Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and...

13
1 Texas Institute of Letters Winter/Spring 2020 Newsletter www.TexasInstituteofLetters.org Prepared by TIL Secretary William Jack Sibley.

Transcript of Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and...

Page 1: Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ann-Margret. I was completely blown away when I received notification that I'd won, just

1

Texas Institute of Letters Winter/Spring 2020 Newsletter

www.TexasInstituteofLetters.org

Prepared by TIL Secretary William Jack Sibley.

Page 2: Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ann-Margret. I was completely blown away when I received notification that I'd won, just

2

Greetings from The President: Dear TIL-eros! Y’all are quite an exciting group of people, as evidenced in the following news items from TIL Members’ numerous literary escapades. And if you think we look good on paper, just imagine how impressive we are when gathered together at our Annual Awards Weekend! We are chomping at the bit to experience the great readings and programming at TIL’s 84th Annual Awards Weekend coming up in beautiful downtown Georgetown in just SEVEN WEEKS. (Banquet tickets and hotel rooms need to be reserved now, if you haven’t already. And the Georgetown Sheraton has special TIL Rates available ONLY if you reserve by February 27th, one month ahead of the conference dates available at that lower price. See website at www.texasinstitueofletters.org for more info.) You can reserve your rooms either online through the link provided on our website, OR by calling the number listed on our website. And we expect a full house for our Banquet, so be sure to purchase your banquet tickets as well. We will have present not only new and old members, but also a crop of brand new literary award winners. The results of the literary awards are starting to come in, and we ought to have a full announcement on the winners out to you in another two weeks. Boy, do we have fun things planned for y’all! A Friday night reception in the same courthouse where the first trial of the KKK in the nation, children and YA readings Saturday morning in an award-winning library, new member readings on Saturday afternoon, a dynamite banquet program Saturday night, and an optional expedition & reading to nearby Gault Archaeological Site Sunday morning, at a pre-Clovis human settlement estimated to be more than 16,000 years old. I look forward to seeing each one of you, and making great new TIL memories together. con cariño, y hasta pronto, Carmen Tafolla President, Texas Institute of Letters [email protected] www.texasinstituteofletters.org

Page 3: Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ann-Margret. I was completely blown away when I received notification that I'd won, just

3

TIL: Winter/Spring 2020 Newsletter - Member News

(Forty-one updates from TIL Members, in the order received)

----------------------- JudyAlter:JudyAlter’snewtitle,TheSecondBattleoftheAlamo,willlaunchMarch7inSanAntonioattheannualmeetingoftheAlamoSocietyattheMengerHotel.Judywillbetheretosignbooksandanswerquestion.RowmanandLittlefield,adivisionofGlobePequot,isthepublisher.

JamesC.Kearney:IauthoredanarticleintheJulyeditionoftheSouthwesternHistoricalQuarterlyentitled,“CasparConradRordorf;Murder,Art,andIntrigueontheTexasFrontier.” IhaveanannotatedtranslationofanovelbyW.A.Trenckmann(1859-1935)scheduledforreleaseinthespringbyStatehousePress.InpartnershipwiththeBullockMuseumofTexasHistory,Ihaveafive-seriespodcastavailableonforthepublicontheBullockwebsite: https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/podcast/vietnam-on-tape Inconjunctionwiththetapes,IamworkingonabookaboutconscientiousobjectorswhoservedintheArmyasmedicsinVietnamentitled:“1-A-O;TheConsciencethatwasLost.”

