The Literary Social Calendar
WLT EVENTS
The 2012 WLT Summer Writing Retreat will be held July 22-27 at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, the perfect summer escape.
Upcoming Book People Events
World of Dorkness Role Playing Book Club
Start: 07/07/2012 2:00 pm
Ancient temple ruins, the shadowy back alleys of New York, space a thousand years from now: all of these settings are rife with amazing storytelling opportunities just begging to be explored. The World of Dorkness gives you the chance to explore each as a mighty wizard, a courageous monster hunter, or a pirate of the space lanes. Join Robyn and Thomas on the first Saturday of every month to tell some great stories, play some great games, and meet some great people. Just remember to bring your dicebag and a pencil. May all your hits be crits!
ASF and BookPeople Present: Elizabeth Crane
Elizabeth Crane, a long-time darling of the local literary scene, is celebrating the publication of her debut novel, We Only Know So Much. She’s also leaving Austin for the metropolitan lure of New York City. Come hear Elizabeth read at BookPeople on Thursday, July 19, at 7 p.m. and help us sing her praises before she takes off.
A novel about family, about secrets, about love, and about loss, We Only Know So Much has received wonderful reviews and rocketed to the top of our to-read list. The New York Times Book Review says that “Crane has a distinctive and eccentric voice that is consistent and riveting.” Jessica Anya Blau says, “Not since The Royal Tenenbaums have I loved a family so much.” We say, “You better not miss this.”
Let us know you’re coming on Facebook.
Bestselling Author – ALEXANDRA FULLER – speaking & signing
07/13/2012 7:00 pm
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness.
In this sequel to Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, Alexandra Fuller returns to Africa and the story of her unforgettable family. In Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness Alexandra Fuller braids a multilayered narrative around the perfectly lit, Happy Valley-era Africa of her mother’s childhood; the boiled cabbage grimness of her father’s English childhood; and the darker, civil war- torn Africa of her own childhood. A story of survival and madness, love and war, loyalty and forgiveness, Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness is an intimate exploration of the author’s family and Alexandra Fuller at her very best.
Still a Few Summer Camp Openings for July!
We’ve just wrapped up a spectacular Session I of Creative Writing Summer Camp at the Girls’ School of Austin and the Austin Waldorf School. Our writers visited Ballet Austin ; they wrote and performed murder-mystery theater, drafted first chapters of novels, and explored surrealist techniques and figurative language. While we said goodbye (for now) at the site readings last week, we’re already looking forward to seeing them in September at the Young Authors Reading and Anthology Release Party at Ballet Austin.
Now we’re gearing up to meet a whole new group of writers for Session II at the Girls’ School, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, and the Griffin School. With this new group of writers, we’ll visit the Blanton Museum of Art and Ballet Austin, and special guests, including musicians and artists will visit the workshop as well. There are still spots available at all three locations; if your children haven’t attended camp before, check out the Badgerblog for a series of posts detailing all the imaginative things we have planned. Register now for Session II, which begins July 16!
JOHNSON CITY EVENTS
Calling all school age kids! Come sign up for the Summer Reading Program!
Get your Reading log, fill in the amount of time you read, turn in your log by July 17, and be part of the Pizza Party Celebration July 30. There will be prizes for everyone who turns in their log, and top prizes for the three readers with the most reading time logged. Reading in the summer increases your reading level, so when you go back to school, reading will be easier and more fun. There’s lots of programs planned for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. You can get a complete schedule of all the programs by signing up!
Johnson City Reads: July 17th, 9:30am Is this Forever or What?: Poems & Paintings from TX & Selected Published Poems by Sally Clark- Sally is a local poet from Fredericksburg and will be our discussion leader. Next month’s book is Ava’s Man by Rick Bragg. Mr. Bragg writes monthly for Southern Living magazine.
Civil War Roundtable July 31, 7pm – Be part of this exciting discussion group and learn our American history.
We’ll be happy to give you more information on anything going on at the Library. Call 868.4469 or email johnsoncitylibrary@verizon.net
HOUSTON EVENTS
Fresh Arts Spacetaker Events
Basic Business Skills for Visual Artists II
Wednesday, July 11 ~ 6 – 8 PM @ Fresh Arts ARC
In advance: $15 ($5 Spacetaker/Fresh Arts members) ~ At the door: $20 ($10 Spacetaker/Fresh Arts members)
Fresh Arts brings full-time artist Taft McWhorter back to offer a more in depth workshop that builds on his Basic Business Skills workshop offered in February (2012). This “Part 2” workshop will focus on building an art career in Houston, including: Exhibiting your work: juried exhibits, group exhibits, joint exhibits, solo exhibits, small “collector” nights, non-profit auctions; selling your work: pricing, exhibiting, negotiating, delivery, installation, follow up, expanding and managing your “collectors”; Inspiration to get out there and start selling
CLICK HERE for more information and to register in advance.
