Postscripts

One of America's greatest literary figures, Alice Walker -- Pulitzer Prize winner for The Color Purple -- will read from and sign copies of her new book, Anything We Love Can Be Saved: A Writer's Activism, at the King Seabrook Chapel on the Huston-Tillotson campus, 6:45pm, Friday, May 2. Tickets are $30, $40, and $45, and proceeds will benefit Women's Access to Electronic Resources, OutYouth Austin, and the John Henry Reading Express. For more info, call either BookWoman or Folktales.

Texas Author Contest

The University of Texas is hosting the first annual John Graves Essay Contest, open to all writers who draw inspiration from the people and places of Texas, and which aims to foster the talents of Texas writers. UT Press has brought together important Texas literary figures to judge, including Rick Bass, Bob Compton, Betty Sue Flowers, Don Graham, Stephen Harrigan, James Hoggard, Larry L. King, Prudence Mackintosh, Anne Morris, Dave Oliphant, Carolyn Osborne, Judyth Rigler, Bud Shrake, Audrey N. Slate, Larry Swindell, John Trimble, Jane Roberts Wood, and Janis Woods Windle. The final winners will be selected by John Graves, with prizes of $500, $300, and $100 going to the top three winners. Call Keri North at 471-4032 for entry info. Deadline is May 30.

Hugo Nominations

The 1997 World Science Fiction Convention has announced its nominations for this year's Hugo Awards, science fiction's highest honor, and several Texans are among the nominees. Austin-based Nova Express is a finalist for Best Fanzine. Nova Express editor Lawrence Person is a professional science fiction writer whose work has appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, among other publications; publisher Dwight Brown wrote the afterword to Philip K. Dick's Gather Yourselves Together. Austin cyberpunk science fiction writer Bruce Sterling received nominations for Best Novel for Holy Fire (see "Immaculate Perception," The Austin Chronicle, Vol. 16, Issue 33) and Best Novelette for "Bicycle Repairman." Florence resident Elizabeth Moon also received a Best Novel nomination for Remnant Population. Previous Best Fan Artist winners Teddy Harvia and Brad Foster, both Texans, declined their nominations.

Holley Reception

New College Writers will be hosting a reception for Austin authors Joe and Tara Elgin Holley on Saturday, May 2, 7-9pm on the St. Edward's University campus, to celebrate the release of their book My Mother's Keeper. The reception will take place in the Maloney Room on the third floor of the St. Edward's main building. Their book tells the story of Tara's mother, Dawn Elgin, who had a promising career as a singer until she began suffering from paranoid acute schizophrenia, and details Tara's experiences in coping with her mother's illness. The book expands on an article written by Joe Holley in Texas Monthly in 1991.

Texas Writers Month

Borders will celebrate Texas Writers Month with a series of panel discussion events featuring Lone Star writers every Saturday afternoon in May at 3pm. On May 3, science fiction writers Michael Moorcock (Behold the Man) and Joe Lansdale (Mucho Mojo), presented by Mojo Press, will discuss their careers.

Mysteries & Austin

Marcia Muller will be at Mysteries & More to sign copies of The Broken Promise Land at 4pm on Sunday, May 4. The novel is from her Sharon McCone series, and features characters from Austin. This will be Muller's first appearance in Austin since 1991 -- organizers say that due to expected heavy attendance, autographing will be limited to three books.

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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 [email protected].