Page 4: Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ann-Margret. I was completely blown away when I received notification that I'd won, just

4

LarryD.Thomas:Hismostrecentbookofpoetry,InaFieldofCotton:MississippiRiverDeltaPoems(BlueHorsePress,2019),hasreceivedveryfavorablereviewsinseveralliterarypublicationsincludingtheGreenHillsLiteraryLantern,DragonPoetReview,andValleyVoices:ALiteraryJournal.Hehasbeenselectedtopresentpoemsfromthecollectionatthe2020ScissortailCreativeWritingFestival,EastCentralUniversity,Ada,OKwhichwillbeheldinApril,2020.Thomas’srecentpublicationcreditsincludeLouisianaLiterature(bookreviewandpoem),SanPedroRiverReview,SouthwesternAmericanLiterature,ReviewAmericana,ValleyVoices:ALiteraryReviewandVoicesdelaLuna. LisaSandlin:Mynewsisthatmynewbook(CincoPuntosPress,2019)"TheBirdBoys"waschosenasoneof2019's10bestcrimenovelsbyMarilynStasiooftheNewYorkTimes.I'mworkingonasequel,thethirdbookinaseries. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/05/books/review/crime-fiction-stasio-10-best.html KipStratton:Mybook,TheWildBunch:SamPeckinpah,aRevolutioninHollywood,andtheMakingofaLegendaryFilm,received2019nonfictionbookofyearhonorsintheLosAngelesPressClub'sNationalArts&EntertainmentJournalismAwardscontest.WinnerswereannouncedatabanquetheldinDecemberindowntownLosAngelesatthehistoricBiltmorehotelwherehonoreesincludedQuentinTarantino,DannyTrejo,TaranaBurke,BenMankiewicz,andAnn-Margret.IwascompletelyblownawaywhenIreceivednotificationthatI'dwon,justasIwaswhenIlearnedthatTheWildBunchwasa"TopPick"amongtheSouthwestBooksoftheYear.https://www.library.pima.gov/southwestbooks/ InadditiontojustlearningWildBunchwillsoonbetranslatedintoItalian,TheWildBunchhasbeennamedthewinneroftheRayandPatBrowneAwardfortheBestSingleWorkbyoneormoreAuthorsinPopularandAmericanCulturebythePopCultureAssociation.I'vebeeninvitedtoattendtheassociation'sAprilawardsbanquetinPhiladelphia,whereTerryGross,ofNPR'sFreshAir,willpresenttheawards. JeromeLoving:JackandNorman:AState-RaisedConvictandtheLegacyofNormanMailer’s“TheExecutioner’sSong,”(St.Martin’s,2017)isnowundercontractforcinematicdevelopmentbyVillageRoadshowEntertainment(VREG).

Page 5: Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ann-Margret. I was completely blown away when I received notification that I'd won, just

5

WesFerguson:waspromotedtosenioreditoratTexasMonthly. JoséE.Limón:wasoriginallyscheduledtodelivertheannualGarryL.NallLectureattheinvitationoftheCenterfortheStudyoftheAmericanWestatWestTexasA&MUniversityinCanyon,TXonOctober24,2019.Isay"wasoriginally"becauseonthatOctoberdayCanyonandtheWestTexasareaexperiencedasnowandicestorm(!)andthelecturehadtobecancelled.Thetitleofthelectureis“FromtheStreetsofLaredotothePaloDuroCanyonandOtherTexasStories,”andithasbeenrescheduledforApril23,2020.MylectureisbasedinpartontwounpublishedfilmtreatmentsthatLarryMcMurtrywroteasearlyversionsofLonesomeDove,andthatarearchivedrespectivelyintheWittliffCollectionatTexasStateUniversityandattheUniversityofHoustonSpecialCollections. MichaelMewshaw:mostrecentbook,TheLostPrince:ASearchforPatConroy,hasbeenlonglistedforthe2020PenBiographyAward. MaryRogers:Mybook,BarbaraJordan,AnAmericanHero,hasbeenoptionedbySearchlightforafilmstaringViolaDavisasJordan.Davisisalsooneoftheproducersforthefilm.Pulitzer-Prize-winningplaywrightLynnNottageiswritingthescreenplayandhasbeeninTexasrecentlytodosomebackgroundresearch. StevenG.Kellman: Asindicatedintheattachment,mylatestbook,NimbleTongues:StudiesinLiteraryTranslingualism,willbepublishedinFebruarybyPurdueUniversityPress. WendyBarker:My7thpoetrycollection,GLOSS,wasjustreleasedfromSaintJulianPress.ItreceivedagreatreviewinPublishersWeekly!OnJan.10weheldalaunchforthebookattheTwigBookshopinSanAntonio,alsofeaturingJoshuaRobbinsandJoReyes-Boitel,allintroducedbyNataliaTreviño.OnJan19,alaunchinAustinatMalvernBooksalongwithpoetsMichaelAnaniaandVanGarrett.Jan.26,IreadatPoetryFlashinOakland,CA,withSandraM.Gilbert.ThenonMarch26,I'llbeafeaturedpoetatthePiperCenteratArizonaStateUniversityinTempe,AZ.May31,readingwithAliciaOstrikeratParksideLounge,hostedbyGeorgeWallace.

