Get hopping: nothing hare-brained about April lit events

I’ve been writing about North Texas spring literary events at this blog since – February! What a sprig it’s been. It’s one of my favorite seasons, and the happenings (hoppenings?) just keep coming. Here’s the latest:

April 1: After the hallelujahs and chocolate bunnies, buckle down and polish your best 500 words for the last chance to enter WRiTE CLUB’s 2018 contest! It’s free, the prizes are great, but perhaps best is the chance to get immediate feedback from real live readers. See the site for details.

April 7: Dallas Book Festival, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., at the Dallas Library’s Central Branch, 1515 Young St., Dallas. It features more than 100 local, regional and national authors, including bestselling Jesse Andrews (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), Hillary Jordan (Mudbound), Lisa Wingate (Before We Were Yours), and lots, lots more. 

Additional events at the festival include writing workshops, children’s activities, and music and dance performances. Free, but of course there will be books for sale! 

The book festival is again being held in conjunction with the Dallas Festival of Ideas. This year’s theme is “The Connected City.” It’s also free, but with limited space, so please register for either morning or afternoon sessions. Can’t make it in person? Tune in to Facebook to watch the main events live.

image: pixabay

April 7: North Texas Book Festival is a chance to hang out with, and sample books by favorite Texas authors, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Patterson-Appleton Art Center, 400 E. Hickory St., in Denton, Texas. Or stretch the fun with an 8 a.m. chuck wagon breakfast with North Texas children’s book author/illustrator duo Janet Sever Hull and Vicki Killion Guess. See the site for details and registration.

April 15: The deadline for discounted registration for Writers in the Field, a hands-on research experience for writers this coming October 13-14, featuring 13 acres of demonstrations, exhibits and displays in Mansfield, Texas. See the Writers in the Field site for prices and details. Use code “WORDfestBFF” by April 15 and save 10 percent. (You say you’ll be too busy doing income tax to register for this deal? Good news – when Tax Day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday – like this year – you have until the next business day to file!)

April 20-21: North Texas Teen Book Festival, Irving Convention Center, 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving, Texas. Wait – did I miswrite that date? Isn’t the convention only a single day? No! The all-day (and free!) blast is April 21. But this year, teens can also opt for lunch with four favorite YA authors on April 20.

The lunch event is $50, which includes meal, Q&A session and book signings. Then hang on for the 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, April 21, event. As always, books available for sale and signing, lunch concessions on site – or bring your own to eat outside. See the site  for details. 

April 28: The Writers Guild of Texas spring workshop features Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Annie Neugebauer to walk us through using our query pitches to troubleshoot problems in our novels. At the Richardson Civic Center, 411 W. Arapaho Rd., Richardson, Texas.

I blogged last summer about Neugebauer’s query pitch genius at last year’s DFW Writer’s Conference. Here’s another chance to spend a whole morning with her. See the WGT site for registration and additional details. Cost is $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers registering by April 25. The cost goes up $5 for registration at the door – if seating is available.

April 30-May 6: This year, the Houston Writers’ Guild joins Writespace for its Writefest mega literary festival. OK, so Houston isn’t exactly a northerly outpost. But with a week’s worth of writing workshops, agent meet-and-greets (and more than 20 agents and publishers to pitch to), and more – it’s worth the trek south.

Get the full week, including lunch with keynote speaker Justin Cronin (The Passage trilogy) for $525 through April 29 ($595 at the door), a three-day weekend pass for $250 through May 3 ($375 at the door), or single-day Friday or Saturday sessions (May 4-5). Pitch sessions available at all options for additional $50. See the Writefest site for details and registration.

April lit fests, classes & contests – no foolin’

North Texas literary events increase as the weather warms up. Even more have popped up since I blogged earlier this year about spring events, workshops and contests, so here’s a spring-fresh roundup!

April 1: Brush up on your dialogue-writing skills at the Writers Guild of Texas Spring Workshop, The Language of Dialogue: How to use your characters’ voices to amp up your story. 9 a.m. – noon, at the Richardson Civic Center, 411 W. Arapaho Road, in Richardson, Texas. Texas writers Melissa DeCarlo (The Art of Crash Landing) and Rosemary Clement-Moore (Texas Gothic, and more) provide a crash course in effective dialogue for fiction. Cost: $35, $25 for WGT members. Register here.

