Beloved book review series returns, but space limited

 I'm glad to announce that the beloved Rejebian Series of book reviews returns this summer, even as its host facility, Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas undergoes significant renovations.

Rejebian is back, still free, but due to space limitations during construction, attendance will require advance online registration. 

Programs begin at 7 p.m. in the church's historic main sanctuary, with doors opening at 6 p.m. 

Dinner, as always, is optional, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Third Floor Confirmation Space, for $20 per person. Again, due to space limitations, dinner reservations are only available online. Phone reservations and payments at the will not be accepted. Please make dinner reservations by noon on the Friday prior to the speakers event.

Unfortunately, the announcement caught me by surprise, so the June 10, July 1, and July 29 speaker programs have already reached their seating limits. 

There's are still plenty of goodies:

• June 17: A Gentleman in Moscow, by Armor Towles, with reviewers Lisa Fairchild and Kim Titus
• June 24: Most Honorable Son: A Forgotten Hero's Fight Against Fascism and Hate During World War II, with author Gregg Jones
• July 8: The Gun Fighters: How Texas Made the West Wild, with author Bryan Burrough
• July 15: The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore, by Even Fries with reviewer Dana Harkey
• July 22: American Graffiti: Where Were You in '62, by George Lucas with reviewer Dave Tanner

Happy reading, happy listening!

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Sunny days of writing & reading -- plus a new writing contest

 School's out -- what you gonna do with the kids? Sleep all day, play video games all night? Seriously?

How about a writing camp? With apologies for my lateness, registration for the Dallas Writer's Garret summer writing camps ends today, May 29. If these are for you, contact the Garret promptly!

Here are the options:

Time Trekkers -- discovering Dallas history by traveling through the city and walking its walks, ultimately creating Camp Zine from student writing. Dates: June 8-12.

Rail Riders Summer Camp -- journalism in motions, via the DART light rail system, uncovering real stories at every stop, and creating a Dallas Beat news magazine from student writing. Dates: June 22-26.

Art Quest Summer Youth Writing Camp -- creativities combing visual art with writing, with field trips to area museums including the Dallas Museum of Art and the Amon Carter Museum. Dates: July 13-17 or August 3-7.

All camps are for ages 11-14, maximum of 15 campers for each. Cost: $450 for each camp. See the Garret site for additional information and registration.

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OK, maybe you want something free, with options for all ages? How about the Dallas Public Library's Science, Math, Art, Reading and Technology (SMART) Summer program, starting this Saturday, May 30, at multiple sites.

The free, 10-week program is aimed at encouraging Dallas residents of all ages to continue reading during the summer. Readers -- even adults -- enrolled in the program can even earn free books.

See the library site for more information, and sign up at dallaslibrary.beanstalk.org or at the Beanstalk app.

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For Richardson, Texas, residents entering grades 5-9, there's still time to sign up for the (also free) Richardson Public Library Young Authors program. Participants must be city residents with Richardson Public Library cards. (Not sure not to get a card? Ask a librarian -- they love to help!)

Registration runs through June 9, with classes through August 4.

With the help of guest speakers, including children's book author Nancy Churnin, participants will learn to write and illustrate their own picture books. They'll get one glossy, hardbound copy to keep, while a second goes into the library's permanent collection. Imagine seeing your own book on a library shelf!

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And now, for some contests. I didn't find any age limits on these, so why not encourage some of your teen writers to take a bite?

Image from Pixabay

First, the for-pay one. 

Now through July 10: Enter the Writers' League of Texas manuscript contest. This is separate from the WLT's conference. See the site for details and submission requirements. You don't need a completed manuscript, only the first 10 pages plus a synopsis. Winners in a number of fiction, nonfiction (including memoir) and children's writing categories will meet virtually with a top literary agent -- the final judge in their category -- via Zoom. All contestants, winners or not, can opt to receive a written critique from an experienced editor.

Cost: $65 for WLT members/$85 for nonmembers, which includes the critique. Or opt out of the critique and pay $25 for WLT members, $35 for nonmembers.

See the site for details.

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And/or, if you want a contest with no entry fees (who doesn't?) take a look at the Dallas Mystery Writers updated memorial scholarship contest.