Page 6: Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ann-Margret. I was completely blown away when I received notification that I'd won, just

6

NaomiShihabNye:SincelastJuly,NaomiShihabNyehasbeentheYoungPeople'sPoetLaureateoftheUnitedStates(PoetryFoundation)andtheeditorfortheNewYorkTimesSundaymagazinepoem.TheNationalBookCriticsCirclewillawardhertheIvanSandrofLifetimeAchievementAwardinNewYorkCityonMarch12(herbirthday)andhernewbookCastAway,justout,isabouttrashandrelatedtopics.Coverattached.Naomisays,“Iamgratefulforallthesethings.”

DavidLee:DavidLeepublishedhisbook(poetry)MineTailingswith5SistersPressandhisSugarHouseReview10thYearCelebrationchapbookTheAllegoryofPerfectionin2019. JoseA.Rodriguez:Mypoem"LaMigra"wasreprintedinTheNYTimesMagazineinNovember."Shelter"willbemysecondpoemfeaturedinTheNewYorkerthisyear. JerryCraven:TerryDalrymple,AndrewGeyer,andJerryCravenarecollaboratingonacollectionofflashfiction.EachstorywillconnectinsomewaywithgraphicartfromJerryCraven’sFebruary2020exhibitionsponsoredbytheEastTexasArtLeague,ashowtitled“MagicalRealism.”StorieswrittensofarincludeDalrymple’s“EgretAngel,”Geyer’s“TheNightwatch,”andCraven’s“ScottishQueenofSkye.”Whencompletedthebookwillconsistofekphrasticflashfiction,withthewritingaswellasthegraphicscontainingelementsofmagicalrealism.Thethreewritershopetocompletethecollectionbyearly2021.TheirmostrecentcollaborationisDancingonBarbedWire,ashortstorycyclesetinTexas(AngelinaRiverPress,2018).

Page 7: Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ann-Margret. I was completely blown away when I received notification that I'd won, just

