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LATINO SOAP GILBERT & JAIME HERNANDEZ Love and Rockets: New Stories No. 5 (Fantagraphics) ●●●●●
Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez’s pioneering, punk-spirited sci-fi Latino soap opera feels as fresh today as it did when it first appeared on the indie comics scene in 1982. So it’s fitting that Fantagraphics’ year-long celebration to mark this Love and Rockets anniversary should kick off with a collection of new material. New Stories No. 5 finds Jaime
throwing avid L&R readers a curveball by sidestepping from his main character, Maggie (whose morphing relationship with boyfriend Ray dominated the last two collections), and instead picking up on Ray and Maggie’s ex. The aptly-named crazy stripper with mobster connections Frogmouth is here, as well as some new cast members to his fictional California setting Hoppers (aka Locus). Meanwhile, Gilbert pretty much does the opposite with a story
that presents a fictionalised ‘movie’ version of his fictional Central American milieu Palomar (how’s that for mind-blowing meta- narrative?!). There, the eponymous town’s busty, promiscuous mayor Luba is played by her half-sister Fritz, while also reintroducing ‘for real’ some class characters from the first decade of L&R. Both Gilbert and Jaime’s leftfield storytelling moves illustrate just how
detailed and involving their co-existing worlds have become during the three decades they have been creating comics. Fantagraphics are also celebrating other aspects of this groundbreaking graphic series, with a collection of books to be released over the next 12 months such as Julio’s Day (Gilbert’s lost L&R graphic novel) and New Tales of Old Palomar. (Miles Fielder)
ALSO PUBLISHED JK ROWLING
Y R E M O G T N O M W E R D N A
: R E H P A R G O T O H P
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She likes a good old mystery does Joanne Kathleen Rowling. Only the inner circle would have seen the contents of her bookshelves, but it’s safe to assume that a number of where, what and whodunits reside there. After all, she kept a Hogwarts-obsessed generation on its toes with the nerve-jangling tension which revolved around each Harry Potter publication (and getting them to stay up way past their bedtimes for those late-night store-openings): who would be bumped off this time? Would Voldemort get closer to Harry? Are Ron ‘n’ Hermione ever going to get it on?
Chances are some of those who read the first few books in the late 90s will Monday 24
have their minds just as exercised with questions upon the imminent release of The Casual Vacancy (Little, Brown) as the Edinburgh-based author unleashes her first adult novel upon the public. Ahead of publication on 27 September, all we know is a basic synopsis: set in the idyllic English town of Pagford, fortysomething Barry Fairbrother suddenly dies, leaving a vacant seat on the parish council. As a keenly fought election ensues, the true relations between some townsfolk will soon be revealed over the course of 512 pages.
Given the anticipation, it was more hype than helpful for Rowling’s US publisher to compare her to Dickens (surely a statement about quantity rather than quality?). But no matter what any mean-spirited critic says, this book is guaranteed to shift shedloads: a mere two million copies had so far been pre-ordered a month before publication. The true test will come with what JK Rowling writes next: will The Casual Vacancy have stirred her readers into a wave of follow-up excitement or will public interest in her adult literary career be as dead as a Dumbledore? (Brian Donaldson)
Edinburgh FREE Artur Domoslawski Launches Ryszard Kapuscinki: A Life Word Power Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson Street, 662 9112. 6.30pm. Launch of a new biography. FREE Edinburgh Creative Writers Pulp Fiction, 43 Bread Street, 229 4444. Monday nights, 7–9.30pm. Social meet- up for creative writers.
Tuesday 25 Glasgow FREE Reading the Leaves Tchai- Ovna House of Tea, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. Join guest writers for an evening of poetry and creativity.
EVENTS Books
EVENTS Wednesday 26
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to books@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Charlotte Runcie. ✽ Indicates Hitlist entry
Thursday 20
Glasgow FREE Launch of Allan Cameron’s On the Heroism of Mortals CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 6.30pm. Reading, signing and Q&A from the author. Edinburgh FREE Grimms’ Fairy Tales National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 556 9579. Mon–Fri 10am–8pm; Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 2–5pm, until Sun 18 Nov. Exhibition of different translations and illustrations of the Grimms’ beloved fairy tales. Part of Scottish International Storytelling Festival. FREE Again, A Time Machine Edinburgh Printmakers, 23 Union Street, 557 2479. Tue–Sat 10am–6pm, until Sat 3 Nov. Touring exhibition created by Book Works exploring how artists play with words. FREE Nothing But the Poem Stockbridge Library, 11 Hamilton Place, 242 8100. 1–2pm. Ryan van Winkle leads this poetry reading session. Booking essential. Part of Stockfest 2012. Anti-Zine Launch Night The Third Door, 45–47 Lothian Street, 225 6313. 7–11pm. £3. Launch of a contrary new publication from The Antisocial Writer’s Club with readings and music.