• No entry fee! And open to all fiction genres
• Entries can be submitted electronically. (I'm not sure how else you would submit them, unless you show up at a DMW meeting -- held the first Saturday of each month) to hand them over. Which could be a great start!)
• Entrants must be on the Dallas Mystery Writers mailing list. There's no charge to join the list. See the group's tech bro, James, for information.
  
• Entrants cannot be traditionally or self-published in any form of fiction for the public in the past year.
• Entrants must submit a sample of their writing, between 1000-1500 words, along with a bio of not more than 300 words which includes their writing goals.
• Deadline for entries is September 5, 2026.
• Entries must be on a double-spaced manuscript with 1-inch margins, in Times New Roman font, 12-point only, in WORD (.docx) format
• Email entries to sandysteenwrites@gmail.com
• All entries will be judged by DMW

The winner will receive a paid in full registration for the DFW Writers Conference, with a value up to $500. The scholarship will be awarded in time for the conference, October 3-4, 2026.

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Want more literary events? I like Lone Star Literary Life for its state-wide lists. Plus, still to come at this site: fall events including ArmadilloCon, the Dallas Hay Festival Forum, the Archer City Traditional Workshop (held in the hometown of great Texas writer Larry McMurtry) and the DFW Writers Conference, among others.

Spring into summer with Texas literary events

 April showers bring out literary events in Texas! Here's a sampling of upcoming ones:

April 25: Oak Cliff Book Crawl -- one day, six bookstores, plus music, food, drinks and community. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Participating bookstores: Whose Books, Pan-African Connection, Blush Bookstore, Poets Books, The Wild Detectives, and Lucky Dog Books.

No charge except to buy books, eats and drinks. Parking is limited, so consider walking, bike riding, or using a ride share if you're out of the area. All stores are located at or near the Bishop Arts area in the Dallas Oak Cliff neighborhood, although Pan-African Connection, one of the oldest Black-owned bookstores in the area, does require a short drive. Organizers recommend using it as your starting or ending point.

Please note, the parking lot at Whose Books will be used for vendors and outdoor festivities.

Check individual store websites for more information. And yes, feel free to stop by any of the other Bishop Arts restaurants and shops!

May 6-9: Dallas Is Lit!, A project of the Dallas Writers Garret, has everything from slam poets to literary organizations, to local bookstores. Located (where else!) in the Dallas Bishop Arts district, it offers activities for a variety of ages and interests. See the site for specific programs, venues, and ticket purchases.

May 26-August 4: The Young Authors program returns to the Richardson Public Library for students entering grades 5-9. This one's just for residents of Richardson, Texas, but it's one of my favorites. Free, but participants must be Richardson residents with Richardson Public Library cards. Registration runs from May 26 to June 9, with classes running through August 4. 

With the help of guest speakers, including children's book author Nancy Churnin, participants will learn to write and illustrate their own picture books. They'll get one glossy, hard bound copy to keep, while a second goes into the library's permanent collection. All for free!

To register, call 972-744-4358 or visit the Youth Services Help Desk at the library. Librarians can also help with library cards for eligible students who don't already have one. For more information, visit the library website at  www.cor.net/Library

June 11-13: Reading to find writing inspiration in the local that inspired a Texan to invent one of fiction's most iconic characters? That would be Conan the Barbarian (or Cimmerian, as his creator, Robert E. Howard, preferred). 

Howard Days is the annual festival held in Howard's hometown of Cross Plains, Texas. Technically, the festival runs June 12-13, but this year organizers have added an Emerging Writers Workshop on the 11th at the Cottonwood Downtown Cafe, 240 Main St., in Cross Plains, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Note that, despite the term "emerging writers," the workshop only means the manuscript submitted to it must be unpublished. Also, the submission does not need to be heroic fantasy but may be any of the fiction genres in which Howard wrote, including sword & sorcery, western, historical fiction, boxing tales, horror, detective, or comedic versions of these.

Instructors are authors Adrian Simmons, Jason Waltz, and Howard biographer Mark Finn. Cost: $50, which includes workshop, discussion, and written critique. Most of the proceeds will be used toward the ongoing Howard House Preservation Project.

image by suki for Pixabay

See the Robert E. Howard page on Facebook or the details at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly for more information. 