7

JerryD.Thompson:Thompson'sWreckedLivesandLostSouls:JoeLynchDavisandthelastoftheOklahomaOutlawswasrecentlypublishedbytheUniversityofOklahomaPress.Thompson'seditedversionofHarwoodHinton'slonganticipatedbiographyofGen.JohnEllisWoolwillbepublishedinsummer2020,alsobytheUniversityofOklahomaPress.Beforepassingaway,Hintonworkedonthemanuscriptforoverfiftyyears.ThebookisentitledCourageAboveAllThings:GeneralJohnEllisWoolandtheAmericanMilitary,1812-1863.ThompsonalsohadaCivilWarjournalheedited,"'AChickenforBreakfastattheExpenseofMr.Rebel':TheJournalofSergeantNelsonHoward,CompanyE,13thMaineInfantryontheTexasCoast,1862-1864"intheJanuary2020issueoftheSouthwesternHistoricalQuarterly. JoeHolley:Afterafewweeks'hiatuswritingtheNativeTexancolumnfortheHoustonChroniclewhileIfinishedupmybookaboutSutherlandSprings,I'vestartedupagain.I'llbetravelingthehighwaysandbywaysasusual,lookingfortalestotell."SutherlandSprings:God,GunsandaSmallTexasTown,"publishedbyHachetteBooks,comesoutMarch17. BruceBond:Ihadtwobooksreleasedin2019:abookofprose,PluralityandthePoeticsofSelf(PalgraveMcMillan),andacollectionofpoems,WordsWrittenAgainsttheWallsoftheCity(LSU). PatrickCox:WewerefeaturedinWimberleyLivingMagazinethismonth-“DeepintheHeartofTexasHistory.”ThestorycoversmyhistoricalresearchandwritingalongwiththevolunteerandcivicworkthatmywifeBrendaandIdointhecommunity.WewereveryhonoredtobeselectedforthisstorybyAshleyBrown.WearealsoorganizingtheWimberleyAreaWritersgroup.Wehavemanytalentedpeopleinourcommunitywhopublishfiction,nonfiction,poetry,screenwriting,technicalandmanyotherareas.Wewanttorevealthebeauty,compassion,joysandsorrows,andthesoulofourareawriters.ThankstotheinspirationofTILforstimulatingtheideaforalocalorganizationofWimberleyAreaWriters.

Page 8: Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ann-Margret. I was completely blown away when I received notification that I'd won, just

8

AnnMcCutchan:Ihaveapieceofnews.Myopera(aslibrettist)Purewater,writtenwithcomposerAndrewRudin,willbeproducedbytheCenterforContemporaryOperaattheNationalOperaCenterinNewYork,June4.ItisadaptedfromAndréGide's1919novellaLaSymphoniePastoraleandsetinNebraska,duringtheDustBowlperiod. GeraldDuff:TCUPresswillbepublishingmynovelMemphisBluffinMay2020. SergioTroncoso:Hisnewbookoflinkedshortstoriesonimmigration,APeculiarKindofImmigrant'sSon(CincoPuntosPress)wasselectedBestofTexas2019byLoneStarLiteraryLife,whichhailedthebookas"anoutstandingcollectionofconnectedshortstoriesuniquelyreflectinglifealongthetroubledTexas-Mexicoborder."TheAustinPublicLibraryandtheMcAllenPublicLibraryalsochosethebookfortheirRecommendedList.TexasMonthlyrecentlyincludedTroncoso'searliernovel,FromThisWickedPatchofDust,inthearticle,"ReinventingtheCanon:WhyIt’sMoreImportantThanEvertoReadLatinxLiterature."Heisalsotheeditorofanewanthology,NepantlaFamilias:AMexican-AmericanAnthologyofLiteratureonFamiliesinbetweenWorlds,forthcomingfromTexasA&MPressin2021.InJune,hewillbeteachingaWork-In-ProgressintensiveworkshopfortheYaleWriters'Workshop.Pleasevisithiswebsite,www.SergioTroncoso.com,formorenewsandappearances.

ChipDameron:LastNovember,ChipDameronreadfromhisbookofDobiepoemsattwoevents:DobieDichosatthehistoricOakvillejailhouse,andthecelebrationofStevenDavis’slatestbook,TheEssentialJ.FrankDobie,atTexasStateUniversity.ChiphasalsobegunservingaspresidentoftheboardofdirectorsoftheWriters’LeagueofTexas.

Page 9: Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ann-Margret. I was completely blown away when I received notification that I'd won, just

