Henry Miller Memorial Library

Local poet, author, and painter Carolyn Mary Kleefeld invites you to join in celebrating the publication of her new book, “Psyche of Mirrors: A Promenade of Portraits,” Sunday, June 17, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., at the Henry Miller Library.

Carolyn will read selections from her book. She will highlight the theme of Eros, and its pervasive influence on other themes in the book, including solitude, paradox, and creativity. As with previous events, Carolyn will be accompanied by acclaimed musician Martin Shears.

She will be joined by internationally renowned Welsh poet, Peter Thabit Jones, who will read from his own book, Poems from a Cabin on Big Sur, as well as from his latest poetry.

The event is free/by donation.

More info here: http://carolynkleefeld.eventbrite.com/

Five amazing films!

“The World’s Best Popcorn!”

BYOB (“B” includes “blankets” — it’ll be chilly – and “booze”)!

8 pm till 10ish!

More info here!

It’s that time of year again – the Henry Miller Library’s Big  Sur International Short Film Screening Series kicks off Wednesday, June 6th in Carmel! (and Thurs. the 7th in Big Sur.)

You read that right: we’re bringing the series 25 miles north – we’ll be showing films at the historic Forest Theater in Carmel – the oldest outdoor movie theater West of the Rockies!  It’ll save you some gas money perhaps.

Then we’ll be showing the same films the next night, Thurs., at the Library here in Big Sur.

The choice is yours!

The Carmel screening is $10 – info here; Big Sur is by donation; info here.  Screenings begin at sunset, around 8:15.

We received 1,000 submissions.  We picked the best 56 (a 5.6% selection rate, fyi.)  And now it’s go-time.

It’s opening night!  Wear that sweater vest!

Here’s the opening night program….

__________________________________________

	Disinstallare Un Amore by Coralla Ciccolini Italy
	A Trois/Three by Vanessa Clément France
	Customer Support by André Øvredal Norway
	Chateux Mouton Rothschild by Louis Aubert France
	Tumult by Johnny Barrington United Kingdom

Today at the Library, it’s like Christmas morning, except instead of a pony under the tree, it’s a Crazy Cock.

“What’s a Crazy Cock,” you ask?

Well, we have this fundraising drive at the moment.  We need to upgrade our facilities to meet federal health and safety standards.

We have donation levels and associated rewards based on what you give.   Check it: http://www.henrymiller.org/donate/

The top-tier level is “Crazy Cock” in which you get (brace yourselves):

* Free admission to end of year fundraiser celebration at the Library (date TBD)
* Thank you on our blog
* Video thank you from Hippie Sven
* Free HMML “Where nothing happens” bumper sticker
* Free t-shirt
* Free, new edition of the famous and “official” Henry Miller Memorial Library book: “Where Nothing Happens: the Best of the HMML.”
* 10 % discount on Henry Miller Library online store or in-person store items
* The 5-5-5 Package: five pairs of tickets for five shows for the next five years!
* Complementary dinner (location TBD) for all “Crazy Cock” donors with Executive Director Magnus Toren – and more!
* Special recognition within the Library walls commemorating your contribution to the 2012 campaign.

If you donate more than $5,000, you get all that.  And a few days ago, someone did.

Man!

Of course, if you’d like to donate less, that’s great too – in fact, you can donate in installments (click here) – and we promise you they’ll be awesome rewards to have either way.

So to our (for now) mystery donor: Thank you!

Well we’re just really jazzed about this one.  Four of our favorite artists, one show.

Wednesday, June 27th, the Library will host legendary singer-songwriter Kath Bloom, Big Sur’s own Levi Strom, LA’s men of leisure Cave Country, and the Bay’s best progenitors of the Velvets-meet-’69-era-Dead, Range of Light Wilderness.

Not to be missed under any circumstances.

Tickets are $8; get’em here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3653569926

As the HML fundraising drive chugs along (more information and donation rewards can be found HERE) we’d like to talk about how Miller’s writing connects with people from all over the world.

