Dallas Forever (+ Gnarr/Gawker & More)

THEY SAID I WAS CRAZY, they told me I was insane to think that Dallas could ever care about books, let alone translated books, BUT HOLY SMOKES, you all proved them wrong last night! What a launch party! Over 200 booklovers gathered at The Wild Detectives last night to hear what Deep Vellum is all about and to celebrate the fact that YES, there ARE booklovers in Dallas, and none of us are alone, and together we are all working to make this amazing city an even better, more literary place to live! Pictures to come soon, but this crowd was INSANE! Thank you again!

Part of the celebration included the unveiling of Deep Vellum’s cover art with some posters given away and preorders taken. Without further ado, a little sneak-peek at the covers (designed by Anna Zylicz), which will be fully finalized so soon. If you want a poster, head over to the Deep Vellum Square Marketplace page and preorder some books (aka: subscribe to 10 books, invest in the future of Deep Vellum, help me build this beautiful thing for Dallas and the whole world beyond, and I will forever love you):

In my remarks last night, I gave thanks to everybody who’s helped me get this far, and of course I wasn’t reading a prepared speech so I forgot a few names, so let me take a moment to thank Cary Darling of the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram (who I met last year at the Oak Cliff Film Festival during the “secret” screening of Ain’t Them Bodies Saints by my favorite Dallas director, David Lowery); the folks from D Magazine (aka: these folks are some of my best friends in Dallas–there were at least six people from D at the party last night, and we’re all friends through D Academy or being in Bök Clüb together–a truly remarkable group of people all working for a wonderful magazine!); and the staff and coworkers at The Common Desk in Deep Ellum for giving me a home for the past eight months (y’all are the best). I’m forgetting even more people, I know, but these were some glaring omissions from last night!!

IN ICELANDIC NEWS, Jón Gnarr‘s term as mayor of Reykjavik ended yesterday (he was only the third mayor of Reykjavik to serve out a full four-year term since 1980!!). A great look back at his time as mayor was posted in the Reykjavik Grapevine (in English). And today he celebrated his newfound political freedom (not that he ever lost it) by doing a live chat on Gawker! Check out his responses to readers’ questions, and go over to Melville House’s website and order a copy of his nonfiction book about becoming mayor: GNARR! How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World (Deep Vellum is publishing three autobiographical novels about Gnarr’s childhood and adolescence in 2015…). And maybe, just maybe, you’ll be getting news soon about Gnarr coming to Texas at the end of August…

Coming soon: information on distribution for Deep Vellum’s books (it’s big), and a few more book signings to announce…so check back SOON, and THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY BOOKLOVING HEART, I am floating as I walk around Dallas today, you have all made me believe that not only is this dream to publish world literature in Dallas possible, it is already happening in the biggest way!!! Thank you all for your time, help, and support. Let’s keep it going.