Category Archives: Misc. Wafflings

A Warm Welcome to Alienated Majesty

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We’re delighted to bring you some excellent news: our former brick-and-mortar home at 613 West 29th Street is now the location of a wonderful new bookstore, Alienated Majesty. We spoke with the store’s owners, José and Melynda, to find out more about their exciting literary venture…

Alienated Majesty is a memorable name… where does it come from?

José thought of it! It comes from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Self Reliance”: “in every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.” We liked the optimistic feel of the quote. We hope that readers will find their own ideas in our books returning to them in interesting and innovative ways.

We also liked the idea of making visual jokes with space aliens and royalty, so you’ll occasionally see those in the store.

Tell us a little bit about the people behind the store—has bookselling been a longterm dream? What’s your background?

Honestly, we never thought of opening a bookstore until Malvern closed. Like a lot of people we paid a few final visits once we heard the store was closing, and we started to realize how much having a place like this meant to the city and the literary community. Our friends encouraged us to keep it going, so we took the plunge.

But both José (Skinner) and Melynda (Nuss) have spent a lifetime around books. José started writing dispatches from Nicaragua and El Salvador in the 1980’s. He has since graduated from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and co-founded and directed the Creative Writing M.F.A. at the University of Texas Pan American (now UT-RGV). He is the author of two collections of short stories, Flight and The Tombstone Race, and a forthcoming novel, The Search Committee.

Melynda has a PhD in English from UT Austin and taught literature at UT-RGV for over a decade. She is also a lawyer, and after she retired from teaching she started a small law practice to help writers with their copyrights and contracts. It was through her clients that she learned what a vibrant role small independent presses play in introducing new authors to the literary scene. She wanted to make those books more available to readers.

What is the mission of Alienated Majesty?

We want to provide a place where the readers of Austin can come to discover authors that they might not find at other bookstores. We focus on works published by small, independent presses—though we will carry a few large press books if we think they will appeal to our readership. We also plan to carry a large number of works translated from other languages. I was amazed to find that only about 3% of books sold in America were translated from other languages. No wonder Americans have trouble understanding the rest of the world! Readers who shop at Alienated Majesty will discover poetry, fiction and non-fiction from all over the globe.

What have been some challenges in setting up the store?

It seems like there’s a new challenge every day! Probably our biggest challenge was figuring out how we could efficiently heat and cool the space. There was no insulation, and this summer the metal ceiling felt like an oven! So just as we were starting to receive books we had to cover everything up and install some spray foam insulation. It was a mess, but now the space is much more comfortable and our electric bills are a lot lower. We’ve also had a few misplaced orders, some shipping problems. It feels like it’s been years since we started this venture when really it’s only been a few months.

What do you envision for your community of readers, e.g. will you host events?

We have some really exciting things planned! We’ll have plenty of readings and other opportunities for authors to present their work. We’re also hosting a few reading groups. But C. Rees, our event coordinator, is also exploring other kinds of events. We’re thinking of group readings, presentations on the craft and business of writing, interviews with authors and publishers, pop-up stores, musical events, lit-crawl type games—any event that will delight our customers and help inform them about the books we carry. We want to engage the communities in Austin who loved Malvern Books, as well as expand to include those who weren’t lucky enough to go there.

Right now we’re working on a grand opening weekend sometime in late September or early October, where we’ll invite authors who read at Malvern to help us christen the new space—along with a few other surprises. Readers can sign up for our mailing list—or follow us on Instagram or Facebook—to get the details when they’re announced.

What’s something that new customers might find surprising about the store?

We’ve managed to pack a lot more books into the space! We commissioned some bookcases on wheels that we can move out of the way for readings and events, and they’ve really allowed us to expand the number of books we carry. We’ve added comics and graphic novels and a larger non-fiction section. We also have a sofa and some comfy chairs where readers can check out their purchases.

We’ve heard that customers might bump into some former Malvernians while they’re shopping, is that true?

Yes! Stephen Krause has been working with us to make sure we have all the books Malvern readers love, and author Fernando Flores has also been helping us set up the store. We had a few regular Malvern customers knock on our door even before we opened—and lots more come to our soft opening on August 15th! We hope everyone who loved Malvern will find a home here.

You had your soft opening recently—how did it go? And what are your plans for your Grand Opening?

We opened our doors for the first time on August 15th—ready or not! We didn’t circulate the news widely because we were still missing a few major orders. But people still found us, and we had a great day. We will probably still be unpacking boxes for a few weeks. We hope readers don’t mind the mess! But we have some great books in, and we know people are ready to have them. It should be a fun—if chaotic—time.

We’re planning the real Grand Opening celebration for sometime in late September or early October, when the weather is cooler and students and faculty are back in town. We’re going to have a full weekend of readings and community events. I can’t tell you everything now; we’re still firming up the details. But we’ll announce the full lineup on our email and social media when it’s ready.

Where can people find you online? Do you have a link where people can sign up for newsletters?

