In Search of Malatesta
Zach and I have taken a two day “working vacation” to head up to the Kate Sharpley Library in Grass Valley, CA. Our ostensible reason is to do research for an upcoming Malatesta Reader that AK Press is planning to publish: digging up harder-to-find works, as well as any material we can find in Italian that has yet to be translated (a task that’s somewhat impeded by the fact that neither of us actually read Italian. In effect, we’re flagging pieces for Paul Sharkey to look at.).
Of course, once one enters the KSL archives, distractions, tangents, and circuitous meanderings are inevitable. It’s impossible to take two steps in any direction without finding some fascinating nugget to absorb your attention, and inspire yet another publishing idea. The danger is compounded by the fact that KSLers Barry Pateman and John Patten (who’s in town from the UK for a couple of weeks) are on hand to stoke the fires of welcome distraction.
The “vacation” part of the working vacation is the idyllic setting, leisurely reading, Barry’s chili, good conversation (ranging from the state of contemporary anarchism to the musical legacy of Dusty Springfield), and, for me at least, cracking your first beer in the early afternoon…even as you type up your Friday blog post.
Thanks to Barry and John for a swell time and, for those of you who’ve never made the trip to Grass Valley, here are some photos:
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