Ever since the local Borders Books and Music began posting profits beyond expectation, rumors have surfaced that the corporation’s executives would be interested in a piece of the highly visible Sixth & Lamar area, which of course already houses Book People. Borders CEO Rich Flanagan and other top company executives were in town several weeks ago scouting locations, which may be one reason the local bookstore bidness buzz – and let me stress that this is still just “buzz,” since press releases don’t come out about this sort of thing until everyone in the known universe is singing it from the mountaintops – has recently increased its hum to an audible murmur. Jody Kohn, director of PR for Borders, says that no new Borders locations are planned in Austin or anywhere in Texas in the near future. Kohn states that 40 new Borders are scheduled to open this year across the nation, with leases already signed on 27 of those stores. Asked if negotiations have already begun on a potential sale, Dan Finn, who is general manager of the local Borders, says that he has “no knowledge of any such deal,” but that Borders “is determined to get another location in town,” and is “looking at several options” and isn’t focused on one specific location. As Finn says, “With the success of this store, I’d like to see it [another location open] in 1998, although what I like has nothing to do with it.”…
It’s now official that Barnes & Noble is the sponsor of the Violet Crown Awards, sponsored since inception of the Awards in 1990 by the University Co-op. What are the effects of the sponsor change? Barnes & Noble hopes to put their muscle behind helping the Austin Writers’ League publicize the finalists; they’ll do this in part by holding an event in September at the Westlake store where winners will be announced (traditionally, winners have been announced at a banquet at the Four Seasons). Categories have slightly changed this year to fiction, nonfiction, and literary fiction or poetry, whereas that last category used to be called simply “literary.” Deadline for submission is June 30 for books by AWL members published between August 1, 1997 and June 30, 1998…
Last minute Marion news: Literary bands Who-Do and the Bitter Herbs will perform beginning 9:30pm April 10 at the Continental Club at a release party for Winik’s new book. But before those bands take the stage, expect to see the Wild Monkeys, which features Winik’s son Vince on guitar.
First Words
The Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art (formerly the Huntington Art Gallery), 21st & Guadalupe, will host a public reading, First Words: A Reading by the Postgraduate Fellows of the Michener Center, on Thursday, April 16, 7pm. Fellows scheduled to read include Richard Ehrstin, Robert Ford, Allison Wait, John Walch, Natasha Waxman, and Marlys West.
Benefit Borderlands
Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review is now, in its sixth year, under the auspices of the Austin Writers’ League, and is seeking additions to its volunteer staff. It publishes “outwardly focused poetry (poems which acknowledge political, social, historical, cultural, and environmental relationships).” Borderlands tries to balance its volunteer staff between academically trained poets and popular/performance poets and is especially looking for those experienced or interested in distribution, production, promotions, or grant writing. Send r�sum� and a letter of interest to: Borderlands, c/o AWL, 1501 W. Fifth, Ste. E-2, Austin, TX, 78703.
This article appears in April 10 • 1998 and April 10 • 1998 (Cover).