But get a move on, pardner! The submission deadline is May 10.

Note: updated April 30, 2026, to add proper link to Heroic Fantasy Quarterly.

June 11-14: For the young or young at heart, CALF aka, Children's Art and Literacy Festival, features the classic stories and art of Winnie-the-Pooh, with readings by Young Audiences of Abilene. See the site for additional information and events around the city of Abilene.

Early registration until May 15 is $12 for children ages 3-12, $20 for adults age 13 and older. 

June 26-28: The Writers League of Texas Agents & Editors Conference takes over downtown Austin from its perch at the Hyatt Regency hotel. Conference registration is open but going fast. From now through June 28 (as seats are available), registration is $549 for WLT members, $599 for nonmembers.

Perks are days filled with panels, meet-ups, and chances for information talks with agents, book editors, and fellow writers. For writers with finished manuscripts, consultations with agents or editors are available for individual purchase as space allows. See the site for details and registration.

Now - July 10: The Writers League of Texas manuscript contest  is also open for submissions, separately from the conference. See the site for details and submission requirements. It is not necessary to have a completed manuscript, only the first 10 pages plus a synopsis. Winners in a number of fiction, nonfiction (including memoir), and children's writing categories will meet virtually with a top literary agent (the final judge in their category) via Zoom. All contestants, winners or not, can opt to receive a written critique from an experienced editor.

Fee: $65 WLT members/$85 for nonmembers, which includes the written critique. Or writers can opt out of the critique for a fee of $25 for WLT members, $35 for nonmembers.

See the site for details.

***

Want more literary events? I like Lone Star Literary Life for its state-wide lists! Plus, still to come at this site -- fall events including ArmadilloCon, the Dallas Hay Festival Forum, the Archer City Traditional Workshop (held in the hometown of another great Texas writer, Larry McMurtry), and the DFW Writers Conference, among others.

Sun shines bright on summer literary events in Texas

 As soon as the thermometer hits 90 degrees F., it's summertime in Texas. And summer literary events are off to a blazing start, beginning this week. (Note: some events have earlier registration deadlines.)

May 9-August 16: Dallas Arts & Letters Live opens its 2023 season with Abraham Verghese (The Covenant of Water). In-person tickets for this opening event are sold out, but see the site for virtual tickets, $15 for the public or $12 for Dallas Museum of Arts members. Ticket prices and venues vary for additional speaker programs. See the site for details and ticket purchases.

May 10-14: The Dallas is Lit! literary festival, courtesy of the Dallas Writers Garret features programs at a variety of venues in Dallas' historic Oak Cliff neighborhood and for a variety of ages, including a Rail Writers field trip, ghost story telling, multilingual poetry performances, readings and workshops. Most events free, but reservations may be recommended. See the site for details and locations.

May 11: The Dallas Historical Society presents "Blood and Thunder: An Evening with Mark Finn" in discussion about Texas pulp fiction author Robert E. Howard and his place in Texas literary history. Howard's creations -- Conan, King Kull and others -- defined heroic fantasy but the author himself, who died tragically at age 30, has fallen into obscurity. His biographer, Mark Finn, offers a tour of Howard's world as he saw it -- through his incomparable imagination. In the Hall of State, Fair Park, 3939 Grand Ave., Dallas, at 6:30 p.m. Free, but see the site for ticket reservations.

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

May 26-June 9: Reservations begin for Richardson's Young Authors program for kids entering grades 5-9. Classes run June 9-July 28. Children can write and illustrate their own books and receive personal copies with help from children's book author Nancy Churnin and library staff. Free, but participants must be Richardson, Texas, residents with a Richardson Public Library card. Call 972-744-4358 or visit the Youth Services Help Desk at the library to register.

June 3-August 12: Summer reading programs aren't just for kids! Grownups can participate too, through the Dallas Public Library's SMART Summer program. Read 60 minutes a day (ebooks and audiobooks count!) and pick up a free book every 20 days. Adults who read at least 50 days by August 12 will be entered to win the grand prize. Readers can also earn challenge badges with STEM and art activities and classes for additional prize choices. Free, but register at the site.