Dundee FREE GiftED: The Edinburgh Book Sculptures on Tour 2012 Central Library, The Wellgate, 01382 431500. Times vary. In Dundee until Tue 25 Sep before moving to Glasgow (see Tue 9 Oct) and, later, Edinburgh and Dunfermline. Touring exhibition of the mysterious book sculptures by an anonymous artist that appeared all over Edinburgh last year. Friday 21
Glasgow Neu! Reekie! at Jim Lambie’s Poetry Club The Poetry Club, 100 Eastvale Place, facebook.com/neureekie 7–10pm. £7. Edinburgh’s noisiest avant- garde poetry makers head to the Poetry Club. Saturday 22
Glasgow FREE 21 Revolutions: Exhibition of Writings Glasgow Women’s Library, Mitchell Library, 15 Berkeley Street, 248 9969. Mon–Fri 10am–4.30pm, until Sat 13 Oct. Glasgow Women’s Library celebrates its 21st birthday by commissioning 21 female writers to make new work inspired by GWL’s library, archive and museum artefacts.
Glasgow ✽ FREE 21 Revolutions: Readings by Women Writers
CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 248 9969. 6.30pm. As part of the 21 Revolutions project (see Sat 22 Sep), readers including Denise Mina, Elizabeth Reeder and Anne Donovan perform and discuss their inspiration. Booking essential.
Edinburgh An Evening With Clare Balding Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street, 226 2666. 7.30pm. £5. Beloved sports broadcaster Balding discusses her new memoir, My Animals and Other Family. Tickets available from Waterstones West End. Thursday 27
Glasgow ✽ Scottish Writers’ Centre presents In Process: Liz
Lochhead on Playwriting Scottish Writers’ Centre, CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7–8.30pm. £6 (£3). The Makar discusses the craft of writing for the stage. No advance ticketing, so arrive early.
Edinburgh FREE From Page to Screen: Scottish Writers On Film National Library of Scotland, 33 Salisbury Place, Causewayside, 623 3918. 6pm. A talk about Scottish writers represented on film, including Scott, Stevenson, Barrie and Spark.
Friday 28 Edinburgh Neu! Reekie! Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, 0845 874 3001. 7pm. £6 (£5). Avant-garde spoken word night. Guid Crack Club Waverley Bar, 1 St Mary’s Street, 557 1050. 7.30pm. Suggested donation £3. Regular storytelling club, this time focusing on monsters, heroes and heroines.
Wigtown ✽ Wigtown Book Festival Various Venues, 01988 403222. Times vary,
until Sun 7 Oct. Prices vary (£3.50–£32). See panel, page 48.
Saturday 29
Glasgow FREE Interior/Exterior: Underground Overground Poetry for Free Various venues, 2.30–5.30pm. Free (not including Discovery ticket). A group of poets perform on a trip around the Subway, ending up at the Roxy for an open mic and some special guests. Meet at Buchanan Street Underground Station at 2.30pm, and bring enough cash for a Discovery ticket. Edinburgh Nothing But the Poem Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 11am–12.30pm. £5 (£3). See Thu 20. FREE Tony Giles Waterstones George Street, 83 George Street, 0843 290 8309. 11am–4pm. Amazing traveller Tony Giles puts your holiday plans to shame and signs copies of his book.
Sunday 30
Glasgow The Big Huge Poetry Splash Govanhill Baths, Calder Street, 433 2999. 3–7pm. Tickets by donation. Poetry reading in the pool (don’t worry, it’s empty). Part of Glas-goes Poetic. Edinburgh The Gallery Book Lounge: A Summer of Drowning by John Burnside Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6200. 2–4.30pm. £12 (£10). New monthly book group discusses John Burnside’s A Summer of Drowning.
20 Sep–18 Oct 2012 THE LIST 47