Postscripts

by Claiborne Smith

In the Works

Nothing is set in stone yet, but it seems highly likely that by November, a radio series called Bookmark, which will feature authors reading for about three minutes from their own works, will be on the listening horizon with production headquarters here in Austin. KUT, at least, has agreed to air "20 or more" installments of Bookmark, according to Ryan Britton, a producer at Block & Byrd Communications (the producers behind the Earth & Sky programs aired every morning during KUT's Eklektikos). Britton says the programs will feature national authors and will "sway toward contemporary literature," with a concentration in American authors. But since Britton's already thinking ahead to international syndication, it would appear that the editorial policy would be, if not wide open, at least wide-ranging. "The real key for the program is to offer a breadth of literature ... but we're not going to miss any of the classics," says Britton. He's assembled a board of seven, including Marvin Bell, a poet who teaches at the University of Iowa, Tom Grimes, Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, Dick Holland, Jim Magnuson, Anne Morris, and Jan Williams, the director of the Corpus Christi Literary Reading series, with Kay Catarulla of Dallas' Arts and Letters Live! series as a consultant. Bookmark will also feature actors reading various works of literature. EarthTalk Inc. is the 501 (c)3 established to help raise funding for the programs; the Texas Council for the Humanities has provided initial funding. No programs have been recorded as of yet.

Events

Alice Sunshine, an organizer with the National Writers Union, has been making the rounds of Texas this week, meeting writers in Dallas and Houston, and this Saturday she will meet with anyone interested in the basics of writers' contracts at the Austin Writers' League, 1501 W. Fifth, at 10am Saturday, September 19. After the workshop, which is co-hosted by the Writers' League and The Texas Observer, at 11:30 there will be a Meet the Union gathering to discuss issues facing writers and how the NWU approaches those issues...

The Chronicle's ex-food editor Robb Walsh's ex-wife's twin sister from Evanston, Ill, Wendy Goldman Rohm, will read from and sign The Microsoft File: The Secret Case Against Bill Gates, at Barnes & Noble Arboretum, Sunday, September 20, 2pm. Just out, Microsoft is already calling the book "another of the sad journalist mishaps that we've been seeing this summer." But Times Books, the book's publisher, has already ordered a second printing, even though the book's release date was as recent as September 8...

UT's Michener Center for Writers is bringing poet Anthony Hecht to Austin on Wednesday, September 23, 7:30pm in the fourth floor auditorium of the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, 21st & Guadalupe...

At the North American Poetry Jam Two, "the family reunion for performance poets," which takes place in Las Vegas September 21-24, Austin will be represented by the talents of Diane Fleming, Stazja McFadyn, Neil Meili, Thom the World Poet, and Sarah Butterfield Wynn. Thom and Sue Littleton, with Dr. Miriam Balboa de Echeverria, read from the poetry of Nicaraguan poet Ruben Dario, Thursday, September 24, 7pm, at Mexic-Arte Museum, 419 Congress...

Local author Rosetta Wills, the first woman and first debut author nominated for the Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award for her account of her father's life, The King of Western Swing: Bob Wills Remembered, will read from her book at Congress Avenue Booksellers on Saturday, September 19, 1pm, and then later that night, from 6-8pm, there will be an author's reception for Wills at Wild About Music, 721 Congress, with Cornell Hurd & Friends performing.