Postscripts

Much to report this week in Austin's book world, but first the news...The summer edition of Nova Express, a locally based SF fanzine, acknowledges that their "Shameless Politicking" paid off in bagging a Hugo nomination for Best Fanzine. Other nominees, who Nova good-naturedly calls the "loyal opposition," include Ansible, File 770, Mimosa, and Tangent. Nominees will hear news of the winner at the end of the month at LoneStarCon2, the WorldCon 1997, in San Antonio... The Austin Writers' League headlines their August newsletter Austin Writer with the news that Barbara Thomas, who opened Toad Hall Children's Bookstore here in Austin in 1978, is now in her second term as president of the American Booksellers Association. To hear the article tell it, she's busy fighting "disturbing trends" in book publishing and retailing, being especially concerned about the maintenance of fair industry practices and the defense of free speech. AWL is also trying to get the word out about their job bank, which lists freelance assignments and a limited number of potential jobs. They are encouraging employers to post job openings at the bank, accessible at the AWL office. While the bank is open to the public, the League keeps a resumé file that is a privilege of membership in AWL. If you are a member and want to keep your current resumé on file, contact AWL before October 1. New resumés may be submitted at any time. Call 499-8914 for more info... Ramiro Burr, San Antonio Express-News music reporter, has signed a contract with Billboard Books to produce the first reference guide to Tejano music, to also cover conjunto, norteno, and other regional forms... Austin literary firm Phenix & Phenix is growing and has recently added two new staff members.

Local Rays

Go out this week and soak up the rays from our bounteous cornucopia of radiant local authors reading and signing their works... First up is Ana Sisnett, local activist and spoken word artist who, having grown up in Paraíso in Panama, was inspired by her relationship with her grandmother and the oral traditions of the African diaspora to write Grannie Jus' Come, the tale of a young girl's excitement at the arrival of her grandmother's weekly visit. Sisnett will be at BookPeople on Saturday, August 9 at 2pm... Michael Freeman was one of the first American spies to trek deep behind Japanese lines in WWII as an officer in the Office of Naval Intelligence. He's documented that experience in Behind Enemy Lines, the first book to publish photographs from this recently declassified mission. He'll be at BookPeople on Thursday, Aug.14 at 7pm discussing the book and mission... Local biz wiz Jason Dorsey has written Graduate to Your Perfect Job in 6 Easy Steps. There's an interesting tale behind the publication of this book that I don't have room to go into here, but suffice it to say that what Dorsey wants done, he gets done. His next book, Graduate to Your Perfect College, should come out sometime early next year. He'll be at Barnes & Noble Arboretum on Saturday, Aug.16 at 3pm... Mark Wisniewski is a San Antonio native who now teaches at CUNY and has recently had his Confessions of a Polish Used Car Salesman published by Hi Jinx Press. One of the novel's first lines states, "My grandfather spoke nine words a day but had a twitch that got his point across," which may give you an idea of the kind of humor threaded throughout this well-regarded first novel. He'll be at Barnes & Noble Westlake on Wednesday, Aug.13th at 7pm.

Pajama Party

If I had a young alter ego or perhaps an invisible friend, I'd send him to Barnes & Noble Westlake on Friday, August 8 at 7pm for their Children's Storytime Pajama Party, which does indeed call for pajama attire and promises a read from Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber and a listen to the new CD On a Starry Night, a collection of international lullabies. The store usually attracts about 35 kids for their children's events, so get there early!

Elvis Site(ing)

Access Barnes & Noble's online auditorium at http://www.barnesandnoble.com on Aug.10, 5pm CST, for a chat with William McCranor Henderson, the author of three books about Elvis but most recently I, Elvis, the account of this NC State professor's trip through Elvis impersonation land. I spoke with Henderson the other day to ask him what Elvis would have thought of the Internet, to which he replied: "He had obsessions. He liked gadgets," adding that Elvis probably would have had computers "all over Graceland." And on Monday, August 11 at 6pm CST, Steven Stark, NPR commentator and recent author of Glued to the Set, discusses that book, which analyzes TV's role in shaping your favorite culture and mine: American culture.