, Bluenote, features revered local poet David Jewell (pictured above). David was joined on our stage by five supremely gifted writers and future Mind Maze subjects: Ed Buffaloe, A.R., Jonathan Lowell, and Paula Mendoza. Hearty thanks to David and this talented quartet for kicking off the new series in such fine style! You can check out their readings below—and be sure to keep an eye on our calendar (and the Raw Paw Facebook page) for more details on the future return of Raw Paw!

Centennial Celebrations for Nicanor Parra

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It’s not every day one of your favorite poets celebrates their 100th birthday, and we weren’t going to let Nicanor Parra’s big day pass without throwing him a rather splendid all-day party!

Parra Party

Parra is hugely popular in his native Chile—and at Malvern Books! We’re big fans of his “anti-poetry,” which confronts even the most serious topic with irreverent humor. And it seems we’re not the only Texans to admire Mr. Parra… we had a great turnout for his birthday bash, with lots of friendly folks stopping by to share their enthusiasm for Chilean literature. There were readings, and singing, and cake (naturally), and even a visit from the man himself (in the form of a recorded poetry reading, though we like to think he was fully there in spirit).

Here’s just a small sampling of our Parra party antics—be sure to check out our YouTube playlist for more videos!

Sean Manning read a selection of Parra poems in both Spanish and English, including the beautiful “Piano Solo,” translated by William Carlos Williams.

Malvernite Annar read a poem by Oscar Hahn, from the collection Ashes in Love (translated by James Hoggard):

Dave Oliphant has translated many Parra poems (including those in After-Dinner Declarations); he shared his memories of meeting and translating the great man.

And what’s a birthday party without a bilingual “Happy Birthday” sing-along? Happy birthday to you, Nicanor Parra!

Back-to-School Sale at Malvern Books

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It’s SALE time! We’re offering a mighty generous 50% off selected titles. Stop by soon, because the sale ends on Sunday, September 7th…

Sale Books

There are hundreds of books to choose from, including the kaleidoscopic delights pictured above. My recommendation from this particular table of bargainous joy: the winner of the 2013 PEN Award for Poetry in Translation, Jorge Santiago Perednik’s brilliant The Shock of the Lenders and Other Poems, translated by Molly Weigel.

And to whet your appetite for further literary steals, here’s a lil’ peek at a half-price trinity of remarkable books:

The Frank BookThe Frank Book
Cartoons by Jim Woodring

Cartoon lovers, take note! Jim Woodring has won numerous awards for his Frank stories, a series of charmingly bizarre, almost wordless tales in which the insatiably curious Frank (described as “a bipedal, bucktoothed animal of uncertain species”) has a bunch of adventures in a surreal world that is both idyllic and terrifying.

HomesickHomesick
Fiction by Eshkol Nevo; translated by Sondra Silverston

Set in Israel in 1995, this multi-layered novel tells the story of a young couple, Amir and Noa, who set up a home together in a small town in the hills outside Jerusalem. Told from multiple perspectives (including an omniscient narrator who speaks in rhyming prose), Homesick offers a compelling portrait of a restless community trying to move on from a troubled past.

El GolpeEl Golpe Chileño
Poetry by Julien Poirier

Poirier is one of the founders of Ugly Duckling Presse; El Golpe Chileño is his first volume of poetry. It’s a gloriously eccentric collection of fragments, from emails and diary entries to irreverent collaborations with friends.