Our website: alienatedmajestybooks.com. There’s a link on that page where readers can sign up for our mailing list. Readers can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

What are you reading at the moment?

Melynda is reading Peach Blossom Paradise by Ge Fei. It’s an NYRB classic, translated by local Austin translator Canaan Morse. It’s set in turn-of-the-century China, where revolutionaries are challenging the structures of the ancient Chinese empire, and it follows a young girl, Xiumi, as she travels the unlikely road from privileged daughter to revolutionary leader. Along the way, she sees teachers, revolutionaries and bandits trying to build their communities into paradise. I haven’t quite finished, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

José is reading Modelo antiguo by Luis Eduardo Reyes, a satire of the Mexico City he remembers from his college days there.

Anything else you’d like to mention?

We are so grateful for all the help we’ve received from the Malvern community! The Bratcher estate gifted us with the bookcases and displays, and Becky gave us lots of good advice. Stephen has been instrumental in helping us get the store set up. And we’ve received so many nice comments from readers who loved Malvern. Joe Bratcher really built something special.

We wish José, Melynda, and Alienated Majesty all the best, and hope y’all will enjoy visiting the store and supporting this wonderful new addition to Austin’s vibrant literary community!

Keeping Austin Weird—And Well-Read

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When one of our favorite writers and customers, the brilliant Edward Carey, gives us—and Fernando!—a shout out in the Boston Globe, well, we can’t help but boast just a little. You can read the full interview here.

BOSTON GLOBE: What are you reading currently?

CAREY: It can be a bit tricky reading for myself while I teach, but what I’m enormously excited about is Tears of the Trufflepig by Fernando A. Flores. I know him. Fernando is keeping Austin weird. His novel is sort of futuristic. It’s just bonkers.

BG: Is that typical of the kind of novel you like?

CAREY: No. I don’t really read that much futuristic stuff. The best book I read over the summer is The Hospital by Ahmed Bouanani published [for the first time in English] by New Directions. It’s one of the top 10 books I’ve ever read. It’s so strangely brilliant. Bouanani’s no longer with us, but he left us a few books.

BG: How did you come across that book?

CAREY: I’m always impressed by whatever New Directions puts out. We have amazing bookstores in Austin, including Malvern Books, which specializes in smaller presses. They have incredible displays of things you might miss, and this was there.

Photo credit: Tom Langdon

A Fantastical Take on the Creative Self by Julie Poole

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In honor of this week’s Page by Page event on the Art of Submitting Work, I slapped together a creative piece about my artistic alter ego, who I imagine as a large, grouchy, chip-loving Ogre. The category-defying and fabulously talented Taisia Kitaiskaia let me use some of her illustrations. You can find her books Literary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writers and Ask Baba Yaga: Otherworldly Advice for Everyday Troubles on our local and bestseller shelves right now.

My Ogre-self is angry, rejection is getting under his leathery skin, he wants nothing more than to stay at home, eat BBQ chips in front of the TV, and waste his precious energy in fitful states of napping. He is deeply afraid to have hope for his future so he’s decided everything is just too hard; he refuses to see that there are multiple steps involved in any creative project and jumps straight to the conclusion that it’s impossible. He swats at the air, “impossible,” he says.

Each day he goes to work in his studio, pounding a hammer on a flat piece of wood. When he holds up his creation and sees that it’s still a flat piece of wood, he becomes upset and hurls it to the floor. Losing a grip on his vision, he’s blinded by self-torture. He sinks back into life-hating, counts his dirty dimes and nickels, which are barely enough for bus fare. He gets no pleasure from the small items that he does manage to buy—bread, butter, and BBQ chips—which he eats so quickly and without appreciation that he’s surprised when he looks down at his plate and sees only crumbs.

On the rare occasions that he does go outside, journeying to the store or post office, the rise of hopeful feelings tortures him. He’s pitied by nature and nature loves him; the birds, butterflies, and squirrels accost him, using their playful antics to try to make him smile or laugh even, but he chooses to ignore them and lives in a perpetual winter.

An Ogre, of course, is bound to run into a Faerie from time to time, and he is excruciatingly annoyed when they talk about what projects they’re working on (they’re always working on several things at once). He’s jealous; Faeries always spring to work quickly, they figure out what skills they have and what skills they need, and then they go about scheming, plotting, and planning their own greatness. They are confident in their artistic futures, in whatever shape that blossoming might take. The Ogre, on the other hand, believes deep in his huffy nature that he is practical, that Faeries live on another planet, they are delusional and are at risk of getting trapped and squashed like bugs because they wear their hopes and dreams on their gossamer sleeves. They are dreamers, and he doesn’t particularly like dreamers.

Trolls, he considers less of a threat. Trolls have large egos and surprisingly large social media followings, but anyone with an ounce of interest in art can see that they don’t really know what they’re doing. They peddle their wares and sometimes succeed but overall nothing they make lasts. Elves, he doesn’t mind much either, they are consummate freelancers; they’ll take on pretty much any assignment and do so without much in the way of individual flare.

