The Literary Social Calendar
WLT Events
Workshops and Classes
Social Media 101 with Shennandoah Diaz 9/29
Shennandoah’s Guest Blog is up on Scribe. Read her Slushpile Secrets!
How to Pick Your Publishing Pathway with Lana Castle 10/6
Lana Castle’s Guest Blog The Road to Publication
Poetic License: Using Poetic Language and Devices in your Poetry, Prose and Everyday Writing with Liz Garton Scanlon 9/15
Liz Garton Scanlon’s Guest Blog Poetic License & Language
Creating Effective Characters with Michael Druxman 9/22
Q & A with Michael Druxmanon featured on Scribe
More featured Guest Blogs coming soon! Visit our page for more upcoming WLT Classes and Workshops.
AUSTIN BAT CAVE announces its
1st annual “Bat to School Bash,” presenting: Apocalypse: A Bill Callahan Tour Film and live performance by Bill Callahan!
Tickets are $17 and can be purchased in advance at austintheatre.org
The Austin Bat Cave proudly presents an evening with Bill Callahan—live and onscreen, Friday, September 14, at the Stateside Theater, 719 Congress Avenue, at 8 pm. The show will mark the first annual “Bat to School Bash” for the Austin Bat Cave (ABC), a nonprofit that teaches kids writing.
The enigmatic Callahan is a long-time critical darling who for years recorded and toured under the name Smog, releasing 10 albums. Callahan moved to Austin in 2004 and has released three albums under his own name. The latest, last year’s Apocalypse, is one of his best, an album that is both spooky and sweet, stripped down but also weirdly rollicking. Apocalypse got rave reviews in Rolling Stone, the New Yorker, and Pitchfork, which said Callahan is “making the best albums of his career.”
In 2011 Callahan toured the world to promote Apocalypse, and Austin filmmaker Hanly Banks went along with a camera. The result is “Apocalypse: A Bill Callahan Tour Film,” and ABC will offer its Texas premier on September 14. The night will feature the documentary, a performance by Callahan, a short video of an ABC song-writing workshop with kids and Callahan, followed by a reception with artist and filmmaker. Callahan hasn’t played in Austin since March, so this show will be a singular musical and cultural event.
This marks the first annual Bat to School Bash for ABC, which connects a diverse population of young writers with adult volunteers in Austin. ABC’s numerous workshops and programs are free. But in order to truly fulfill its mission, ABC needs a brick-and-mortar space where kids learn and volunteers teach. This future writing and tutoring center will offer free writing programs for kids. At the moment, the organization is very close to realizing this vision, with more details to come! This fundraiser will help pay for yearly operating costs for our center as well programming.
For more info call the Stateside Theater at (512) 474-1221 or contact Katie Angermeier kangermeier@austinbatcave.org
Beginning Creative Writing Workshops with Manuel Gonzales
Austin Bat Cave, a writing & tutoring center for kids, presents its series of creative writing workshops for adults!
Thursday, September 20 – Thursday, November 8th, 2012 6:30–9:00 pm (eight weekly sessions)
It is human nature to tell stories, to experience the world and repackage our experiences into different kinds of narrative. But writing these narratives out, developing them into a story, an essay, or a novel can sometimes be difficult or daunting. Writers of all stripes struggle with many of the same questions, no matter their experience, no matter how many stories or novels they’ve finished: does the story make sense, do the characters seem real, does anything actually happen? In this beginning creative writing workshop, we will focus on those basic elements of writing a good story—beginnings, endings, developing realistic and engaging characters, thorning out the thorny issues of plot— through a mixture of in-class lectures, outside reading, and in-class workshop critiques.
We’ll also discuss finding the time to write, making a life as a writer, and the business of publication, from finding an agent to submitting work to magazines and publishing houses. Whether a novice to writing or someone who simply wants a refresher course and an introduction to the workshop process, this promises to be an excellent class. New workshops participants are asked to send a writing sample of two pages for consideration. Also, please include a few sentences about yourself and your writing and workshop experience, and what you hope to accomplish by the end of the class. Please email sample to workshop@austinbatcave.org. Write “beginning workshop” in the subject field.
Workshop Fee: $385
Location: Workshops are held at the Austin Bat Cave, 1807 West 11th Street, Austin, TX 78704
Manuel Gonzales is the author of The Miniature Wife and Other Stories, forthcoming from Riverhead Books, January 10, 2013. He has published fiction and nonfiction in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, One Story Magazine, The Believer Magazine, The Mississippi Review, Open City Magazine, and Fence Magazine. He is the executive director of Austin Bat Cave, a writing & tutoring center for kids, and has taught online Fiction I and Fiction II courses for The Gotham Writer’s Workshop since 2006.
A portion of this fee will go toward supporting Austin Bat Cave, a writing & tutoring center for kids. For more information about Austin Bat Cave, please visit austinbatcave.org. You can also visit their facebook page.