June 7-July 26: The annual Rejebian Series hosts book reviews and author talks beginning at 7 p.m., in Wesley Hall of Highland Park United Methodist Church, 3300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas. This year's series opens with author Sam W. Haynes' discussion of Unsettled Land, his history of the Texas Revolution and Republic, and the states diverse people. Programs repeat each Wednesday through July 26.

Other authors discussing their own works include Texans Kathleen Kent, Dave Lieber and Marjorie Herrera Lewis, as well as reviews by professional speakers. Free, or reserve an optional dinner at 5:30 p.m. for $15 online through the site or by calling 214-523-2240. Books available for purchase in most cases.

June 8-10: The Historical Novel Society North America holds its conference in San Antonio, Texas, this year. (There's also a virtual version.) But hurry. In-person registration closes May 15, virtual June 4. Either option offers access to award winning authors, including special guests Lisa Wingate, Jamie Ford, Libbie Grant and James Scott Bell.

Prices: $589 for in-person HNS members, $639 for nonmembers; virtual attendees $299, students $350. In-person attendees may also book rooks at the Marriott Rivercenter at the conference rate.

But, you may ask, will there be agents and editors in attendance? Yes, 15 agents and editors will offer virtual and/or in-person meetings with authors. These can include either pitches or advice on honing query letters. Cost is $25 for each pitch or query letter session. See the site for details, agent/editor lists, and registration.

August 4-6: ArmadilloCon returns with its annual writers workshop, at Austin Southpark Hotel, Austin, Texas. Registration for the workshop is $125, which includes workshop, lunch, and membership for the rest of the convention. Note: manuscripts are due June 23. The workshop is only for manuscripts of original, unpublished speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, bizarro, and similar). 

A limited number of workshop places are available to writers of color, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, and those whose financial status might otherwise prevent their participation. Contact the workshop director at www.writersworkshop@armadillocon.org for enrollment and other questions.

August 12: The North Texas Book Festival offers chances to chat with and buy the books of favorite local authors. Free to the public, at Patterson-Appleton Arts Center, 400 E. Hickory St., Denton Texas. See the site for additional information.

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Is something missing? The pandemic, economic issues and, dare we say, climate change, have caused several rearrangements of Texas traditional summer literary events. The annual REH Days, celebrating Texas fantasy writer Robert E. Howard at his hometown of Cross Plains were moved from June to April this year. Most REH programs are outdoors, and June in Texas can get hot!

FenCon, the Dallas-area science fiction/fantasy convention usually held in early fall has been moved to February 2024, with a new venue. I'm hoping it will also bring back its writers workshop.

The Writers League of Texas Agents and Editors Conference has turned into a biannual event, next scheduled for 2024.

And no dates have yet been announced for the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, which has fluctuated between summer and fall in recent years. However, the site says registration will open soon. I'll post when more information is available.

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Next up: Yes, there will be writing contests! Stay tuned!

This way to crowds of summer literary confabs!

 (Updated 9:08 a.m. June 9 to include information about writing workshops at FenCon and ArmadilloCon.)

Is it summer already? Unseasonably boggy weather has kept temperatures in North Texas at far from balmy levels. And those crowds of kids I’d expect to see? Time lost to the pandemic as well as last winter’s one-two punch of killer cold and equally deadly power outages has extended the school year weeks longer than usual.

At least, we have plenty of literary conferences to look forward to, in a mix of in-person, virtual, even hybrid venues. I’ll concentrate on those with a Texas twist. But in a virtual world, around the country – or the world – can be as close as our hometowns, starting with:

June 10-12: REH Days

Image: wikimedia commons

celebrates the life and works of Conan creator (and Texas native) Robert E. Howard in his hometown of Cross Plains, Texas. Of course, it’s in person – we’re all barbarians! – but feel free to mask up. (Maybe with one of the stylish Conan versions available online?) Free, as always. The only paid event is the annual banquet which is already sold out. Access to Howard’s home and museum, the Cross Plains library’s collection of original typescripts and memorabilia, readings, and more. Cross Plains is approximately a three-hour drive from Dallas. Lodging is available at nearby towns, including Brownwood, site of REH’s grave. See the REH Days site for full list of events.

