Why There Are Words – Austin presents “Caution to the Wind” on December 20, 2017 @ 7pm at Malvern Books (613 W. 29th St., Austin). Join us when the following four acclaimed artists will perform their works on this theme.
Justin Booth, originally from Black Oak, Arkansas, is an Austin, Texas writer of outlaw poetry, of questionable stories, and outright lies. His five books of poetry are Outlaw Blue (2016), The Singer, The Lesbian, & The One with the Feet: 69 Bipolar Love Poems (2015), A Quarter, a Dime, and Two Copper Pennies (2015), Trailer Park Troubadour – Strung Out on Heartache (2013), and Lucky Strikes, Grave Dirt, and 1/3 of the Stars (2016).
As a member of the groundbreaking Flatlanders singer/songwriter Butch Hancock helped kick-start the progressive country movement of the ’70s. As a solo artist, Hancock recorded a series of country-folk albums for his own independent Rainlight label, which showcased his literate wordplay, quirky humor, and dry, vocal Dylan-esque delivery. Going the independent route certainly cost Hancock some name recognition and wider exposure, but he did earn a devoted cult following, especially in his native Texas. Butch’s most recent of fourteen CDs is “War and Peace.”
Peg Alford Pursell is the author of Show Her a Flower, A Bird, A Shadow, a collection of fiction and hybrid prose (ELJ Editions, March 2017; second edition: WTAW Press, September 2017). Peg and her book were featured in Poets & Writers magazine’s second annual “5 over 50” (November / December 2017 issue). Her work has appeared in Permafrost, the Los Angeles Review, Joyland Magazine, and other journals and anthologies. She is the founder and director of the national reading series Why There Are Words and of WTAW Press.
Ken Waldman has drawn on his 30 years in Alaska to produce poems, stories, and fiddle tunes that combine into a performance uniquely his. Nine CDs mix Appalachian-style string-band music with original poetry. Eight books include six poetry collections, a memoir, and a children’s book. Since 1995 he’s toured full-time, performing at the nation’s leading festivals and clubs. His most recent books are the memoir, Are You Famous? (Catalyst Book Press, 2008), which chronicles Waldman’s adventures on tour throughout the United States, and D is for Dog Team (Nomadic Press, 2009), a sequence of Alaska-set acrostic poems for young readers.
Why There Are Words – Austin is a quarterly reading series that’s part of a national neighborhood of venues where writers can share their work with an audience. The Austin chapter, hosted by Alison Moore, features writers of prose, poetry, and song.
