Autumn in the air? Preview these fall literary events

Wow – temperatures in North Texas dropped in the wake of a weekend of drought-breaking rain. And although we haven’t seen the end of the heat, there’s a smell of fall in the air. So after dishing out bowls of hearty soup for lunch, my thoughts turned to autumn literary events. 

Starting with –

August 24-25: Tulisoma South Dallas Book Fair at the African-American Museum, 3536 Grand Avenue, in Dallas Fair Park. August 24 ticketed event is 7 – 9 p.m., family-friendly happenings August 25 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. are free, including writing and art workshops, book signings, open-mic poetry, children’s activities and more. The event concludes August 25 with a hip-hop gospel extravaganza 6 – 9 p.m.  

September 5 – March 21, 2019: Clements Center Evening Lecture Series 2018-2019 program opens with a presentation of Lawrence Wright’s God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the Lone Star State. Topics address Texas, the United States Southwest and the Texas-Mexico borderlands. Ticketed, but generally free, with the exception of author receptions. Venues on the campus of SMU, but times and sites vary. See the site for details and reservations. 

image: pixabay

September 9 – November 29: Arts & Letters Live at the Dallas Museum of Art features award-winning authors and performers. This year’s standouts include Doris Kearns Goodwin (Team of Rivals, the basis for award-winning film Lincoln, among other books); Andre Dubus III (The Garden of Last Days, and other books); Jesmyn Ward (Sing, Unburied, Sing); Caroline Fraser (biographer of recently-controversial children’s author Laura Ingalls Wilder); and many more. 

Unless otherwise noted, programs take place in Horchow Auditorium in the museum, 1717 Harwood, Dallas. Ticket prices vary, so see the site (link) for specifics.

September 19: This year’s selection for Richardson Reads One Book is The Circle, by Dave Eggers, who will speak at 7:30 p.m. in the Richardson High School auditorium, 1250 W. Beltline Rd., Richardson, Texas. Free tickets available starting at 10 a.m. September 4 at the Richardson Public Library, 900 Civic Center Dr., Richardson, Texas.

September 21-23: Happy birthday, Frankenstein! Help Fencon, the Dallas-area fan-operated science fiction and fantasy literary and filk convention celebrate the 200^th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s classic monster mash! Author panels, artists, concerts, hands-on workshops and costumes. At the Westin DFW Airport, 4545 John Carpenter West Freeway, Irving, Texas. Adult memberships $45 till September 1 ($50 at the door), young adult memberships (ages 13-21) $25 through August 31 ($30 at the door), discounts for younger kids and military members. See the site for details. 

September 22: Writers Guild of Texas fall writing workshop with author Sarah Bale on “Self-Publishing: 10 Steps to Success,” 9 a.m. – noon at the Richardson Civic Center, 411 Civic Center Dr., Richardson, Texas. Online cost $25 for WGT members, $35 for nonmembers, $35 for members at the door, $40 for nonmembers, but seating is limited.

October 6: Texas Teen Book Festival on the campus of St. Edward’s University, 3001 S. Congress Ave., Austin. More than 30 YA authors plus the EPIC READS costume contest. Free. 

October 13-14: Writers in the Field, a hands-on research experience for writers of all ages. At Amber Academy of the Arts, 492 Cordes Dr., Mansfield, Texas. Tickets $65. See the site for details and ticket purchases.

October 27-28: Texas Book Festival. The big one, with lots of events in and around the Texas State Capitol, downtown Austin.

November 1-30: NaNoWriMo all month long! More to come on this annual event.

November 9-11: Readers & ‘ritas weekend getaway with romance authors, including guests of honors Christine Feehan, C.L. Wilson and Lori Foster. Author parties, book signings and author panels, at Hilton Garden Inn in Dallas/Allen, 705 Central Expressway South, Allen, Texas. Cost: $99 - $225. Come for a day or the whole weekend, which includes a writing workshop November 10, with classes led by Candace Havens and Deborah LeBlanc.  

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Wondering why Dallas author Ben Fountain (Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk) isn’t included here, even though he has a new book out? Catch him September 8 at the Texas Monthly Edge of Texas event; October 1 at Interabang Books, 10720 Preston Road, Dallas; and December 6 at the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, 2719 Routh Street, Dallas. And stay tuned for the unveiling of the Authors LIVE! series, Dallas Heritage Village’s Farina Lecture, and the Roanoke, Texas, writing conference.