April 1-May 15: Carve Magazine’s annual Raymond Carver Short Story Contest offers $2500 in prizes for literary fiction. Cost: $15 by mail per story; $17 for online entries. Literary stories only, no genre fiction. This year’s guest judge is Pinckney Benedict (Dogs of God). Winning stories will be read by three literary agents. Mail entries to Carve Magazine/Raymond Carver Contest/PO Box 701510/Dallas, TX 75370. See the site for online entries and complete rules.

April 4-July 18: Dallas Arts and Letters Live continues, with children’s authors Erin and Philip C. Stead opening April events, April 4, 11:30 a.m., at the Dallas Museum of Art , 1717 N. Harwood, Dallas, Texas. The Steads speak 3:30-4:30 p.m. Tickets $8, $5 for DMA members.

April 6: African Diaspora: New Dialogues with Tyehimba Jess. Award-winning poet Jess (leadbelly and Olio) speaks at two events: Richland Literary Festival, Richland College, 12800 Abrams Road, Dallas, Texas from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; and 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. at the South Dallas Cultural Center, 3400 S. Fitzhugh Ave., Dallas, Texas, sponsored by Wordspace. See the site  for details.

April 8: WORDfest, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. This one day, all-you-can-meet festival of writers groups from across North Texas, was originally scheduled for March, but postponed due to technical difficulties at the venue. Luckily, the delay allowed for even more writers groups, classes, and programming to be added. At Tarrant County College’s Northeast Campus, Student Union Building, 828 N. Harwood, Hurst, Texas. It’s free, but register here to secure a place.

April 15: North Texas Book Festival, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m., Patterson-Appleton Arts Center, 400 E. Hickory St., Denton, Texas. Meet dozens of Texas authors at this free festival, and hear guest speaker Nancy Churnin, author of The William Hoy Story: How a Deaf Baseball Player Changed the Game. Free. See the site or the festival's Facebook for additional information.

April 29: Dallas Book Festival, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., shares headline authors with both the Dallas Festival of Ideas and the Dallas Museum of Art’s Arts and Letters Live. Top authors will give TED-style presentations at Dallas City Hall, then cross the street for Q&A sessions at the Dallas Public Library’s Central Branch, 1515 Young St., Dallas. See the site  for details. The events are free, but at last year’s festival, the library’s parking garage was reserved for authors and presenters. Prepare to park offsite, or take public transportation.

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I’m still awaiting word on the 2017 Big D Reads programs for April, and the short story and young authors writing contests for the 2017 FenCon science fiction/fantasy convention, which should be open. I’ll post those separately as they become available.

Spring into a new season of Texas literary events

Author signings, readings, conferences and contests. Here’s to giving readers and writers a head start on what looks like a bookishly good season of Texas literary events.

Now – July 8: Submissions for FenCon’s writers workshop have begun. This Dallas-area literary science fiction/fantasy/horror conference hosts an annual multi-day workshop for writers, this year with instructor Cat Rambo (Altered America: Steampunk Stories, and more). Although the conference takes place September 22-24, the writers workshop is limited to 15 participants. Registration closes July 8, or when the 15 places are filled, whichever happens first. See the site for details.

February 23: Highland Park Literary Festival hosts speaker Jamie Ford  (Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and Songs of Willow Frost), 7 p.m., Highland Park High School, 4220 Emerson, Dallas. Ford will sign books from 8 – 8:45 p.m. Free and open to the public.

North Texas Teen Book Fest (file photo)

March 4: North Texas Teen Book Festival, Irving Convention Center, 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving, Texas. Last year I had the heartbreak of choosing between the Dallas Book Festival and the North Texas Teen Festival, both scheduled for the same day! (Of course, I made both. The secret is cloning. Or time travel. Don’t ask.) This year, participants don’t have to choose! Eighty authors will speak at the teen festival (which, really is for any age group from tweens to adults). Also back by popular demand, cool young booktubers, including heartbreakingly cute guy, Jesse the Reader. Even better – it’s free (except for all the books and swag you’ll want to buy)! See the site for lists of authors and books available.

