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FOOTNOTES
August 14, 2018
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In This Issue:
Book Awards: August Third Thursday; Writers' League of Texas Podcast; & More |
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Congratulations to our 2017 Book Award Winners, Finalists & Discovery Prize Winners!
Year after year, a new crop of important and worthy books by Texas writers is added to the literary landscape. 2017 was no exception and we couldn't be more honored to recognize the books and authors listed here as our 2017 Writers' League of Texas Book Award Winners, Finalists, and Discovery Prize Winners.
Fiction
Winner:
SPOILS by Brian Van Reet
Finalists:
DISASTERS IN THE FIRST WORLD by Olivia Clare
HOLLOW by Owen Egerton
WHITE FUR by Jardine Libaire
BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD by Attica Locke
WAIT TILL YOU SEE ME DANCE by Deb Olin Unferth
Discovery Prize Winner:
FIGHT LIKE A MAN & OTHER STORIES WE TELL OUR CHILDREN by Christine Granados
Nonfiction
Winner:
THE ROAD TO JONESTOWN by Jeff Guinn
Finalists:
SPINELESS by Juli Berwald
AMERICAN WOLF by Nate Blakeslee
THE BOY WHO LOVED TOO MUCH by Jennifer Latson
NO APPARENT DISTRESS by Rachel Pearson, MD
TOO FAT, TOO SLUTTY, TOO LOUD by Anne Helen Petersen
Discovery Prize Winner:
HOUSE BUILT ON ASHES by José Antonio Rodríguez
Poetry
Winner:
WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO BE A LIST OF FURTHER POSSIBILITIES by Chen Chen
Finalists:
AMERICAN PURGATORY by Rebecca Gayle Howell
FOR WANT OF WATER by Sasha Pimentel
MADNESS by Sam Sax
WOLFE by Donald Mace Williams
Discovery Prize Winner:
THE LANGUAGE WE CRY IN by Delicia Daniels
Middle Grade/Young Adult
Winner:
THE LOVE LETTERS OF ABELARD AND LILY by Laura Creedle
Finalists:
ROAR by Cora Carmack
WAIT FOR ME by Caroline Leech
FAULT LINES IN THE CONSTITUTION by Cynthia Levinson & Sanford Levinson
ALL THE WIND IN THE WORLD by Samantha Mabry
Discovery Prize Winner:
BROKEN CIRCLE by J.L. Powers & M.A. Powers
Picture Book
Winner:
DAZZLE SHIPS by Chris Barton
Finalists:
WHOBERT WHOVER, OWL DETECTIVE by Jason Gallaher
THE CLOUD ARTIST by Sherri Maret
THE SURVIVOR TREE by Gaye Sanders
ANOTHER WAY TO CLIMB A TREE by Liz Garton Scanlon
STRONG AS SANDOW by Don Tate
Discovery Prize Winner:
DREAM BIG by Kat Kronenberg
Congratulations to all!
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August Third Thursday: Writing About Music
August 16, 2018
7 p.m.
BookPeople
603 N. Lamar Blvd., 3rd Floor
Austin, TX
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
With the recent passing of Los Angeles Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold (who was also a very fine music critic), we're reminded of how important a role cultural criticism plays in our understanding of not just a particular aspect of culture (like food or music) but also in our understanding of a place and the people living there. In this panel, three music critics and scholars will discuss their own approaches to writing about music and the culture, place, and people at the heart of it:
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Joe Gross,
author of
Fugazi's In on the Kill Taker
, part of the 33 1/3 series;
- Kayleigh Hughes, music critic for Consequence of Sound
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Omise'eke Tinsley, author of the forthcoming
Beyoncé in Formation: Remixing Black Feminism
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Creative Spark Package - Last Chance!
We're excited to kick off our fall semester of in-person and online classes! We're starting with a package designed to ignite your creative spark and inspire you to rediscover the writing process. Our "Creative Spark" package is the first of several packages we'll offer this fall.
The package includes three classes at the normal member rate of $49/class (or $147 total), plus everyone who purchases a class package will receive a
complimentary online class, a $49 value, good for one online class registration between August 1 and December 31, 2018. The "Creative Spark" package will be available for purchase until August 23, the Thursday before the first scheduled class. Each class will also be available for individual purchase.
Here are the three classes:
THE WRITING PROCESS
How to Create a Happy, Lazy (and Productive) Writing Practice
Saturday, August 25, 2018
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
Our culture is preoccupied with speed and output. That's fine when it comes to texting, but the pressure to pour out perfect pages instantaneously will send your muse running for the nearest exit. In this class, the instructor will give ways to offer your muse a hammock instead of putting a gun to her head. Paradoxically, this gentle approach allows for a more inspired, efficient, and joyful output, as you learn to write what your soul longs to scrawl, rather than bullying yourself into silence.
