The Literary Social Calendar
WLT Events
Workshops and Classes
Making a Scene: Mastering the Basic Building Blocks of Narrative with Greg Garrett, Saturday, October 13, 2012, from 9 am to Noon.
**Preregistration for this event is now closed. Please see our Classes and Workshops page for policies regarding walk-up registrations.
Writing Deep, Writing True: A Day of Writing & Meditation with Dr. Saundra Goldman, Saturday, November 10, 2012 from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.
How a Great Novel Works with Amanda Eyre Ward, Saturday, December 1, 2012, from 9 am to Noon.
He Said, She Said: The Art of Dialogue in Fiction with Sara Kocek, Saturday, December 8, 2012, from 1 to 4 pm.
Literary PR Boot Camp: How to Create an Effective DIY Campaign on a Budget with Jennifer Hill Robenalt, Saturday, November 17, 2012, from 9 am to Noon.
More featured Guest Blogs coming soon! Visit our page for more upcoming WLT Classes and Workshops.
The Writers’ League will be strongly represented at the 2012 Texas Book Festival on October 27th and 28th. Several WLT members will be featured panelists and speakers, and our booth will showcase League writers and activities. Authors will be on hand to sell and sign their books, and talk about their experiences. In addition, staff and volunteers can answer questions about League membership and activities. The WLT booth will be number 414 — the second tent north of the corner of 11th and Colorado. Come pay us a visit. Click here for the signing schedule for Writers’ League authors in our booth!
WLT’s Third Thursday, October 18th, 7 PM: “An Author’s Guide to PR and Marketing”
BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd. – FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! Our illustrious panelists are:
Ernest Cline is the New York Times Bestselling author of the novel Ready Player One and the screenwriter of the 2009 film Fanboys. He lives in Austin, Texas, where he devotes a large portion of his time to geeking out. For more information please visit his website.
Jennifer Hill Robenalt is the principal of Robin Hill Media, an editorial services agency which specializes in ghostwriting, media training, public relations, strategic communications counsel and independent publishing. For clients, Jennifer has secured media coverage in prestigious outlets including The Oprah Winfrey Show, National Public Radio, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Hollywood Reporter, Glamour and TIME, among others. For more information, visit her website.
Cynthia Leitich Smith is the New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of the Tantalize series and other acclaimed books and short stories for young readers. She hosts a children’s/YA literature resource site at and the most well-read blog in her age/format market and looks forward to the release of Feral Nights (Book One in the Feral series) in January 2013.
Jo Whittemore is the author of the tween humor novels, Front Page Face-Off, Odd Girl In, and D is for Drama, as well as The Silverskin Legacy fantasy trilogy. She is a member of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and is one of the founding members of The Texas Sweethearts & Scoundrels.
_________________________________
The Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center and the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University-San Marcos will host readings and book signings from award-winning author S.C. Gwynne Oct. 18-19.
Gwynne will speak and sign copies of his books at the Wittliff Collections located on the seventh floor of Alkek Library on the Texas State Campus 3:30 p.m. Oct. 18. He will also give a reading and book signing at the Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center in Kyle 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19. The events are free and open to the public.
Gwynne is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in Time, Texas Monthly, the New York Times, Harper’s and California Magazine. He worked as bureau chief, national correspondent and senior editor at Time from 1988 to 2000. He also worked as executive editor at Texas Monthly. He’s the Pulitzer Prize finalist and best-selling author of Empire of the Summer Moon. His previous book, Outlaw Bank, co-authored with Jonathan Beaty, detailed the rise and fall of the corrupt global bank BCCI. He attended Princeton and Johns Hopkins. He now lives in Austin with his wife Katie and daughter Maisie.
The event is sponsored by the Burdine Johnson Foundation, the Wittliff Collections and the Texas State Department of English. Books will be available during and after the event through the University Bookstore and Barnes and Noble.
For more information, contact Katie Angermeier at kapliterarycenter@gmail.com or visit their website.
_________________________________
Literary Salon Event – Wed., Oct. 24 ~ 6:30 – 8:30 pm with the Wildflower Terrace Apartments.
3801 Berkman Drive Austin, TX 78723
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Memphis, Mermaids and Murder. Mystery Writer panel discussion, readings and book sales/signings with Helen Ginger, author of Angel Sometimes and Dismembering the Past and Stephen G. Yanoff, author of The Presley Plot. $5.00 for non-residents, includes refreshments and program. RSVP to residentservices.wildflower@dmacompanies.com no later than Friday, Oct. 19
_________________________________
American Women Writers National Museum
You are cordially invited to meet literary icon, internationally famous Dr. Thomas Staley, Director of Austin’s Harry Ransom Center. He will be speaking on:“Adams to Wharton: The Ransom Center’s American Women Writers.” Tuesday, October 23: noon-1:15 p.m. National Press Club, McLendon Room ~ 529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor ~ Washington, D.C. 20045. Dr. Staley will be introduced by Roberta Shaffer, Associate Librarian, Library of Congress.
