Reviving the Broadside
Barnes & Noble’s Dave Hamrick is on a one-man mission to revive the lost art of the broadside. His latest creation benefits the Texas Book Festival and is a tribute to Horton Foote, who will be honored for lifetime achievement with the Texas Book Festival Bookend Award during a program to be aired on KLRU at 8pm on Thursday, November 4. Hallie Foote, Shelley Duval, Robert Duval, Tess Harper, Lyle Lovett, and Frederic Forrest will be part of the program. Foote will give a reading on Saturday, November 6 from 10:30-11:30am in the House Chamber.
Foote chose a brief passage from The Day Emily Married to be printed on the broadside. Since you can’t detect what the passage is about in the image above, here it is: “What’s to happen to our house, Lee, when I’m gone? If Emily’s not here to live in it, what will happen? This house was built to last forever. My great grandfather built this house and he got the best bricks and lumber for miles around to put in here, because he said this was to last forever. His name was Robedaux and he was in some kind of terrible trouble back in Virginia and he had to take his slaves and his wife and children, and move here. And when he came, he looked around and he was very satisfied and he said, we’re home, we can rest now. This is to be our home forever, and our children’s home, and their children’s children. Our wanderings are over. But he was so wrong, Lee. This was a place of rest to you and me. But Emily’s wanderings are just beginning … ”
It’s probably also difficult to tell from this image of the broadside that it is signed by Foote. One hundred fifty broadsides were made; they will sell for $50 at Barnes & Noble’s booth at the festival (look for the tents on Colorado Street between 11th and 14th streets).
Austin’s Literary Landmark
On Friday, November 5, the O. Henry House and Museum (409 E. Fifth) will be recognized as a National Literary Landmark, with a dedicaton ceremony beginning at noon with Texas First Lady Laura Bush. Elmer Kelton will read from a recently reprinted edition of O. Henry’s letters, Letters to Lithopolis From O. Henry to Mabel Wagnalls. Waterloo Brewing Company will provide “refreshments,” and the Austin Banjo Society will be performing.
Poetry on the Plaza
This month’s Poetry on the Plaza pays tribute to Veterans Day with readings of poems from WWI. The reading is scheduled for Wednesday, November 10 at noon on the plaza directly in front of the Ransom Center. Featured authors include Robert Graves, Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brooke, and Edmund Blunden. Their works will be read by Robert Abzug, UT professor of history and American studies, and Alan Waldock, an Austin actor.
This article appears in November 5 • 1999.