A group of Austin poets has been busy putting together a mini poetry festival; it’s a weekend-long “poetry forum” at the International Festival-Institute at Round Top, a beautiful 200-acre place southeast of Austin. The First Annual Forum in Poetry and Literature will take place April 13-14 with poets Edward Hirsch, Wendy Barker, Cyrus Cassells, Carol Potter, Marlys West, Bruce Snider, W. Joe Hoppe, and Jack Brannon, among others, giving readings, conducting workshops, and performing music. Pre-registration is required; contact the Festival-Institute at 979/249-3129, visit www.festivalhill.org, or e-mail jolenew@festivalhill.org for more information… The Writers’ League of Texas is putting on its Agents! Agents! Agents! and Editors Too conference July 19-21, but entries to its novel manuscript contest are due by May 1. Winners will receive a one-on-one meeting with an agent or editor who has read their work. You can submit the first 20 pages of a manuscript in the categories of romance; mystery/thriller/action-adventure; mainstream; or sci-fi/fantasy/horror. Manuscript must be original, unpublished, and not currently accepted for publication. See www.writersleague.org for all the submission requirements or call 499-8914.
This article appears in March 29 • 2002.