_________________________________
Barnes & Noble at the Arboretum is Hosting a Harry Potter Halloween
Costume Contest & Scavenger Hunt on October 13. Event is First in Series of “Celebrate More Harry Potter with Pottermore” Events to be Held at Select Stores Nationwide Throughout the Year.
Austin, TX – October 10, 2012 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced that Barnes & Noble at the Arboretum will host a Halloween Costume Contest & Scavenger Hunt as the first in their yearlong series of events called “Celebrate More Harry Potter with Pottermore.”
Participants can come dressed as their favorite Harry Potter character, using as much imagination and creativity in costume creation as possible, for a chance to win exciting prizes including NOOK Simple Touch(tm). Participants are encouraged to get sorted into a house at Pottermore.com beforehand to compete in challenges alongside fellow Pottermore house members, including a Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavor Beans tasting challenge and a race to find the key to a “Gringotts” vault. The event, aimed at fans age 7 to 16, will take place on Saturday October 13 at 7:00 p.m., and each attendee will receive a collectible giveaway of some beautifully illustrated Pottermore artwork.
“We are thrilled to provide children of all ages with exciting new ways to experience the world of Harry Potter through Pottermore.com,” said Sarah DiFrancesco, Director of Business Development, Barnes & Noble, Inc. “The Halloween Costume Contest and Scavenger Hunt and ‘Celebrate More Harry Potter with Pottermore’ event series will satisfy the most enthusiastic Harry Potter fans.”
_________________________________
Rediscover the power of the Constitution & become a more active, engaged and effective citizen. How would you build a better democracy? SA2020, TSA and Gemini Ink’s Breakthrough Thinkers invite you to join them for Constitution Cafe San Antonio Edition with Dr. Christopher Phillips, Author and Founder of the Socrates & Constitution Cafe Dialogue Groups. October 25 and 26. Introductions by Darryl Byrd, SA2020 Chief Executive Officer and Q & A by Robert Rivard.
Featuring a presentation of Citizens Rights and Responsibilities developed by San Antonio students in cooperation with the College of Public Policy at the University of Texas at San Antonio.For more information on the event and tickets, click here.
_________________________________
Mystery Reader’s Social @ Pleasant Hill Branch
Are you an amateur P.I.? Do the words who done it get your blood racing? If so, the Mystery Readers Social is for you. The Pleasant Hill Branch of the Austin Public Library, 211 E. William Cannon Dr., invites snoops and sleuths to join us on Saturday, November 10 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for English-style afternoon tea. Compete in the mystery trivia contest to win prizes. Browse our mini book sale featuring mystery, suspense and thriller titles. The Mystery Readers Social is free and open to the public. For more information please call 512-974-3940 or visit the website.
_________________________________
October 13, Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. APS Second Saturday Critique Group meets at Yarborough Branch Public Library, 2200 Hancock Drive. Bring ten copies of a poem in progress for friendly discussion. If you want to follow the prompt, write a poem involving these words which were chosen at random during the last meeting: riskier, kin, cannery, darling, drawing, shrine and twitch. Or following the instructions on p. 269ff of Dos Gatos’ Wingbeats: Exercises and Practice in Poetry. Host Beth Kropf asks you to bring paper for a brief exercise during each session. After you meet with this group, you go home and write BETTER poetry.
October 14th, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Austin Writers Roulette is a monthly culturally diverse evening of reading and performing original written works (play excerpts, poetry, essays, etc.) Each month has a theme, and in October, it’s Magical and Occult: Rituals, Prayers, and Experiences with Angels. Every second Sunday at Capoeira Evolucao Studio, 2015 E. Riverside #7B (behind Emo’s). Email Teresa the selection(s) you wish to read/perform along with the corresponding theme(s) at mathdreads@yahoo.com.
October 19, Friday, 1:00-3:00 p.m. Share Your Stories, each Third Friday at Twin Oaks Library, South 5th at West Mary. You know you’ve got a story someone needs to hear. Host: Ralph Hausser.
October 20, Saturday, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Austin Poetry Society monthly wing-ding this month features Budd Mahan, a leader in both state and national poetry societies, speaking on “Sparking Creation and Increasing Appeal.” Results of the meeting contest will be announced. APS meets this month again in the Carver Branch Library, 1161 Angelina St.
October 25, Thursday, 7:00-9:00 p.m. Austin Poetry Society Fourth Thursday Reading, open to the public and free. Features this month are John Berry, Herman Nelson, Susan Rooke and Kathleen Roman. There’s always an open mic as well. Host: Linda Marie Cossa. NeWorlDeli, which has hosted 4th Thursday more than four years now, is a great place to meet with friends and get a good dinner.
_________________________________
Writers’ Block Events
“Adventures in Creative Nonfiction” with Edie Bakker
Sunday, October 14, 2012, 1 PM
Lucky Dog Books – 10801 Garland Road, Dallas 75218
Our adventure with Creative Nonfiction will begin with short readings from the genre. Discussion will focus on the primary purpose of CNF, as opposed to that of Nonfiction, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each. Participants will decide what CNF is and explore the structure of a good CNF story. Ethical issues and how to handle truth in CNF will also be examined.