Round Rock New Neighbors Book Discussion Group
Round Rock- The Round Rock New Neighbors Book Discussion Group will discuss The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver at their next meeting at the Round Rock Barnes & Noble store on Monday, October 15th at 1:00 p.m. The store is located in the La Frontera Village at the intersection of IH-35 and SH-45.
Dr. David A. Kessler, the dynamic and controversial former FDA commissioner known for his crusade against the tobacco industry, is taking on another business that’s making Americans sick: the food industry. In The End of Overeating, Dr. Kessler shows us how our brain chemistry has been hijacked by the foods we most love to eat: those that contain stimulating combinations of fat, sugar, and salt.
Novelist Barbara Kingsolver once wrote, “If we can’t, as artists, improve on real life, we should put down our pencils and go bake bread.” In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, she manages to do both, applying her literary skills to a new food environment. In her seamless diary narrative, Kingsolver tells how she and her family relocated to southern Appalachia after suffering through years of drought in Arizona. The purpose of the move was simple: The Kingsolvers sought to “live in a place that could feed us” by growing their own food and living among a community of local organic growers. All events are free and open to the public.
Art on Tap Events – Houston
IN PLAIN SIGHT – Artists’ Reception @ McClain Gallery
Saturday, September 8 ~ 5 – 8PM, FREE
In Plain Sight, organized by Houston-based and McClain Gallery artist Aaron Parazette, features selected works by 40 exceptional painters currently working in Houston. While no group show can be considered an exhaustive survey, this thoughtful presentation speaks to work that confirms the status of painting as alive and well, versus the oft-cited proclamation “painting is dead.” Highlighting an array of styles, genres, and media ranging from well-established artists to up-and-coming painters, Parazette aims to encourage a much-needed discourse between the diverse painting practices occurring in Houston.
Line & Color: Women in Ceramics @ 18 Hands Gallery
Saturday, September 8 ~ 6 – 9PM, FREE
“Line & Color: Women in Ceramics”, presented by 18 Hands Gallery, is a bold collection of ceramics created by women artists. The show includes diverse works in clay, whose surfaces are enlivened with line and color. The span the gamut of styles and techniques. Work will be on display September 8-30, 2012 with the opening reception on Saturday, September 8th from 6-9pm.
Reading and book signing with authors Amanda Auchter and Lacy M. Johnson @ Kaboom Books on Houston Ave
Tuesday, September 11 ~ 7:30 – 9:30PM, FREE
Lacy M. Johnson is the author of Trespasses: A Memoir, which was published by the University of Iowa Press earlier this year. She holds a PhD from University of Houston’s Creative Writing Program and has been awarded fellowships from the Kansas Arts Commission, the Mitchell Center for the Arts, and Millay Colony for the Arts. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Creative Nonfiction, Sentence, TriQuarterly Online, Memoir Journal, Gulf Coast, Pebble Lake Review and elsewhere. She lives in Houston with her husband and two children and currently teaches writing to public school teachers and pediatric cancer patients.
Amanda Auchter edits Pebble Lake Review and is the author of The Wishing Tomb, which won the 2012 Perugia Press Award and was nominated for the National Book Award, and The Glass Crib, which won the 2010 Zone 3 Press First Book Award. She has received awards and honors from Bellevue Literary Review, BOMB Magazine, Bread Loaf Writers Conference, Crab Orchard Review, Southern Indiana Review, Mid-American Review, and was a 2007 finalist for the Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship from The Poetry Foundation. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and teaches creative writing and literature at Lone Star College. She lives in Houston with her husband and is currently at work on a memoir about adoption and foster care, What Took You So Long.
For information on more upcoming Fresh Arts Events, click here.
Poets & Writers Guide to MFA Programs
Revised and Updated for 2013
This essential handbook, just published by Poets & Writers, provides everything you need to know about graduate creative writing programs. A comparative look at 85 full-residency and 29 low-residency programs. How to decide where to apply. The lowdown on low-residency programs. Tips on becoming a teaching assistant. Confessions of an application reader. How to get the most out of your MFA experience.
A collection of articles edited by the staff of Poets & Writers Magazine, this handy resource includes straightforward advice from professionals in the literary field, additional resources to help you choose the best programs to apply to, and an application tracker to keep you organized throughout the process.
Only $4.99 Download Your Copy Today!
Round Rock New Neighbors Book Discussion Group
Round Rock- The Round Rock New Neighbors Book Discussion Group will discuss The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver at their next meeting at the Round Rock Barnes & Noble store on Monday, October 15th at 1:00 p.m. The store is located in the La Frontera Village at the intersection of IH-35 and SH-45.