June 11-13: Houston Writers Guild’s annual conference goes virtual. Saturday speakers include Dallas-own Arianne “Tex” Thompson Agent/editor panel, agent pitch sessions, plus sessions on marketing, networking, genre writing and blending, memoir writing and more. Early bird registration (ends June 11), $30 plus processing fee. Editor/agent pitch sessions (which still appear to be available) are $25 each. See the site for details and registration.

June 21-27: Historical Novel Society North America’s annual conference will be virtual. This year’s guest of honor is Lisa See (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan), with special presenters Libbie Hawker and Jane Friedman, master classes, panels, and more. Unfortunately, it’s too late to register for agent pitches. Registration: $259 for HNS members, $289 for nonmembers. See the site for complete schedule.

June 28-July 1: Thrillerfest XVI stays virtual. Options include master classes ($399) consulting ($75) and pitching ($50 sessions), and more. There’s also a free “Best First Sentence Contest,” open to registrants. Deadline for registration by mail as well as entries for the Best First Sentence Contest is June 15.

July 22-24: When the conference goes virtual, location is not a problem. So, although the Writer’s Digest reports itself to be sad not to see participants in person, it’s eager to proclaim a virtual conference. Pre-conference workshops July 22 ($199 each), and a choice of fiction or publishing business tracks for the main conference July 23-24 ($199 each). See the site for add-ons, including recordings.

August 25-29:  BoucherCon, the world mystery conference, plans to meet in-person in New Orleans, with guest of honor Michael Connelly. Registration is $195, fully refundable if an in-person meeting in deemed to be not available. See the site for tentative schedule and list of special guests.

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How many literary conferences have pushed their normal summer dates back in order to proceed in-person? Lots! Including the Writers League of Texas in Austin, Texas, now scheduled for September 17-19.

Those are also the dates for the Dallas-area science fiction/fantasy convention FenCon. A Facebook message stated that due to limited staff, FenCon will not have an organized writing workshop this year. The convention is considering what it terms "workshop-style panels" for 2021 with a return to the formal workshop in 2022. 

The hands-on event, Writers in the Field returns in person October 9-10, to Mansfield, Texas. Registration opens in June, with more information to come.

The Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference plans a hybrid conference – part in-person, part by Zoom – October 15-16. The site says plans are still being made but assures that the traditional writing contests and networking opportunities will be part of its lineup.

The Austin, Texas, science fiction/fantasy convention ArmadilloCon is delaying its return until October 15-17. At this point, information only appears to be available at the convention’s Facebook page. A Facebook message stated that ArmadilloCon will have an in-person writing workshop October 15, with format similar to previous years. More information will be available when the website is updated.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Writers Conference follows on October 23-24, in Hurst, Texas. Early registration (through October 10) is $379 for both days. Saturday only registration, which includes the keynote address, is $289; Sunday registration, which includes the Query Gong game show) is $239. I’ll update as more information is available.

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Still to come: The Romance Writers of America (RWA) conference will be held virtually in November. Check the site for details.

Worldcon, the World Science Fiction Convention, is moving its 2021 dates to December 15-19, with provisions for a virtual conference if necessary.

The World Fantasy Convention is still monitoring the pandemic situation but hopes to have an in-person event in Montreal this year, apparently sometime in late fall.

As always, I’ll update this blog as new information arrives.

Read, write, fetch -- a summer of Texas literary events

With a break in the rain here in Dallas, temperatures are warming to almost summertime levels. Whether you’re a reader, a writer, or both, it’s time to make plans for summer’s literary events around Texas!

May 27-June 2: Writefest,  Anderson-Clarke Center on the Rice University Campus, 6100 S. Main St., Houston. Tickets available for full-week, weekend and one-day entries, $125 - $425. This partnership between the Houston Writers Guild and Writespace has grown into a fantastic event for writers and readers alike. Events include genre-based writing workshops, presentations by literary professionals, and panels on writing, publishing, and marketing. All tickets come with the option of purchasing a pitch session with one of the attending agents and editors for $50. Just want to dip a toe in the literary scene? Readings and open mics Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights are free and open to the public. See the site for details. 