When the Ogre does manage to put his work out there, he’s already expecting the worst. He presents his flat pieces of pounded wood and is crushed when people don’t seem impressed. The Ogre is an eternally wounded creature, and validates his own defeat again and again, by saying, “O me, O my, why try.” He goes back to his TV and potato chips, he sinks deeper into despair; he even spells it “dis-pair” adding an “i” for an extra “dis” to make himself feel even worse. It’s clear that Ogres are not blessed with the optimistic outlook of Faeries, the ego of Trolls, or the motivation of Elves.

Is it hopeless for the Ogre? It is not! Within each Ogre is an incredible amount of creative vision—their projects are typically large in scale and can take many years to complete. When the Ogre’s self-pity abates, in certain early hours, he jots down notes, makes drawings, etc. Soon he begins to rise with the sound of the birds and before long he has himself a routine. He turns on his desk lamp and little by little makes order out of chaos, for just as long as his self-critic shuts up. He hears a very faint voice that says “keep going.” Make no mistake though, he’s still miserable, but for short spans of time that misery escapes his focus. This brief respite from grumbling does him a world of good, and slowly his creation will begin to take on a pleasant aura.

With time, the Ogre will begin to see the pieces of his vision slide together like dovetail wood joints. The Ogre’s disposition changes. In fact, he even makes friends with Faeries and values their encouragement and energy! They seem to exhibit a blind faith in him. When he speaks about his project, they don’t laugh. Their encouragement provokes him to work harder. Soon his creation becomes more important to him than his habit of negativity—his creation begins to glow, yes glow. As he works, it begins to emit a beautiful humming sound—it starts to come alive. He blows off the remaining wood chips, dusts and polishes it until its magnificence is more magnificent than he could have ever imagined. Did this creation really come from him? It did! With a calm and collected mind, and a bit of bodily exhaustion, he unveils his creation to the public to great acclaim. He has a very difficult time absorbing the nice things people have to say so he stays quiet. His identity as a creator feels more solid now, like wood. He’s worn a path so that his next creation will follow a similar pattern, the lows will still plague him, but they will be expected and not feared this time. In the future, his creations will look back at him with love and thankfulness, he’ll smile at them and nod.

An Introduction to Page by Page: On Craft and Other Writerly Pursuits—and the Spark That Started It All

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We have a brand-new interview series starting on Saturday, May 19th, at 7pm. Here’s host—and Malvernite—Julie Poole with more information:

A few weeks ago, I watched a BBC interview with Muriel Spark in which she explained her writing process step by step. The video starts with Spark, at her desk, shuffling stacks of her journals. “I begin at the beginning,” she states matter-of-factly with a detectable grin. She then proceeds to tell the interviewer how first she writes the title, her name, the words “Chapter One” at the top of the page, and then writes, revising when necessary, until the book is complete.

I loved Spark’s wry, utterly straightforward response. Of course it’s that simple! Do we ask dancers how they dance? No, it’s obvious; they put one foot in front of the other. Budding writers, however, often maintain hope that there’s some secret ingredient—a lucky rock or a desk position—that will cosmically bless a book with an effortless beginning and last until its final page. As Spark so comically observed, writing is simple; it’s all the other stuff that surrounds writing that’s a challenge.

As a fledgling writer myself, I appreciate learning about other writers’ strategies and techniques, since, on multiple occasions, I’ve received nuggets of wisdom that have saved me time, money, heartache, and most importantly kept me on the writerly path.

For Page by Page, a new interview series, I aim to sit down with individual writers—at all stages in their careers—to chat about topics such as, “the first book: tips on making it happen,” “strategies for submitting to journals and magazines,” and “how to use research to enliven works of poetry and fiction.”

It’s no secret that many of the lovely people who buy books and/or attend readings here at Malvern are also writers interested in discovering great books and also looking for ways to stay connected to their craft. I hope you will join me in exploring the world of writerly endeavors and all the extras that make up this wild and wonderful art. 

Have Your Say—Take The Malvern Survey!

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We’ve put together a survey and we’d love it if you’d take the time to fill it out (available HERE). In fact, we’d love it so much that the first 25 respondents will get a free Malvern Books t-shirt and the first 100 respondents will receive a free copy of your choice of either The Hasty Papers, Life As It Is, or Voices from the Bitter Core. (Books and t-shirts must be picked up at Malvern Books.) Everyone who responds will be entered in the drawing to win a $50 Malvern gift card. Please respond by 11:59 pm, Wednesday, May 3rd. And thanks in advance for taking the survey—your feedback will help us make Malvern an even better bookstore!

Malvern Books Welcomes You

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In light of recent political events, we’d like to make it abundantly clear that Malvern Books is a safe space. A space where those who feel threatened may find refuge in literature and community. Misogyny, racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and cruelty of all kinds will not be tolerated. Hate is not welcome here.

Malvern Books