Participate in the inaugural Houston Arts Resource Fair, an intensive day of professional development for individual artists and organizations.
Saturday, July 28, 2012 ~ 9 am – 6 pm ~ FREE!
Featuring national and local experts in Arts Marketing, Arts Funding & Healthcare!
DALLAS EVENTS
Tenth Annual Tulisoma South Dallas Book Fair and Arts Festival
The free festival began in 2003 to promote literacy and highlight businesses and arts in south Dallas. The festival kicks off at 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24 with the Heart and Soul Tour of South Dallas historical sites and landmarks. Saturday, Aug. 25, book readings, storytelling, writing workshops, children’s programs, spoken word poetry, panel discussions and performances will be held at the African-American Museum in Fair Park.
The South Dallas Cultural Center will also host programs and workshops for teens and young adults. More than 30 local and regional authors will be participating, and books and merchandise will also be for sale. The event concludes on Sunday, Aug. 26 with the Sunday Gospel Brunch at the Joy Tabernacle A.M.E. Church, 3203 Holmes St.
South Dallas Book Fair and Arts Festival is Aug. 24-26 at the African-American Museum. For a list of tour sites and festival details visit www.tulisoma.com.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 MINUTES-A Webcam Event
–LIVE from New Delhi, Beijing, Munich, London, Prague and Seoul–
When: July 28, 11 am
Where: WordSpace 415 North Tyler St.
Admission: Members: Free Non Members $5
Please join us for a light brunch and a long skype call with international literary communities on a Saturday morning! With the help of cyber-svengali, Cliff Martinez, we will jump from country to country with our croissants, orange juice and mimosas and get a close-in experience of writers geographical/time oneness-All in the Now.
Dallas Poetry YOUTH Slam features DFW Youth Slam Team
When: July 7, Saturday, 4-6 pm
Where: Half Price Books, 5803 E. NW Highway, Program Room
Hosts: Alexandra Marie and RockBaby
Half Price Books and WordSpace are honored to partner with Dallas Poetry Slam to bring Poetry and Slam outreach to area youth. Created by Alexandra Marie, a host and organizer for Dallas Poetry Slam.
Dallas Poetry Slam Team @ Deep Ellum Open Market
When: Saturday July 21, 12pm
Where: Deep Ellum: Indiana and Malcom X
From noon-3, every hour on the hour, poets from the Dallas Poetry Slam pump up the jam Deep Ellum Outdoor Market with a 15 minute performance between music sets.
5-Day Theater Camp for ages 4-6
Where: Oil and Cotton
When: July 9-12, Mon-Thurs, 1-4pm
Who: Instructors, Maggie Smith & Emily Riggert.
This five-day theater camp will engage kids in exploring imagination through games, developing unique characters, original art, songs, and stories, and challenge inhibitions by allowing a place to just be silly and weird.
Children’s Story Time and Artsy Smart with Suzie Riddle:
Story Times:
10:30 Tuesdays 10801 Garland Rd. ~ 10:30 Fridays at 633 W. Davis
Artsy Smart: Saturdays, 11-3-Drop In, 633 W. Davis only
All Children must be accompanied by parent or designated caregiver. For more information: 214-827-4860 (Lochwood) or 214-941-2665 (Oak Cliff)
SAN ANTONIO EVENTS
Summer Literary Festival Gets Underway with “Courting Bliss”
Classes start this week to kick off Gemini Ink’s Summer Literary Festival. Join Brian Yansky to work through the structure of a Young Adult novel. Tunette Powell will bring a fresh perspective to blogging and will guide you on how to share your own unique experiences through this medium. Young Writers Camp starts next week with Donna Peacock and Derek Delgado for the little creative writer in your family. And there’s more in the upcoming weeks with Kelly Grey Carlisle’s memoir class, and award-winning music journalist John Swenson. Discover the art of chapbook making with Wings Press’ Bryce Milligan, or unroll your Yoga mat to connect with your body and poetic self in Carmen Guzman Mendoza’s class. Our FREE special events are sure to challenge the writer and entertain the entire family with a Spelling Bee featuring the poetic words of Carmen Tafolla and a night of “blackout” poetry with Lyle Rosdahl.
Go online for more information and to register, or call 210-734-9673. See you in class!
Discussion Point: A Thriller of My Own with Roger Boylan
Date: Saturday, July 14, 10am-3pm
Learn practical, focused ways to write a thriller: how to analyze your thriller’s structure, what to leave in, and what to take out. Featured will be excerpts from the novels and films The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935) and The Bourne Identity (2004), archetypal thrillers from their respective eras. You’ll investigate what changed and what stayed the same in the genre between 1935 and 2004. What stayed the same is what all good thrillers must have!
It’s a Literary Combo of Poetry & Multi-Genre with Thom Ward
POETRY: Lie to Tell the Truth Poetry Workshop/Readshop
Date: Saturday, July 14, 10am-12pm
Explore aesthetic strategies, based on “lies,” that will enable you to discover what you didn’t know when you started writing poems and stories. Pursue “truths” as opposed to “reality” by taking a closer look at, and discussing contemporary poems. Free your imagination through writing exercises, and share your poems and/or stories.
