The Texas Book Festival may be the cornerstone event of the Austin literary scene, but it’s hardly the last gig in town. Check out these headlines, fresh from the shelves.
• There’s a new book on shelves today that’s a collaboration between Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams. But S. is not a conventional book: “Tucked among the pages, readers will find handwritten letters and notes, a college newspaper clipping, a purple mimeographed telegram, photocopied book pages, postcards, an old photograph, a map scrawled on a coffee shop napkin, and even a throwback decoder ring,” Logan Hill explained in The New York Times. We haven’t gotten to see a copy just yet, but we’re impossibly excited to get our hands on one and start digging.
• The 30th annual Austin Jewish Book Fair kicked off this past weekend with an event presented in partnership with the Texas Book Festival: a conversation with Highs in the Low Fifties author (and Chronicle alumna) Marion Winik. Over the course of the next month, the Jewish Community Center will host an additional half-dozen events, including such authors as David Ebenbach, Daniel Bergner, and Dara Horn. Visit the JCC website for complete event details.
• In less than two weeks, Texas-born poet Joshua Edwards begins his 700-mile trek – by foot – from Galveston Island to Galveston Street in Marfa, where he and his wife plan to build a house. He’s wrapping up a book and a photography project along the way, and he’ll stop at Malvern Books (613 W. 29th) on Friday, Nov. 22, for a reading. Follow his journey at www.architecturefortravelers.org.
Got tips? Email books@austinchronicle.com.
This article appears in October 25 • 2013.