Bakker has a BA in anthropology. In 1994 National Geographic published an article Edie wrote about two expeditions she facilitated into Papua New Guinea; she has written a book manuscript covering both experiences, as well as a book manuscript on cultural adaptation. Edie ran a column in an online magazine and is currently working on a memoir. Several stories and a chapter have been published, and she has won three writing contests. Click here for more information.
The 2012 writer’s retreat sponsored by the Writer’s Block is less than a month away. If you’re a writer who desperately needs a weekend getaway to start a new project, advance an existing project or obtain feedback on a work-in-progress, sign up today for this retreat.
October 19 – 21 are the dates and the retreat will take place at Mt. Lebanon Camp in Cedar Hill, Texas. Registration continues through October 14 for the remaining few spots. Register at http://www.writersblockinc.org/.
_________________________________
Under the Volcano 2013
Join for an unforgettable week of workshops, readings, and performances. January 4-13, 2013 in Tepoztlan. For writers of fiction, poetry, memoir, writing as witness, food writing, and song. With Paul Muldoon, Jessica Hagedorn, Magda Bogin, Betty Fussell, Catherine Filloux, and composers Anthony Davis and Felipe Perez Santiago.
Registration is now open for Under the Volcanoʼs 2013 master classes. Small, intimate sessions with leading artists in one of Mexicoʼs most dynamic villages. You can even opt to extend the workshop week into an individual or collaborative retreat.
For questions and application guidelines, see our website or email us at info@underthevolcano.org.
_________________________________
Impact Austin 2012 Speaker Series
Join us for an exciting evening with Kathy LeMay. She will discuss “Voice, Activism & Money: Women Creating the World We Know is Possible.”
Kathy LeMay is the Founder, President & CEO of Raising Change, which helps organizations raise capital to advance social change agendas and individuals create Generosity Plans to help change the world. In 2000, LeMay was nominated for a Reebok Human Rights Award for her 15 years of service as a human rights activist. She was just named one of Business West Magazine’s ’40 Under 40′ and, in January 2010, she released her first book, The Generosity Plan. Click here for event details.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012 ~ 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ~ Marriott Hotel South
_________________________________
Sisters in Crime Event – A Collision of Forensic Science and Politics
Our October 14 speaker, Gerald Hurst, a chemist and inventor, offers his services for free to help individuals he feels were wrongly convicted of arson. Hurst said he became disgusted by fire investigations based more on ‘old wives’ tales and folklore’ than science. He long ago took to wearing all-black clothing to hide the marks of soot, and he works out of a home office in the basement of his west Austin house.
Jerry has a bachelor, graduate, and Ph.D. in Chemistry and has worked for various companies investigating explosives and arson techniques. He is currently self employed and has about a dozen patents in the field of explosives in the US and foreign countries.
He is experienced in the study of the initiation, mechanism, prevention and analysis of fires and explosions dating back 45 years and including work with both military and civilian government agencies including FBI, BATF, US Forest Service, etc. He is the inventor of Kinepak (binary explosive), “mylar” balloon and the modern Liquid Paper formulations.
“I see fire as a bunch of physical chemical processes,” he said. “I came up using my science background and running experiments, and I had years of access to testing facilities (as a corporate scientist from 1965-80), so anytime I wanted to blow something up or test an idea, I could.”
Sisters in Crime Heart of Texas Chapter, meets monthly on the second Sunday of the month at 2 p.m. at the Westlake Barnes & Noble bookstore, located at the southeast corner of Loop 360 and Bee Cave Road, in The Village at Westlake shopping center.
Sisters in Crime is an international organization of women and men whose purpose is to promote mysteries written by women, and combat discrimination against women mystery authors. Speakers include published mystery authors and technical experts who help writers craft better mysteries and readers enjoy what they read. Meetings are free and open to all. For more information, check out the Sisters in Crime website at www.hotxsinc.org.
_________________________________
The Wittliff Collections at Texas State present: A Book on the Making of Lonesome Dove
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2012, the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University-San Marcos launch the second Lonesome Dove volume in their book series with the University of Texas Press. To celebrate the publication of A Book on the Making of Lonesome Dove, the Wittliff is hosting a free panel discussion with contributors John Spong, Jeff Wilson, and Bill Wittliff, moderated by Stephen Harrigan. Signed books will be for sale before and after the discussion.
Location: the LBJ Student Center Ballroom on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos.
Attendees are required to RSVP to thewittliffcollections@txstate.edu by OCTOBER 15 to receive further information about the event, including parking instructions, and a 5% discount on the book.
Admission is free. For more information about the event, you may call 512-245-2313.
_________________________________
Thanks for checking out Friday Filler this week. Be sure to tell us how these events go on our facebook. Have a great weekend!
– WLT