THE WAY FORWARD INTO YOUR CURRENT PROJECT
Banish the Block! Moving Past Fear and Finding Inspiration for Your Writing
with Stacey Swann
Saturday, September 1, 2018
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
Do you feel called to write, but find it almost impossible to sit and face the blank page? This feeling goes by many names: writer's block, resistance, self-doubt, and fear (or we may mislabel it, saying we are just too busy or are natural procrastinators). But no matter what we call it, using various readings and prompts,
this class will offer practical exercises for switching off your critical brain, embracing your creative brain, and generating material.
TAPPING INTO YOUR MANUSCRIPT'S FULL POTENTIAL
Narrative Lab: Experiments for Concocting Livelier, More Interesting Prose
with Adam Soto
Saturday, September 15, 2018
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
In this class, participants will discuss and conduct experiments in point of view, voice, structure, etc. in order to break free from cliches, leap over dead ends, and generate writing that is new and exciting. By combining conventional wisdom with ingenuity, the goal is to write stories, novels, and memoirs that both satisfy the heart and stimulate the mind.
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ONLINE CLASS
Introduction to the Picture Book: Writing for Young Children
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. CST
This class will give you a broad understanding of the picture book form--from purpose and structure to particular parameters in today's marketplace--and will include close looks at concept books and rhyming text. There will also be prompts to get you started and time throughout for Q&A.
Registration closes Wednesday, September 5, at 5 p.m. CST. Everyone who registers will have access to the class recording until September 13.
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Salina Baker (Austin) has won six awards in 2018 for her historical fantasy novel
Angels and Patriots, Book One. The awards are:
Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book, Notable;
Independent Press Awards, Historical Fiction, Winner:
Independent Press Awards, Military, Distinguished Favorite:
National Indie Excellence Awards, Military, Finalist: and
American Fiction Awards, Fantasy and Military, Finalist.
Marjorie Brody (Schertz) brings her short story full circle with a movie premiere.
Short Story America published "In the Underside" in their inaugural anthology, launched at the Short Story America Festival in Beaufort, S.C. This September, the Short Story America Festival will host the premiere of the movie (of the same name) based on her short story.
Stacy Pendergrast (Little Rock, Arkansas) has taken the position of press secretary for the new Poet Laureate of Arkansas, Jo McDougall.
New Releases
Jim Olinger (Austin) has published
Dark Flowers. In 1966 San Francisco, a young journalist investigating his family's dark secrets dives into a nightmare world, drawing ever closer to a deadly encounter with a serial killer's noose. Information at
jimolinger.com.
Interested in having your news listed here? Current Writers' League members can submit their news to [email protected]. Announcements should adhere to the following guidelines: third-person, starting with your first and last name, followed by your city of residence, maximum 50 words. We may edit your announcement for style and clarity.
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Writers' League of Texas Podcast
Have you checked out our podcast lately? If not, you're missing out on an array of great discussions featuring some of our favorite writers sharing craft tips, tricks, and advice. And remember, you can now find us wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe
so you never miss an episode!
Curious about the author-editor relationship?
In February 2018, WLT Program Director Michael Noll talked with three different types of editors and one author/editor about what makes an author/editor relationship a success. Listen to his conversation with panelists Carolyn Cohagan, Casey Kittrell, Sara Kocek, and Kate Rodemann. Listen now!
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Writer Classifieds
Looking for a writing group or critique partner? Look no further than our Writer Classifieds. Current Writers' League members can submit their name, contact information, and additional details to be included as a listing on a private page on our website.
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Open Office Hours: September 13
Our next Open Office Hours will be on Thursday, September 13.
The deadline to sign up is Thursday, September 6, at noon.
Writers' League m
embers can meet one-on-one with a WLT staffer (in person or call in). This member benefit is available to all members regardless of their city of residence.
Current members only.
Due to limited availability, please email [email protected] to sign up. Please be sure to indicate whether or not you'd like to speak in person or over the phone (and provide your phone number), and outline what questions you'd like to discuss so we can be prepared for your appointment. Before you send an email, please read the OOH guidelines available here.
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Coming Up @ WLT
Classes, Free Programs, Deadlines, and Other Events Across the State
August 16
BookPeople, Austin, TX
August 23
August 25
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
September 1
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
September 5
Online Class
September 8
ACC Highland, Austin, TX
September 13
Online Class
September 15
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
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This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.
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Writers' League of Texas classes and workshops are also funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts - Investing in a Creative Texas. For more information, go to
www.arts.texas.gov
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This project is also supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities,
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