The Austin Writers’ League (AWL) is now taking registrations for spring
workshops and classes. Among the offerings: On April 5, author Elizabeth Moon
will teach “Transitions in Fiction” and Louis Sachar, author of the Wayside
School series, will teach “How to Become a Successful Children’s Book Author”;
frequent Austin Chronicle columnist and acclaimed author Marion Winik
will teach a full-day workshop on personal essay April 12; on April 19,
poet/author John Herndon will give a workshop on “Applied Poetics” and novelist
Bill Spencer will offer “Opening Chapter/Query Letter for the Novel”; on April
26, Lee Merrill Byrd, 1997 Dobie Piasano Fellow and past winner of the Texas
Institute of Letters Award for short fiction, will teach “Life to Fiction” and
novelist Gail Donohue Storey will feature “Sex, Humor, and the Soul”; and on
both April 19 and 26, novelist Ann McCutchan will teach a writing intensive,
“Celebrating the Senses.”
Classes beginning in April include “Short Fiction” by St. Edward’s writing
instructor Virginia Watkins; “Copy Editing and Proofreading” (basic and
advanced) by writer/editor Lana Castle; “Writing From Life” by author Susan
Wittig Albert; “Writing Haiku” by poet Nancy Taylor Day; “Interviewing and
Developing Sources” by investigative reporter Bruce Selcraig; and
“Characterization and Plot Development” by novelist Frederic Bean.
Most classes and workshops are at the AWL Library/Resource Center, 1501 W.
Fifth St., Suite E-2. For more information, call 499-8914.
Penny Pinching
Austinite James Steamer will be signing copies of his new book, Wealth onMinimum Wage, at Borders at 7pm, Friday, Apr. 4, and Book People at 7pm,
Wednesday, Apr. 9. According to The Wall Street Journal, “Mr. Steamer
and his wife have accumulated $230,000 in investments and home equity…
and
their combined average income has been less than $20,000.” Steamer claims that
he and his wife have managed to purchase a home and two cars and have produced
a long-term investment plan to cover their children’s expenses and their own
retirement without carrying any debt.
Texas Bound
For the fourth year in a row, Austin short story writer Tom Doyal has beeninvited to participate in the Texas Bound program of the annual Arts &
Letters Live series at the Dallas Museum of Art. Doyal’s “Suppressing the Grief
Response” will be read by Dallas actor Katherine Owens at 6:30 and 8:30pm on
April 7 in the museum’s auditorium. Doyal’s story won second prize in The
Austin Chronicle‘s 1993 short story contest. For tickets, call 214/922-1219
or 214/922-1220.
Events
* THU, MAR 27: The UT Center for Mexican American Studies and The TexasObserver will host a reading by poet/journalist Rosemary Catacalos on the
UT campus at the Texas Union Sinclair Suite, Room 3.128, noon-1pm. Call
471-2136…
Harriet Rochlin, author of Pioneer Jews and The
Reformer’s Apprentice, will present her slide show, “In a Rush: Jewish
Women in the Early West,” at Book People at noon…
The Women’s Way Literary
Festival will take place at Book People at 7pm with readings from Plain View
Press writers and others, including Margo LaGattuta, Susan Bright, Jill
Wiggins, Ana Sisnet, Lauren Hawkins Grevel, Arlene Jackson, Eve LaSalle Caram,
Tammy Gomez, Cindy Huyser, Valerie Bridgeman Davis, and Lana Book.
* FRI, MAR 28: Contributors to Wind Eyes — A Woman’s Reader and Writing Source
will discuss their work at Book People at 7pm. The event, honoring Women’s
History Month, will include Susan Bright, Marty Burnet, Carol Cullar, and Margo
LaGattuta.
* SAT, MAR 29: Rob Thomas, who has taught high school journalism for over five
years and advised the UT student magazine UTmost, will read from his new
book, Slave Day, at Book People at 5pm. Thomas is the author of Rats Saw
God.
* MON, MAR 31: Dancer, choreographer, and author Bill T. Jones will come to
Book People at 7pm to sign copies of his book, Last Night on Earth.
* THU, APR 3: UC-San Diego history professor David G. Guti�rrez,
author of Walls and Mirrors: Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants, and the
Politics of Ethnicity will give a lecture titled “Immigration, Ethnic
Activism, and the `Nation’: The Changing Meaning of Citizenship Since World War
II” at Bass Lecture Hall on the UT campus at 7pm. The event is free and open to
the public. Call 471-2136 or 471-4557.
Book news for “Post Scripts” must be received at least one week
before the issue date. Mail to The Austin Chronicle, PO Box 49066,
Austin, TX 78765; fax 458-6910; or e-mail to
lnichols@auschron.com.
This article appears in March 28 • 1997 and March 28 • 1997 (Cover).