Dr. David A. Kessler, the dynamic and controversial former FDA commissioner known for his crusade against the tobacco industry, is taking on another business that’s making Americans sick: the food industry. In The End of Overeating, Dr. Kessler shows us how our brain chemistry has been hijacked by the foods we most love to eat: those that contain stimulating combinations of fat, sugar, and salt. Novelist Barbara Kingsolver once wrote, “If we can’t, as artists, improve on real life, we should put down our pencils and go bake bread.” In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, she manages to do both, applying her literary skills to a new food environment. In her seamless diary narrative, Kingsolver tells how she and her family relocated to southern Appalachia after suffering through years of drought in Arizona. The purpose of the move was simple: The Kingsolvers sought to “live in a place that could feed us” by growing their own food and living among a community of local organic growers.
All events are free and open to the public.
FILM on 5th: Grand Opening Party
Friday, September 14th: 6-9pm
Now open is the newest addition to the Austin art scene, FILM on 5th, Austin’s first and only vintage movie poster gallery! The gallery features all original, vintage film posters from the 1930’s through present. Hundreds in stock, thousands more available. Have a favorite movie you grew up with? A movie that evokes nostalgia or funny memories? Let us know and we can have it here for you to see in 24 hours. Drop in and check out this cool new way to adorn your walls!
We are so excited to welcome new and current clients into the world of vintage film posters. If you are interested in beating the crowds we are happy to setup preview shows. Our film posters are ready and waiting to be loved. Click here for more information.
Dr. Seuss Going to Pecan Street Festival
ART on 5th is excited to announce the Secret Art of Dr. Seuss will be heading to the Pecan Street festival! Join us under the big red and white tent on the corner of 6th Street and San Jacinto for an interactive Seuss experience! The wildly imaginative artwork included in the collection show a previously unseen dimension of Theodor Seuss Geisel’s genius. These pieces depict outlandish creatures, otherworldly settings, studies that are related to his incredible body of work as an author, and colorful characters. They will surely enchant and amaze you!
Children of all ages can take pictures with a live Seuss character and test their art skills in our coloring and drawing contest. The best drawings and colorings will be entered for a chance to a set of the 5 most popular Dr. Seuss books. Click here for more information.
It’s ON like Blogathon!
Saturday, September 15th • 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Since making its debut onto Austin’s social media scene,BlogathonATX has taken the city by storm. It all started with a tweet in the summer of 2010, asking if anyone wanted to get together and blog all day; maybe have a potluck. That tweet grew into the hottest ticket in town for both established and aspiring bloggers alike.
Sporting a fresh approach and a guest list worthy of mention, this 12-hour event includes a full day of blogging, collaborating, tech support and roundtable discussions led by Austin’s brightest blogging experts and social media enthusiasts.
Our venue has plenty of open space for people who wish to write, collaborate and participate in roundtable discussions, a conference room for the Tech Team, as well as a new classroom feature called the BATX Learning Lab. Oh, and there will be food. Lots of food.
The entire BlogathonATX crew would like to invite you to join them for an event that has already become a true Austin treasure. They look forward to making this a fun and memorable day for everyone! Click here for more information.
Paris Literary Prize – Deadline Extended
Thank you to all you who submitted your novellas to the Paris Literary Prize! The extended deadline officially closes at midnight Paris time on September 15. If you are planning to submit to this competition you still have time! For details and information, please visit the Paris Literary Prize site: www.parisliteraryprize.org.
If you have submitted, but have not paid your entry fee you have until the 15th of September to do so. If you sent an inquiry to the submissions team via the website and did not hear back it may be due to an error in your email. So please resubmit your inquiry.
PR by the Book’s “Escape to Austin” Contest Deadline Extended
To celebrate its 10th Anniversary, PR by the Book will award one literary lover a trip to the home of storytellers like O. Henry and Willie Nelson: Austin, Texas. Now in its 10th year of operation, with a growing pool of star literary talent and media personalities, PR by the Book has become a go-to firm in the book publishing industry for innovative publicity campaigns and top-tier media placement.
Founded in 2002 by Marika Flatt, PR by the Book has grown from a one-woman operation to a team of 10, representing everyone from The Berenstain Bears series to Rex Pickett, author of the beloved book-turned-movie, Sideways.
Now, PR by the Book has decided it’s time to share the love. And what better way to do that than to award a trip to the town where it all got started: Austin, Texas?
“Austin has burgeoned into a bustling literary community. When I started in book publicity here in 1997, I’d meet people who would be surprised I wasn’t from New York or Los Angeles,” says Flatt. “Now, when I travel for work and people ask where I’m from and I tell them Austin, the response is something similar to: I adore Austin and what a literary town that is!”
The contest is called “Escape to Austin” and will be a truly one-of-a-kind trip for the lucky winner. The prize package includes round-trip airfare for the winner and a guest, a two-night stay at The Hilton Garden Inn downtown Austin, dinner for two at TRIO in the Four Seasons, a $50 gift certificate to historic Hyde Park Bar & Grill and a couple of bookish perks.