March 10: Contest! This one is only for medical professionals, but if you’re a doctor (medical student, or nurse, or hospital administrator, etc.) send your poem, short story or essay about your experiences in medicine to the Literature + Medicine writing contest. Winners will be announced at the annual Literature + Medicine conference, April 1, 9 a.m. – noon, this year at the Southern Methodist University campus. 

March 11: Wordfest, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Tarrant County Community College Northeast Campus, Student Union Building. Don’t write alone! Learn from panels, classes and presentations from top authors and instructors, meet representatives from over 20 of DFW’s premier writing organizations, including Romance Writers of America, The Writers Path at SMU, Dallas Screenwriting Crew, The Writers Guild of Texas, DFW Writers Workshop, and more. Free, but register to reserve a place.

April 1: Writers Guild of Texas  spring workshop. Authors Melissa DeCarlo and Rosemary Clement-Moore  address the secrets of writing dialogue, 9 a.m. – noon, Richardson Civic Center, 411 W. Arapaho Rd., Richardson, Texas. Cost is $25 for WGT members, $35 for nonmembers. See the site for details and registration.

April 15:  North Texas Book Festival, Denton, Texas. Readers, do you just want a chance to book browse? Authors, do you want a place to connect with readers? Details are still pending (although registration for authors is already available), but the dozens of writers who typically attend have prompted Lone Star Literary Life to call this one of Texas’ 10 most bookish events. You say, darn, you’ll be doing your taxes on April 15? Good news – whenever the U.S. income tax filing date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, you have until the next business day to file! Buy the books, sweat the taxes later!

DFW Conference (file photo)

April 28-30: Houston Writers Guild holds its spring conference on the campus of Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston. Speakers, workshops, and literary agents to pitch to. A three-day pass is $130 for members, $195 for nonmembers, $50 for each agent pitch session. See the site for schedules, single-day prices, and special events. 

April 29: Save the date for the Dallas Book Festival, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Details to follow.

May 6-7: Dallas-Fort Worth Writers Conference, Sheraton Hotel, 400 N. Olive St., Dallas. More than a dozen agents to pitch to, more than 60 classes, workshops and craft panels – and the ever popular, ever dreaded Gong Show! One agent pitch is included in the price, or buy additional pitch sessions. Regular registration (through April 28) is $399, late registration, $429, so don’t delay!

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Oh, you wanted more? For the voraciously literate, see “Winter is the new spring for literature,” December 13, 2016, at this site for ongoing events at Authors LIVE! and Arts & Letters Live.

Wordcraft -- Author, author! 2015’s literary fests

What do I love most about the new year’s round of literary festivals in Texas? A chance to see favorite authors? Hear them read their own works? Write like them? Or find your own voice? It’s all possible at this winter through spring schedule of 2015’s literary best bets.

January 28 - June 15: Dallas Museum of Arts Arts & Letters Live This week: cartoonist Roz Chast discusses her National Book Award-finalist memoir, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? And then there’s foodie god and goddess Marcus Samelsson and Ina Garten, Dennis Lehane, Billy Collins, Gail Sheehy, and more. Ticket prices from free to $35. At the DMA, 1717 N. Harwood, Dallas, unless otherwise indicated. See www.dallasmuseumofart.org/.

February 10 - June 3: Authors LIVE! Continues with Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Richard Rhodes, James McPherson and (lest this seem too heavy) humorist Dave Barry (and more). At Highland Park United Methodist Church, 3300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas. Author readings are free, or for $30, meet the authors at pre-event receptions and score a book to boot. Additional books are available for purchase and signing. For complete schedule and/or reception reservations, search “Authors LIVE!” at www.hpumc.org/events/.

February 13-15: ConDFW XIV, a science fiction and fantasy convention with programming about writing/publishing, science programming and, of course, more, including a sc-fi spelling bee. At Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre, 5410 LBJ Freeway (southeast corner of 635 and the Dallas Tollway). Hang out with dozens of Texas writers. Pre-event ticket prices (through January 31) $40 for all three days for adults, $20 for children (ages 6-12); $45 at the door for adults, $20 for children. One-day passes for both adults and children also available. See www.condfw.org for tickets and additional information.