9

HughAynesworth:IhavebeenheavilyinvolvedintwoNetflixdocumentaries(oneinFebruary,theotherinDecember2019)...storiesinwhichIplayedamajorpartininterviewingtwofamous(infamous?)killers.Thefirstwasthestory--withnumerousnewdisclosures--ofTedBundy. ThesecondNetflixproduction--whichdebutedinearlyDecemberof2019--toldthestoryofHenryLeeLucas.PresentlyIamwritingabookaboutacoupledozennoteworthystoriesIhavedonesinceIgotintojournalismin1950.TheseincludetheJFKassassinationanditsaftermath,Chappaquidick,theassassinationofMartinLutherKing,theOklahomaCitybombing,theBranchDavidianhorrorinWaco,thestrangedeathofHowardHughesinMexico,thePennsylvaniacongressmanwhohadtwowives(atsametime),thecrimesofBillieSolEstes,meetingwithFidelCastroinCuba,helpingnegotiatethereleaseofseveralkidnappedTexasoilmeninEritreaandtravelingtoVietNamwithRossPerot. NormaCantu:IamnowthePresidentoftheAmericanFolkloreSociety.Icontinuetotraveltoreadingsfrommyrecentlypublishedbooks:Cabañuelas,aNovelandMeditacionFronteriza,PoemsofLove,Life,andLabor.InJanuary,UniversityofTexasPresspublishedmeXicanaFashion:Politics,Self-Adornment,andIdentitythatIco-editedwithAídaHurtado. PaulH.Carlson:PaulCarlsonwithClintChambersrecentlypublishedComancheJackStilwell:ArmyScoutandPlainsmanwiththeUniversityofOklahomaPress.Hismanuscript“HistoricTalesoftheLlanoEstacado,”his25thbook,willbepublishedlaterthisyear. RodDavis:RodDavis’snewnovel,EastofTexas,WestofHell,isforthcominginthespringfromNewSouthBooks.Itisasequeltothecritically-acclaimedSouth,America,featuringex-DallasTVreporterJackPrineonacontinuingnoirjourneyofrescueandrevengebywayofviolenceandbetrayalfromSavannahtotheHighPlains. RobertFlynn:RobertLopezFlynnwasoutofsyncatPechaKucha. RobertLopezFlynn:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L-aTf3TEFo. MarquisWho'sWho,theworld'spremierpublisherofbiographicalprofiles,isproudtopresentedRobertLopezFlynnwiththeAlbertNelsonMarquisLifetimeAchievementAward.Anaccomplishedlistee,Mr.Flynncelebratesmanyyears'experienceinhisprofessionalnetwork,andhasbeennotedforachievements,leadershipqualities,andthecredentialsandsuccesseshehasaccruedinhisfield.AsinallMarquisWho'sWhobiographicalvolumes,individualsprofiledareselectedonthebasisofcurrentreferencevalue.Factorssuchasposition,noteworthyaccomplishments,visibility,andprominenceinafieldarealltakenintoaccountduringtheselectionprocess.InrecognitionofoutstandingcontributionstohisprofessionandtheMarquisWho'sWhocommunity,Mr.FlynnhasbeenfeaturedontheAlbertNelsonMarquisLifetimeAchievementwebsite.Formoreinformation,www.ltachievers.com

BettyAdcock:BettyAdcock,whose7thbookofpoems,RoughFugue,waspublishedbyLSUPressin2018,isthefeaturedpoetintherecentBirminghamPoetryReview,oneofthefewjournals-on-paper. AnessayonAdcock'sworkbySusannahMinst,ProfessoratSkidmore;aninterviewwithBetty,andeightnewAdcockpoemsappearinthespring2020BPR. StephenMichaud:-Firstpublished37yearsago,TheOnlyLivingWitness,theTedBundystorywrittenbyTILmembersStephenG.MichaudandHughAynesworth,hascomebacktolifeasanewly-releasedpaperbackintheUnitedKingdom.Meantime,Aynesworthappearsasanexpertsourceonthe HenryLeeLucasdocumentary,"TheConfessionKiller,”nowairingonNetflix.

