The Malchemist: "Apprentice"

"Like a sculptor chiseling stone into being, Malcolm Randall creates meaning with words; he shapes them, massages them, and relishes in their beauty. I first met Malcolm when I invited him into my language arts classroom and then witnessed his indelible passion once again when he captivated an audience of English teachers. Told through both poetry and prose, The Malchemist: "Apprentice" is Malcolm's first book, a poignant story of Malcolm's search for self-acceptance and ultimately, of his discovery of the gold within himself."

-Jean Lamar,

2009 Florida Teacher of the Year

NPR featured poet Malcolm Randall was born in rural Lockhart, South Carolina. After a failed attempt at conventional education, Malcolm finally achieved his GED and then set off to make life his greatest teacher and to find his place in the world. He got his start at the legendary NuYorican Poetry Café in New York City and has since performed in universities, middle and high schools, centers for abused children, and detention centers - mostly free of charge. His one-man poetry show, I Must Admit was featured on off-off Broadway at The Here Arts Center in NYC. In 2003, Malcolm was asked by the graduating class of Fernandina Beach High School to be their graduation speaker. A few months later, he became the road manager for ten Tibetan monks in their world tour, The Mystical Arts of Tibet. Toward the end of the tour, Malcolm decided to begin a new endeavor - studying yoga in India - but his plans were cut short when he received news of his mother's malignant breast cancer. He returned home to take care of his beloved mother, but she lost her battle to cancer after two short years. Around that same period of time - in the summer of 2010 - Malcolm also lost his best friend to suicide. This book was their dream for him; this book is his tribute to them.