February 26: Highland Park Literary Festival hosts Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle, 7 p.m. at Highland Park High School, 4220 Emerson, Dallas. Walls’ talk is free, books for sale starting at 6:30 p.m. and after her address. See www.hplitfest.com/.

March 21: Writers Workshop sponsored by The Writers’ Guild of Texas, at the Richardson Civic Center, 411 W. Arapaho, Richardson. Author Brian W. Smith shares his insights on writing, publishing, and selling novels. $25 for WGT members, $35 for nonmembers. See http://writersguildoftexas.org/.

April 1-30: Dallas Reads One Book, and this year it’s Charles Portis’ True Grit. For There’s a full month of activities centering around this Western classic. See http://bigdreads.org for a complete schedule (and some great recipes for grits).

April 11: North Texas Book Festival, 9 a.m. -4 p.m., Patterson-Appleton Center for the Visual Arts, 400 E. Hickory St., Denton. Dozens of Texas authors eager to connect with readers. Free (except for all the books you’ll want to buy and get signed). See www.ntbf.org/.

June 26 - 28: Writers League of Texas agents and editors conference, Hyatt Regency
Austin, 208 Barton Springs Road, Austin. Panels and discussions on writing craft and publishing, agent consultations, and access to top industry professionals. Registration is $349 for members/$389 for nonmembers through April 5. See
www.writersleague.org/ for additional ticket information and list of agents.

(Is something missing? Did I leave out the DFW Writers Conference? No, it’s moved to a new time and place, coming to Dallas in July. I’ll have more information later about summer-fall literary events. In the meantime, see http://dfwcon.org/.)

Wordcraft -- Get your rumble on, with Hinton’s Outsiders

My daughter’s favorite book as a teen was, odds on, S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. Followed by every other young adult book written by Susan Eloise Hinton, whose first bestseller was famously published in 1967 using only her initials, to keep reviewers from dismissing her writing because she was a girl. And I’m not using “girl” as a putdown. Hinton wrote her first book while she was in high school. How’s that for setting the bar high for YA writers?

Lucky commuters today get a head start on the April Big D Reads events. Special edition copies of The Outsiders will be distributed at the West End, Mockingbird and Union Station DART stations from 7 - 8 a.m. and at the Victory station from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Now in her 60’s, Hinton visits Dallas this month in connection with the 2014 Big D Reads program, which will also see her most famous book distributed to every freshman high school student in Dallas and at other locations.

Hinton is scheduled to speak April 24 as part of the Dallas Museum of Art’s Arts & Letters Live series. Her program is sold out, but fans can ask to be added to a waiting list by emailing their names, phone numbers and the number of tickets they're requesting to ArtsandLettersLive@dma.org.

Hinton had become distressed by the violence between rival gangs, the blue-color Greasers and upper-class Socs (pronounced “Soshes“) at her Tulsa, Oklahoma, high school. She decided to write from the viewpoint of fictional Greaser member Ponyboy Curtis, whose older brothers, Darrel and Sodapop, are also gang members.

“‘Need a haircut, greaser?’ asks the Soc confronting Ponyboy at the book’s beginning. “(He) pulled a knife out of his back pocket and flipped the blade open.

“I finally thought of something to say.” Ponyboy reports. “‘No.’ I was backing up, away from that knife. Of course I backed right into one of them.”

Hinton set her book in 1965. Its discussion of social class divisions, violence, and gangs has only increased in relevance in the years since.

(Because of the violence, the 1983 movie version of The Outsiders received a PG-13 rating, and the Big D Reads site warns the numerous showings and discussions scheduled this month may not be appropriate for all age levels.)

“I could see boys going down under street lights,” Ponyboy says by the novel’s end, “because they were mean and tough and hated the world, and it was too late to tell them that there was still good in it. . . It was too vast a problem to be just a personal thing.”

For a schedule of Big D Reads events, see
http://bigreaddallas.org/events/.

For more about the themes of The Outsiders, see the discussion at this site, “Healing through violence,” September 2, 2011.

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Also this week, meet dozens of Texas writers Saturday, April 4, at the 2014 North Texas Book Festival, at the Center for Visual Arts, 400 E. Hickory Street, Denton, Texas. For information and event schedule, see
www.ntbf.org/.