Angry Penguins

Malley Ern, et al

Published by Reed & Harris, 1944

About this Item

In 1943, conservative poets James McAuley and Harold Stewart concocted a fictional poet named Ern Malley. They wrote 16 surreal, disjointed poems in a single afternoon, intending to parody and undermine modernist poetry. These were sent to Angry Penguins editor Max Harris, under the guise of Ern?s sister, Ethel Malley, claiming to have discovered the poems after her brother?s death. Harris, a passionate advocate of modernism, was enthralled. He published the poems in a special edition of Angry Penguins, complete with a cover featuring a Sidney Nolan painting inspired by Malley's verse. The hoax was quickly exposed, and Harris was tried and convicted for obscenity, not for being duped, but for publishing the poems, which authorities deemed indecent. Angry Penguins folded in 1946, its credibility shaken. Ironically, the Ern Malley poems?intended as nonsense?were later celebrated as genuine surrealist art, admired by critics like John Ashbery and Kenneth Koch. Minor discoloration to cover, limited edition 59/1000, inscribed, Barrie and Judith Dexter Ottawa, 1/10/1980, provenance Dexter estate.

Seller Inventory # 41317

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Angry Penguins
• Publisher: Reed & Harris
• Publication Date: 1944
• Language: English
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Very Good
• Weight: 291 grams