Page 10: Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ann-Margret. I was completely blown away when I received notification that I'd won, just

10

RonRozelle:Iamtheauthoroftenbooksoffictionandnonfiction,withanothergoingthroughedits.MyfirstwasIntoThatGoodNight,amemoirpublishedin1998byFarrar,Straus,Giroux,andthemostrecentisExiled:TheLastDaysofSamHouston,fromTexasA&MPress.In2017Iretiredafteraforty-yearteachingcareerandnowwrite,readsubmittedmanuscriptsforseveraluniversitypresses,conductwritingworkshops,andeditaBrazoriacountymagazinetitledImage.MywifeKaren,alsoaretiredteacher,andIrecentlymovedfromLakeJacksontoPearland,whereweareclosertoourgrandchildrenandlivewithtwoelderlyopinionatedcats. NanCuba:A featured journalist in the Netflix docuseries about Henry Lee Lucas called The Confession Killer. She and a psychologist used Lucas as a case study to report on the origins of extraordinary violence. Her next novel is a tragicomedy about that experience.

CaryClack:InDecember,afteran8-yearabsence,CaryClackreturnedtotheSanAntonioExpress-NewsascolumnistandmemberoftheEditorialBoard.BesidesaSundaycolumn,hewritesthreeunsignededitorialseachweek.Hisfirsttimearound,hewaswiththenewspaperfrom1995-2011.

LauraWilson:LauraWilson'scelebratedbook,WattMatthewsofLambshead,wasprintedforasixthtimethisfall.Herexhibition,ThatDay:PicturesintheAmericanWest,hasbeenonexhibitionrecentlyattheLongviewMuseumofFineArtsinLongview,Texas,TheR.W.NortonArtGallery,inShreveport,Louisiana,andTheTylerMuseumofArtinTyler,Texas.Additionally,shehasanexhibition,LauraWilson:LookingWest,attheNationalCowgirlHallofFameinFortWorth,Texas,whereshewasinductedasamemberinNovember2019.ThisexhibitionwilltraveltotheRedandWhiteGalleryinFayetteville,TexasinApril.Laurawillbehonoredwiththe11thannualLiteratiAwardattheTablesofContentfundraiserforFriendsofSMULibrariesinMarch2020.

Page 11: Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ann-Margret. I was completely blown away when I received notification that I'd won, just

11

GeneFowler:DeployedahighlytechnicalgraphicaidsinhispresentationontheborderradiostationsattheBriscoeWesternArtMuseuminSanAntoniothispastSeptember.OnMay1,Genewillpontificateabouthearing-it-on-the-outlaw-xattheWitteMuseum'sConferenceonTexas.

SandraCisneros:GaumontFilmCompanyandSandraCisneroshavepartneredtodeveloptheclassicnovelTheHouseonMangoStreetfortelevision.Thebookhasbeenabestsellerfor30years,translatedintomorethan25languagesandservingasrequiredreadingatallacademiclevels.Despitemultipleoffersthroughouttheyears,thisisthefirsttimeCisneroshasagreedtobringthebooktothescreen.SheexplainedthatthecurrentpoliticallandscapeanddiscussionsurroundingimmigrationandLatinosintheUnitedStatesmakestheneedfordiversestoriesurgentandnecessary.CisneroswillworkdirectlywithGaumonttomakethisprojecthappen,servingasanExecutiveProducer.GaumontisknownforsuchshowsasNetflix'sNarcosandFIsforFamily. CarolReposa: Themostrecentcollectionof2018TexasPoetLaureateCarolCoffeeReposaisNewandSelectedPoems(TCUPress),butshe'salsopluggingawayatasixthmanuscript,SailingWest,andhasindividualpoemsinWordsinConcert,WritingTexas,TheSanAntonioExpress-News,ThroughLayeredLimestone,andTheLargerGeometry.LastSeptembershedeliveredthekeynoteaddressatthe2019meetingofTheTexasAssociationofCreativeWritingTeachers,givingadditionalreadingsandpresentationsduringtheensuingmonthsattheLangdonWeekend,TexasA&M--CorpusChristi,WomenWritingtheWest,SanAntonio'sOakwell-TobinLibrary,andtheworldpremiereofSA24:TwoDozenSongsfromNow.Evertheoptimist,shecontinuestobelievethatinhernextlifeshewillownacomfortablebeachfronthomewithawrap-aroundporchsomewhereonPadreIsland,whereshewillfollowOtisRedding'sexampleandspendhourswatchingthetiderollin.