Drawing the likes of Susan Orlean and Chuck Palahniuk, the Texas Book Festival is one of the premiere literary fests in the country. Last year, the festival featured 243 authors and attracted 40,000 attendees. The winner of the “Escape to Austin” contest will be granted two VIP passes to the weekend-long festival October 26-28, as well as a pass to one of TBF’s invitation-only author parties.
“We are very excited to partner with PR by the Book for this contest package,” says Lidia Agraz, TBF’s Executive Director. “We’re still early in the talent line-up process, but I can say that this year’s festival will offer attendees a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to commune with true literary icons.”
To enter “Escape to Austin,” contest hopefuls must simply “like” PR by the Book on Facebook and fill out the entry form. Our “Escape to Austin” contest has been generating a lot of excitement, so we have decided to extend the contest for two more weeks! The contest will now close on September 14th. Please spread the word to let your contacts know about the update. We’re excited to extend the opportunity for more people to visit our favorite city!
PR BY THE BOOK is a boutique publicity firm specializing in literary media relations campaigns, publishing consultation, small business publicity, and publicity tours for authors and experts. Our team of seasoned publicists has worked on books in nearly every genre, and with dozens of major publishing houses and small presses. Visit prbythebook.com to learn more.
Abilene Writers Guild Events
Poet, Concert Performer, Lyricist, Artist, Film Maker An Evening with Sharmagne Leland-St. John ~ Thursday, September 27, 2012
Sharmagne Leland-St. JohnSharmagne Leland-St. John, 5 time Pushcart Prize nominee, is a Native American poet, concert performer, lyricist, artist, and film maker. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the poetry e-zine Quill and Parchment.com. Sharmagne spends time between her home in the Hollywood Hills, in California and her fly fishing lodge on the Stillaguamish River in the Pacific Northtwest. She is the founder of fogdog poetry in Arlington, WA and tours the United States, Canada, and England, as a performance poet. Click here for more information.
James A. Michener Center for Writers ~ 2012-2013 Reading Series
Tuesday, September 11
KEVIN POWERS
6:00 pm Lambert’s, 401 West 2nd Street, Austin
Recent MCW Alum Kevin Powers celebrates the launch of his debut novel, The Yellow Birds, from Little, Brown and Company. Tom Wolfe has called the novel “the All Quiet on the Western Front of America’s Arab Wars.” Event sponsored by Texas Monthly magazine and the Texas Book Festival.
Thursday, September 20
MATTHEW ZAPRUDER
7:30 pm Avaya Auditorium, ACES 2.302 on campus
Matthew Zapruder is the author of three collections of poetry. His most recent book, Come On All You Ghosts, was selected as one of the year’s top 5 poetry books by Publishers Weekly, as well as the 2010 Booklist Editors’ Choice for poetry, among other honors. His second collection, The Pajamaist, was chosen by Tony Hoagland as the winner of the William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America. The recipient of a 2011 Guggenheim Fellowship, he lives in San Francisco.
Harry Ransom Center Events
“FutureLand” OPENING FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 7 P.M.
Join us for “FutureLand,” a retro-futuristic celebration for the fall exhibition I Have Seen the Future: Norman Bel Geddes Designs America.
Get a first look at the exhibition, enter our drawing for a Geddes-inspired prize package, bring your vision of the future to life with the Toy Joy’s interactive “City of the Future,” or relax in the Design Within Reach outdoor lounge while enjoying refreshments from Austin Wine Merchant, Dripping Springs Vodka, and Coolhaus.
Become a member now to receive complimentary admission and valet parking at this event. If you are not yet a member, tickets are available for $20 (valet parking included). Click here for more information.
The Wittliff Collection Events – San Marcos
SEPTEMBER 11, 2012, TUESDAY, 5:00 PM
POETRY + FICTION READING
Texas State’s Master of Fine Art students read from their work in the creative writing program.
SEPTEMBER 27, 2012, THURSDAY, 3:30 PM
OLGA BROUMAS Reading | Book Signing | Q&A
A Greek-born American, Olga Broumas is the author of the following books of poetry: Beginning with O; Soie Sauvage; Pastoral Jazz; Black Holes, Black Stockings with Jane Miller; Perpetua; Sappho’s Gymnasium with T. Begley; and Rave: Poems, 1975–1999. She has also translated three books by Odysseas Elytis: What I Love: Selected Poems; The Little Mariner; and Eros, Eros, Eros: Selected and Last Poems. Broumas is currently the director of creative writing and English professor at Brandeis University. The event is co-sponsored by the Burdine Johnson Foundation, The Wittliff Collections, and the Texas State University Department of English. Books will be for sale by the University Bookstore. For more information on upcoming events, click here.
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