May 28 - June 1: Speaking of growing – the Dallas Book Festival has outgrown its original library space and morphed into the Dallas Festival of Books & Ideas, at multiple locations. Opening with The Physical City May 28, at UT Dallas Center for BrainHealth Brain Performance Institute (possibly a good starting place for literary types!), it moves to The Dallas Institute; UT Southwestern Medical Center; Interabang Books; Summer in the City (at the Dallas Public Library's Central Branch, 1515 Young Street); and the Dallas Museum of Art.


Summer in the City is the closest match to the former stand-alone book festival. From 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. June 1, the Central Branch of the Dallas Public Library hosts a celebration of books, authors, and reading on every floor. Summer in the City, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Central Branch, address. Featured authors include Laura Numeroff (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie); Melanie Benjamin (The Girls in the Picture); Steven L. Davis and Bill Minutaglio (The Most Dangerous Man in America); Melissa Lenhardt (Heresy); and Joe Lansdale (The Elephant of Surprise). 


While you’re there, readers of all ages can sign up for the Mayor’s Summer Reading Challenge. Teens can stick around after the fest to watch the first Teen Rap Battle. And yes, there’s more! All Festival of Books & Ideas events are free, but space is limited, so please register ASAP! 

June 5 – July 31: The Rejebian summer series of books reviews returns Wednesdays beginning June 5, at Highland Park United Methodist Church. Speakers include authors Mark Lamster, Anne Keene, Jeff Guinn, and Leila Meacham, and reviewers Lurline Morrow, Nancy Ashley, Dana Harkey, Colleen Boudreaux, and Rose-Mary Rumbley. All presentations at 7 p.m. in the church’s Wesley Hall auditorium, 3300 E. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas. Or attend pre-event dinner with each night’s speaker at 5:30 p.m. for $13, payable at the door with cash or check. Please make dinner reservations by the Tuesday preceding the event by calling 214-523-4420.

June 7-8: Of course, the father of the sword-and-sorcery literary genre, creator of Conan the Barbarian (or Cimmerian, to purists), Robert E. Howard, had to be a Texan! Robert E. Howard Days celebrates his all-too-short life and writings with events throughout Cross Plains, Texas, where Howard churned out stories in a variety of genres from his family’s home, now a museum, located at the intersection of Texas State Highway 36 and Avenue J. Attendance at Friday night’s banquet requires a $15 registration fee, but all other events are free. This year’s guest of honor is David C. Smith, author of Robert E. Howard – A Literary Biography, but several more Howardian scholars will also be in attendance. The Cross Plains Library’s collection of Howard publications is a must-see.

June 7-July 26: If you want to write and illustrate your own picture book, the Young Authors program of the Richardson Public Library is the place to be! Open to Richardson residents only, entering grades 5-9. Fridays at noon beginning June 7. Free, but registration required, May 20-June 14. Sessions in the basement of the library at 900 Civic Center Dr., Richardson. Weekly sessions inspire and guide youngsters through the process of writing and illustration, culminating in the publication of two copies of each child's book – one to keep, one for library patrons to check out! Nothing beats seeing readers check out your own book!

June 22-23: DFWCon: Dallas-Fort Worth Writers Conference, voted a favorite Texas writing conference, returns to Hurst Conference Center, 1601 Campus Dr., Hurst. Regular registration through June 14, $399; $429 June 15-June 22; one-day passes also available for Saturday (June 22) and Sunday (June 23). Discussions, workshops, networking – and the delightfully wonky Gong Show, which gives anonymous participants a peek at how real literary agents react to their queries. Other highlights include the announcement of the winner of this year's WRiTE CLUB contest, and keynote speaker Chuck Wendig. All registrations include one pitch session with a visiting literary agent or editor. 

June 28-30: The Writer’s League of Texas Agents & Editors Conference brings together more than 20 nationally-known literary agents and editors with award-winning and bestselling authors for conversations on the craft of writing and practical steps toward publication. Hyatt Regency Austin, 208 Barton Springs Road, Austin. Registration $459 for members, $519 for nonmembers, as long as space is available. 