The following anecdote, told by Magnus, is a great example.   It’s about the time Victor Villaseñor, the best-selling Mexican/American author, walked into the Library, articulated his love for Miller, and promptly segued into a real-time, off-the-cuff piece of compelling performance art — the kind of instantaneous magic that the Library seems to effortlessly elicit.

Take it away, Magnus!

“It’s pretty common for complete strangers to walk into the Library and tell me how much Miller influenced them.

“I mean, I’ve had people say that reading “Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch” changed their lives and made them move 3,000 miles to Big Sur.  People say reading Miller made them want to be a writer, or quit their job, or contributed to some major life decision.  He just seems to reach people on a deeper, almost metaphysical level.

“One casual encounter really sticks out in my mind.  The visitor’s name was Victor Villasenor.  He’s an an acclaimed Mexican-American writer, best known for the New York Times bestseller novel “Rain of Gold,” which is this incredible story of his parents’ escape from Mexico to the US during the Mexican Revolution.

“He came into the Library one day and proceeded to tell his story.  He crossed the border from Mexico when he was about 19 and spoke no English.  Soon after he picked up a copy of Tropic of Capricorn, and along with his trusty English/Spanish dictionary, taught himself English.

“So he’s in the Library – and there are about eight or so other customers in the store at the time – and he suddenly whips out ‘Capricorn,’ and starts reading it aloud at random in this deep, booming, Mexican-accented voice.  It was a spell-binding performance, thanks in no small part to his occasional commentary.  He’d pause after a passage and say, ‘This is what Miller is all about!  Every sentence in this book has a life of it’s own!!’

“Every passage seemed to have some resonance with the moment, and there was a deep, mystical passion in his recitation and commentary; it was almost as if he himself was possessed…like some mysterious monk extracting wisdom from ancient scriptures.

“Anyway, as you can imagine, it was an experience of extraordinary serendipity….”

Hey SoCal Miller Disciples (or lovers of literature.)

We’ve got the perfect Saturday night (June 2nd) date idea.

The Coagula Cutatorial

First the back story.  You met a nice gal online, and the algorithm is off the charts.  You’re both LA-based vegetarians and recovering Zoroastrians. You put “New Slang” on every mix tape you’ve ever made and you are both amped for the new Wes Anderson flick.

Just one problem: not sure where to go on this ever-important first date.

You’re toying with the Brass Monkey, but after last month’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” debacle, you wanna lay low for a few weeks.

We have an idea!!

We’re talking about the Miller-infused party to commemorate the closing of Tim Youd’s “Coney Island of the Mind” installation at Coagula Cutatorial (977 Chung King Road) in LA!

Check out the Facebook Event thing here.

We’re talking about a Ping Pong tournament and readings from Miller’s seminal works from such luminaries listed below.

So take our word for it: as far as first dates go, we can safely guarantee this’ll lead to date #2.   I mean, what gal doesn’t want a literate, sophisticated man in touch with his occasionally-primal sexual desires?

I knew I would (if I were a gal.)

(Here are those aforementioned luminaries:)

Shana Nys Dambrot – celebrated journalist/art critic and curator. Shana will be reading from “Quiet Days in Clichy”.

Oriana Small – retired porn star a/k/a Ashley Blue.  Miller’s writing played a role in her first porn experience.

Jessica Hundley – prolific filmmaker and journalist.  Author and editor of the best selling survey of Dennis Hopper’s photography.  Jessica will be reading from “Sexus””.

Maria Garcia Teutsch – poet, editor of the Henry Miller journal “Ping Pong” and chair of the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur.  In addition to reading a page 5 of “Tropic of Cancer” of Miller’s Maria will be reading a couple of her own poems about him.

Diana Wagman – author of three novels, including “Spontaneous”, winner of the 2001 USA Pen West Award for fiction, and a produced screenwriter. Diana will read from Anais Nin.

Mat Gleason – gallery owner and host of the event.  Will read poet Gerald Locklin on Henry Miller.