MULTI-GENRE: Private Poetry Consultation
Date: Saturday, July 14, 1pm-6pm
Submit up to five pages of your poems-in-progress. Thom Ward will meet with you for 30 minutes to discuss your poetry and provide feedback on your work.
Humanities Texas – Summer Opportunities for Teachers
Middle and high school teachers interested in expanding their understanding of Texas history and folklore can enjoy two professional development opportunities this summer funded in part by Humanities Texas.
From July 23–25, 2012, San Antonio’s Institute of Texan Cultures and the Texas General Land Office will provide teachers with an in-depth exploration of immigration and migration to Texas in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. While examining the factors that drew various cultures to Texas, teachers will use primary source materials such as maps, land grants, letters, oral histories, images, and artifacts to develop interactive and technology-driven lessons that compare and contrast experiences of immigration and migration and that bring the stories of Texans to life.
Stories from Deep in the Heart
Texas Folklife’s 2012 summer institute will take place in Austin from July 30–August 10, 2012. Over the course of this intensive fellowship in radio documentary production, professional producers, journalists, and folklorists will guide participants through the production of short radio documentaries and oral histories on themes related to folklife. The “Stories from Deep in the Heart” summer institute is part of an ongoing series of workshops for teachers and students in Central Texas schools intended to strengthen ties between members of the community and establish ongoing dialogue on diverse cultural traditions.
Samson and Delilah (1949) BIBLICAL FILM SERIES THURSDAY, JULY 12, 7 P.M.
The Biblical Film Series continues at the Harry Ransom Center with Cecil B. DeMille’s Samson and Delilah (1949), starring Hedy Lamarr and Victor Mature, on Thursday, July 12, at 7 p.m.
Based on the Biblical account found in the Book of Judges, this film tells the story of Samson (Mature), the strongest man in the tribe of Dan. After a confrontation takes the life of Samson’s betrothed, Semadar (Angela Lansbury), her sister Delilah (Lamarr) vows to avenge her by seducing Samson, learning the secret of his strength, and betraying him to the Philistines. The film runs 131 minutes.
This program is in conjunction with the exhibition The King James Bible: Its History and Influence, on display through July 29 (closing this Sunday). Four hundred years after its first printing, the King James translation of the Bible remains a vital work whose language permeates contemporary music, literature, and everyday speech. The exhibition tells the little-known story of one of the most widely read and printed books in the history of the English language.
The event is free, but donations are welcome. Seating is limited. Line forms upon arrival of the first patron, and doors open 30 minutes in advance. Mark your calendars for the final film in the series: Solomon and Sheba (1959) on July 26 and visit HERE for more events!
WRITING CONTESTS
THE SOUTHERN SIN ESSAY CONTEST
Deadline: July 31, 2012
Creative Nonfiction (CNF) and the Oxford Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference & Workshop are looking for essays that capture the South in all its steamy sinfulness–whether you’re skipping church to watch football, coveting your neighbor’s Real Housewife of Atlanta, or just drinking an unholy amount of sweet tea. Confess your own wrongdoings, gossip about your neighbor’s depravity, or tell us about your personal connection to a famous Southerner headed down the broad road to Hell. Whether the sin you discuss is deadly or just something that would make your mama blush we want to hear about it in an essay that is at least partially narrative–employing scenes, descriptions, etc.
Your essay can channel William Faulkner or Flannery O’Connor, Alice Walker or Rick Bragg; it can be serious, humorous, or somewhere in between, but all essays must tell true stories, and must incorporate both sin and the South in some way.
Usually the wages of sin is death, but this time we’re making an exception. The selected essays will be published in Creative Nonfiction #47, and CNF and Oxford will be awarding $5000 for Best Essay.
Creative Nonfiction #47 will be launched at the 2013 Oxford Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference & Workshop (March 2013). To submit, visit: www.creativenonfiction.org
GLIMMER TRAIN’S VERY SHORT FICTION WRITING CONTEST
We especially appreciate stories that are both well written and emotionally engaging. Please let us read yours! If it is chosen for publication in Glimmer Train Stories, you will be paid upon acceptance. Your story will be prepared with care, and presented in a handsome, highly regarded literary journal to readers all over the world. If you’ve seen Glimmer Train Stories, you know that we go to some lengths to honor our contributors and their writing. Submissions must be original, unpublished fiction.
The Very Short Fiction competition (1st place wins $1,500 and publication) closes July 31.
Very Short Fiction Writing Guidelines. Entries should not exceed 3,000 words, but any short lengths are welcome.
Open to all writers. We look forward to reading your work!
Thanks for tuning into this week’s Friday Filler. We hope you enjoy these events. Let us know how they went on our Facebook!
– WLT