July 19-21: Just for writers, readers and lovers of literary nonfiction is the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writing Conference, Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center, at 1800 State Highway 26, in Grapevine. General admission is $475, with one-day tickets and tickets for optional events, including a manuscript contest and agent pitches, also available.  

August 2-4: ArmadilloCon is a science fiction & fantasy convention with a writing workshop! (Note: deadline for manuscript submission to attend the workshop is June14!) Omni Southpark, Austin. Memberships: $45 for adults, $30 for children (ages 7-12); $30 for students (current ID required); $90 for writing workshop (includes full membership). See the site for details. 

A fast and furious literary season for Texas

It’s May, the merry month when, in Texas, temperatures turn from pleasant to blistering, and the weather hazards shift from hailstorms and tornadoes to hurricanes. At least there are plenty of literary goings-on to distract us from any outside contretemps.

May 4-6: The force is still with writers looking for weekend passes to Writefest, the collaborative effort of Writespace and the Houston Writers’ Guild. Sad to say, registration for pitch sessions with agents/editors and for writing workshops is closed. But tickets are still available for the weekend festival (today through Sunday) and one passes for today and Saturday. Three-day pass tickets are $375, available only at the door, which include lunch with keynote speaker Justin Cronin (The Passages trilogy), socials, Sunday write-in, and more. 

Friday-only passes are $135, only available at the door, with access to panels, presentations, and offsite events.

image: pixabay

Saturday-only passes are $125 today, or $185 at the door, with a literary journal fair in addition to panels, presentations and offsite events.

Most events at Winter Street Studios, 2101 Winter Street, Houston. Check site for details and offsite event locations.

May 5: I don’t usually list regular writing group meetings (for that, see WORD (link)) but must mention that Suzanne Frank, director of SMU’s CAPE Creative Writing program is the speaker for Saturday’s meeting of Dallas Mystery Writers. Frank’s presentation is 10-noon at the Addison Olive Garden restaurant, 4240 Beltline Road in Addison. The meeting will be followed by lunch. Cost is $5 for those staying for lunch, $10 for attendees at the speaker-only presentation. 

May 12: Just for fun -- O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships, 409 E. 5^th Street, Austin (O. Henry Museum).

June 6 – August 1: Rejebian returns! This weekly summer book group showcases the lighter side of Texas books and authors, Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in Wesley Hall of Highland Park United Methodist Church. Presentations are free or make reservations for an optional dinner at 5:30 p.m. for $13. You can pay at the door for the meal, but please make reservations by calling 214-523-2240 so they’ll know how much food to cook! 

June 8-9: Robert E. Howard Days commemorate the life (and tragic death) of the creator of Conan the Cimmerian and other iconic fantasy adventures, in Howard’s hometown of Cross Plains, Texas. Events include tours of the REH Museum, Cross Plains and its environs (fictionalized as many of the settings for Howard stories), original Howard manuscripts at the Cross Plains library, and banquet with this year’s guest of honor, “Indiana Bill” Cavalier, a mainstay of Howard fandom. All events except the banquet are free. See the site for details and banquet registration.

June 9-10: The DFW Writers Conference is a multi-genre writers’ conference with agents, workshops and panels and inspiration galore, including keynote speaker Scott Westerfield. At Hurst Conference Center, 1600 Campus Drive, in Hurst. Each registration includes a pitch session with an agent, and additional pitch sessions are available for $40. Registration for both days is $399, Saturday-only $269, Sunday-only $229 (which includes the conferences infamous Gong Show lunch). Know a young writer? Teens 15-17 can get in both days for $149 (with adult ticket holder). And yes, teens also qualify for the agent pitch sessions. 

June 29-July 1: Writers’ League of Texas 2018 Agents and Editors Conference , Hyatt Regency Austin, 208 Barton Springs Road, Austin. It’s HUGE! At this time, there are at least 20 confirmed agents and four publishing editors (some accepting unagented submissions). At this time, the registration fee ($449 for Writers’ League members, $509 for nonmembers) does not include pitclhes to agents or editors, but pitches may be scheduled for an additional fee as time and space permit. 

Plus, again, lots and lots of presentations and panels with at least 100 publishing professionals. 