Page 12: Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ann-Margret. I was completely blown away when I received notification that I'd won, just

12

KarlaK.Morton:AnnouncesthatherforthcomingpoetrybookabouttheNationalParks co-authoredbyfellowTexasPoetLaureateAlanBirkelbach,"WordsofPreservation:ThePoeticJourneyThroughtheNationalParks"willbereleasedFall2020,(TCUPress)withthereleasepartytobeatBigBendNationalParkonNovember14,2020.Whileontheroad,MortonandBirkelbachwritelyrics,andsingerMichaelMartinMurpheyiscreatinganalbumoftheirsongsandwillperformatthereleasepartyaswell.Thisisthefirstbookofitskind:neverhavealltheNationalParksbeenrepresentedinabookofpoetry!Thetwospentthreeandone-halfyearsvisitingall62NationalParks-writingpoetryandtakingphotos,andapercentageofthesalesfromthishistoricforthcomingbookwillgobacktotheNationalParksystem. WilliamJackSibley:“Youarenotrequiredtosetyourselfonfiretokeepotherpeoplewarm-Anon.”Today’scomfortingthoughtasIassumetheroleofTILSecretary.Mistakeswillbemade!Onanothernote,asco-founderandemceeofDOBIEDICHOS,ournumber9yearhappenedbackinNovember.AnallTILbevyofnotednotablescameandspoke-SteveDavis,SergioTroncoso,SarahBird,ChipDameron,CelesteWalker.Agreat,greatevening.NextDDlift-off-Friday,November6,2020.ActressDianeLaddhasre-optionedmyscreenplay,RELATIVETRUTH,andI’malmost(almost)finishedwithmythirdnovel,HEREWEGOLOOPDELOOP–muchadoaboutacowboy,anheiress,herbrother’shusbandandabadass79MercuryMontego. CarmenTafolla:hasjustfinishedco-editingaforthcominganthology,PuroChicanx:Writersinthe21stCentury(Cutthroat,2020.)She’llbepresentingattheNationalAWPConferenceinSanAntoniointwodifferentpresentations,oneofwhichisfreetothepublicattheLilaCockrellTheaterdowntownSaturdayMarch7that8:30p.m.SanAntoniohasjustunveiledthenation’sfirstwall-hungsolarmural,andCarmen’slinesofpoetryarepartofthemural.FeaturedonthefrontcoverofAuthenticTexasMagazine,sheisscheduledtopresentinAlabama;SanMarcos;theBlueHole;India;andKathmandu,Nepal.Andguesswho’sfeaturedinSanAntonio’sFiestaFlambeauParadethisyear,themed“LiteraryClassics”,ontheUTSAFloat“SonnetsandSalsa”?

Page 13: Prepared by TIL Secretary ... · Tarantino, Danny Trejo, Tarana Burke, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ann-Margret. I was completely blown away when I received notification that I'd won, just

13

TexasInstituteofLettersOfficers

President,CarmenTafolla,SanAntonio

VicePresident,SergioTroncoso,ElPaso

Secretary,WilliamJ.Sibley,SanAntonio

Treasurer,W.K.(Kip)Stratton,Austin

RecordingSecretary,KurtHeinzelman,Austin

CouncilMembers

DavidBowles,RioGrandeValley,firsttermends2020

CaryClack,SanAntonio,secondtermends2021

MarciaHatfieldDaudistel,ElPaso,firsttermends2021

BenFountain,Dallas,firsttermends2021

LynnHoggard,WichitaFalls,firsttermends2020

KathrynJones,WalnutSprings,firsttermends2020

DianaLopez,Victoria,secondtermendsApril2020

CelesteBedfordWalker,Houston,firsttermends2020