Lone Star Literary Life's Bookish Tour of Texas, January 27–28, 2017
The last weekend in January brought the Lone Star Lit team back to our roots in West Texas. On Saturday, Jan. 27, Kay Ellington and Barbara Brannon had the pleasure of lunch with Canyon author Donald Mace Williams (author of the forthcoming Wolfe and Other Poems) before venturing next door to visit Dallas Bell of the brand-spaking-new Burrowing Owl Books.
If your preference for an independent bookstore is a clean, well-lighted (and welcoming) place, you’ll be right at home at Burrowing Owl. Orderly arranged bookshelves (built by Bell’s husband) line each side of the attractive store on Canyon's courthouse square, and comfy chairs are arranged in several gathering spots for reading and readings.
You’ll find an inviting array of gently used volumes (we eagerly snapped up a signed first edition of the very first Hank the Cowdog) and a selection of new titles, especially those by regional authors.
It's also worth a mention that two other excellent sources of Texas-related books in Canyon are the on-site gift stores of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum and Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
More in San Angelo: Last week we reported on a few bookish destinations we were lucky enough to see during a few free hours in San Angelo. But there’s one important book retailer we didn’t get to visit this time around: The Cactus Book Shop on 6 East Concho, which specializes in fine used books, local authors, and Texana. Felton Cochran, we’ll catch you next time!
Shakespeare festival tradition returns to Odessa, March 3–5, 2017
This new festival continues in the traditional of the city’s original festival by presenting three Shakespeare related performances for the general public over the three-day period. New this year will be the involvement of the Texas Shakespeare Festival out of Kilgore, an organization that has presented Shakespeare works all over Texas since 1986.
In addition to three full-length plays, two new features will be included at this year's festival. A Conversation with Christopher Moore, author of Fool, a Shakespeare-based novel, will feature the author discussing his craft and taking questions from the audience. This event, free to the general public, is in conjunction with the Friends of the Ector County Library and One Book Odessa.
The highly popular "Literary Death Match" will be given a Shakespearean bent and added to the festivals events.
The Texas Shakespeare Festival troupe from Kilgore will perform three plays during the festival:
• Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits, 2 pm Sat., March 4
• Romeo and Juliet, 7:30 pm Sat., March 4
• The Princess and the Players, 2 pm on Sunday, March 5
“We are thrilled and very fortunate that we were able to book this amazing troupe of Shakespearean actors to be part of our festival here in Odessa,” said Randy Ham, executive director of the Odessa Council for the Arts and Humanities. “The Board of the Directors for the Globe Theatre and the Arts Council have been working diligently to coordinate all the activities that will take place during this exciting festival.”
All events during the Shakespeare Festival will take place at the Globe Theatre on the Odessa College campus. Tickets for all events are available in advance at odessashakespeare.org. Plays are $10 per performance or $15 at the door. A $30 event pass is also available that allows entrance to all festival events.
(Information from organization’s press release)
Caine to be featured at ConDFW February 10-12
Caine is joined by dozens of other award-winning authors to round out the speaker list. events include Q&A and signings with guests of honor, a charity book swap, and a large table top gaming area.
Of special note this year are the panels Caine will be leading. First is a two-hour writer’s workshop focused on taking a novel from idea to the hands of readers. Second is an exciting one-on-one tutorial on how to pitch a novel.
ConDFW is a family-friendly entertainment conference featuring authors and books, artists, and art, panel discussions, interactive art events, and literature. Volunteer-run, it offers one of the best settings in Texas to interact directly with the guests and panelists.
Admission ranges from $20 to $45. Single-day and weekend memberships are available, as well as discounts for advanced purchase. A discounted rate is available for young children or students with an academic ID. Memberships may be purchased online at www.condfw.org/about-the-convention/membership
ConDFW takes place at the Radisson Hotel Fossil Creek in Fort Worth and runs from 2 om on Friday through 4 pm on Sunday, February 10–12. For more information visit www.condfw.org
(Information from organization’s press release)
Private creative writing school for emerging writers to open in Dallas this spring
DALLAS—Now enrolling for its spring 2017 term, Writing Workshops Dallas is an independent writing school for hard-working, talented writers who want to strengthen their voice, develop a greater understanding of craft, and forge a path to publication along the way.
Founded by Dallas-based fiction writer and University of Texas at Dallas creative writing faculty member Blake Kimzey, Writing Workshops Dallas offers multi-level writing courses, seminars, and individual consultations to fiction writers, nonfiction writers, and poets in an intimate workshop setting. Classes are inclusive and intentionally small, offered four times a year, beginning in January, March, July, and October. All workshops are held at The Mix in East Dallas.
Kimzey, a graduate of the prestigious MFA program at UC-Irvine and a widely published author, says Writing Workshops Dallas places the highest importance on teaching the craft of writing so that students can produce meaningful and memorable work that has the opportunity to find a readership beyond the workshop.
“Essential to our mission, we want writers to be part of a literary community that goes beyond the workshop table,” said Kimzey. “I created Writing Workshops Dallas on the basis that having a literary community is essential to the career of any creative writer. You can’t do it alone.”
Writing Workshops Dallas is a welcome addition to the thriving literary scene in Dallas, established by the independent bookstore Wild Detectives and critically acclaimed independent publisher Deep Vellum, among others.
“We’re excited to join the most exciting emerging literary scene in the country,” Kimzey adds. “If you’re a writer in DFW, we’d love to have you join in this movement with us.”
For more information, visit the Writing Workshops Dallas website (https://writingworkshopsdallas.com/) or follow the workshop on Twitter (@DallasWriters).
(Information from organization’s press release)
Lone Star Literary Life to celebrate second birthday, Thurs., Feb. 2, 2017
We launched Lone Star literary Life from the hinterlands of West Texas on Feb 2, 2015. Since then our readers have multiplied faster than the state’s favorite herbivorous burrowing rodent (well, maybe). Watch for special midweek coverage Thursday, Feb. 2 and —with a special announcement of forthcoming literary projects!
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