July 20-22: The Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference is the place in Texas for narrative nonfiction writers, with workshops, panels, keynote speakers and yes – agents! At the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center, 1800 State Highway 26, in Grapevine. Registration $425. See the site for details.

August 3-5: ArmadilloCon is Texas’ summer heat-busting science fiction/fantasy convention with a writing workshop. Sure, you can attend the myriad panels and presentations with all your favorite speculative fiction authors and artists for only $45 (current price), but why not spring for the writing workshop too? Submit your original, unpublished science fiction, fantasy or horror short story and get info on writing craft plus critique sessions for $90, which includes full convention membership as well. But hurry – writing workshop submissions are due June 15! At the Omni Southpark Hotel, 4140 Governor’s Row, in Austin.  

Rejebian series: laidback and cool, book reviews and more

If you’re in Dallas and hear the name “Rejebian,” you think, oh, those are the book clubs where you don’t have to read the books. Or maybe you think of oriental rugs, which have been the Rejebian family business since Ermance Rejebian and her husband Vahram landed in Dallas more than 80 years ago as members of the Armenian diaspora. And since the entertaining book reviews and lectures Ermance gave made her a favorite speaker for the ladies who lunch bunch.

Don’t hold entertainment against her. Or against the Rejebian Summer Series of book reviews and lectures her family has established at Highland Park United Methodist Church. After all, it’s summertime, and the living ought to be easy. Although, very often, you’ll really, really want to read the book, as was the case last Wednesday night as author Sally Mott Freeman discussed her debut book, The Jersey Brothers: A Missing Naval Officer in the Pacific and His Family’s Quest to Bring Him Home.

Ordinarily, divorce might be expected to tear a family apart. Especially a divorce like that of Freeman’s grandmother Helen in the 1920’s when divorce wasn’t something “nice people” commonly did. Wouldn’t Benny and Bill Mott, Helen’s sons from her first marriage, resent her second husband?

And still more resent the status of Helen’s son from that later marriage, Barton Cross, “a spoiled child for whom no indulgence was too great,” as Freeman, daughter of Bill Mott and niece of Barton, told her audience.

Instead, the older brothers took him under their wing. Possibly it was the age gap – the Mott brothers were seven and 10 years older than their half-brother – Freeman guessed, that made sibling rivalry less intense than would have been the case if they had been closer in age.

And although he didn't do well initially in the schools his family tried, in what they considered attempts to improve his character, the older Mott brothers urged him to follow their own example, and attend the U.S. Naval Academy. But if Helen and the rest of her family hoped the Naval Academy would toughen Barton up, it didn't. He left after two years. Still, the family refused to give up on him.

The start of World War II saw one brother as a naval officer preparing to ship out to the Philippines, another soon to become a naval intelligence officer. But what was to become of Barton, now that a mandatory draft was looming? Why not a commission with the Navy’s Supply Corps?

The Mott brothers, not to mention their mother, must have breathed a collective sigh of relief at getting Barton in what seemed a relatively safe position.

Except that "safe position" put Barton in Philippines in early December 1941, just in time to be wounded when his ship was fired on by Japanese bombers. And as General MacArthur evacuated his personnel. All except a hospital ship of Navy patients and their doctors.

Captured by the Japanese, with all communications between the U.S. and the Philippines blacked out, Barton disappeared along with the rest of the Navy's sick and wounded. His family never heard from him again. His fate became the subject of endless and agonizing discussion by his family, a mystery until his niece, Sally Mott Freeman, made it her job to track him down. The result: nothing that any of Barton’s family had ever imagined.

It was a job, she said, that cost her 10 years of research and writing, producing a manuscript whose first draft was 700 pages long. Readers may be relieved to hear that the final version clocks in at only a little more than 500 pages, although her list of reference materials, including the Veterans History Project available through the Library of Congress may inspire readers to find their own stories as well.

The Rejebian Summer Series repeats Wednesdays through July 26, 7-8 p.m. in Wesley Hall of Highland Park United Methodist Church, 3300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas. (Best parking is in the Meadows Museum parking garage on Bishop Avenue. The series is free, but see the site for details

and optional dinner reservations.