Last minute gifts for readers, writers & us!

Quick, the big day is nearly here and you need a gift for someone special. Problem? No money, no time, you’re quarantined or snowed in? Fear not, because I have great (low-cost) gift suggestions. Feel free to keep a few for yourself because anyone who’s made it this far through 2020 deserves a treat!

 Don’t overlook the obvious

 You write or you read, right? Your friends probably do too. And what better – at least, non-X rated way -- of spending a long winter’s night than with a good book? Except there’s that money thing. You’d order online but the shipping time means your true love, best friend, or great-aunt would be lucky to get that token of your appreciation before next year’s yuletide. Or, you’d hit your favorite bookstore except for, oh, that money thing again.

Consider making a quick visit or call to your local used book emporium. Some, like Dallas-based chain Half Price Books near me, even have offerings fresh from the publisher. These are called overruns and they include recent bestsellers which your favorite author would much prefer be bought by you than returned to the publisher. Pick up several to really wow that reading friend. Or, check out the vintage/classic offerings. One of a kind, and often beautifully bound. 

You can even think beyond books for friends who are aficionados of vinyl records, classic movies, board games and more. But maybe you really are in quarantine. Or there’s no bookstore within radius of a reindeer sleigh ride, and shipping would cost more than the gift itself. Thank dog for the Internet to deliver subscriptions – real or online – for periodicals, e-books, and audiobooks in the twinkling of an eye. 

Image by monicore from Pixabay

The slightly less obvious

Consider giving an experience – a class or conference registration. While many writing conferences are still debating whether to go in-person for 2021, some have already made the leap. Lucky for last minute gift-givers, online conferences are much more affordable.

The Historical Novel Society – North America has already opted for a virtual version of its 2021 conference, originally scheduled for June 24-26 in San Antonio, Texas. Early registration, opening February 15 is $219 for HNS members, $249 for nonmembers. And check out writer Erica Verrillo’s blog for ongoing conferences and writing conferences, including virtual events.

If you’re looking for virtual classes, Blake Kimsey’s Writing Workshops Dallas has something for every writer. Prices range from $40 to $1,900 and everything in between. Not sure which to choose? Send that favorite scribe a gift card!

Additional sites for online classes include the likes of Gotham Writers Workshops and MasterClass.

Or make it yourself

But perhaps you’re looking for something tangible, personal, a gift you can make with your own hands. (No, I’m not talking about cookies. Although cookies are always great. I would never disrespect cookies). How about an individual, handmade book? Called chapbooks, they date to the earliest period of bookmaking and are typically printed on single sheets of paper, folded into eight or more pages, and stitched together.

Modern day versions, called zines (pronounced zeens), can even be handwritten, or pictorial with minimal text. I’ve been itching to make some since attending a workshop years ago. Need inspiration? See my post, “The zines of our postmodern age.” Or go to Writers Write for practical folding and stitching techniques. It will be a gift to remember.

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. 

Tearful goodbye to beloved series – but look, here’s more!

Review of: The Painted Queen

Authors: Elizabeth Peters & Joan Hess
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: Purchase, Barnes & Noble
Grade: C

With an iconic (and contentious) ancient artifact to track down and a string of bizarre murders to solve, Victorian-era archaeologist Amelia Peabody Emerson goes out in a blaze of glory in The Painted Queen, author Elizabeth Peters' final book of her beloved Egyptological series. The story’s exploration of the famed portrait bust of Queen Nefertiti was the manuscript Peters (aka Barbara Mertz) was working on at the time of her death in 2013. Later fleshed out by Mertz's friend and fellow mystery writer Joan Peters, it carries the saga of the Peabody-Emerson family into the 20th century. 

Hess's ability to channel her late friend's spirit in dishing up a final dashing spoof of late Victorian adventure novels is evident as Amelia and her irascible husband Radcliffe Emerson (known affectionately as Peabody and Emerson) fend off assassins, tomb robbers and master criminals with the aid of Peabody’s every-handy parasol while also tackling a mystery surrounding Nefertiti's portrait.  

The story begins with the intrusion of a sinister-looking man who utters the word "Murder" before collapsing with a knife in his back as Peabody is enjoying a well-deserved bath. But was murder what the deceased really said or only an artifact of her vivid imagination? 

"I assure you, Emerson, my hearing is unimpaired," Peabody responds when questioned about her recollection. 

"No doubt,” her husband replies, “but the ability of a dying man to articulate clearly is impaired." 

Alas, this reader must admit that the ability of a dying author to write clearly may also be impaired. And although Amelia's longtime fans will delight in her last adventure, the numerous health issues that plagued both Peters and Hess (who died shortly after the manuscript's publication) mar the telling of this final story.  

I'd like to have seen another pass (or two) by editorial eyes, while acknowledging that more effort probably would have been beyond the strength of Hess, already struggling with serious illness. And despite the charming and informative foreword by another Peters' fan, Egyptology professor Salima Ikram, I wonder whether newcomers to Amelia's saga will understand the enigmatic insertions of "Manuscript H" within the text of The Painted Queen. (In the world of the series, Manuscript H were editorial insertions from the diary of Peabody's and Emerson's son, Ramses.)

Although I was tempted, as were many other reviewers on Amazon and Goodreads, to give this final volume of the Peabody-Emerson saga a lower than three-star review, the words of a “how to review books” page came to mind: review the book in front of you, not the book you hoped to read. I hoped to read a full-fledged, fuller-blooded Elizabeth Peters’ mystery, but the book in front of me, although far below Peters’ best, was still a workmanly novel full of the deliciously-gossipy archaeological tidbits for which Peters is famed. Still, readers new to the saga who may wonder what all the fuss was about would do better to explore the more than a dozen earlier books of the Peabody-Emerson saga, beginning with its initial volume, The Crocodile on the Sandbank. 

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I had no sooner hit “publish” on last week’s post about classes to reenergize writerly souls than more delightful items hit my inbox.

First – NaNoWriMo has again renewed its partnership with Wesleyan University for a second year of online NaNo prep classes  beginning September 1. I raved about the quality (and low cost) of this class last year, and am thrilled to see it return. Wesleyan has a wonderful creative writing heritage. The cost of $29 per each of the five approximately two-week long classes represents a 50 percent discount available only to NaNoWriMos. 

You say you’ve never participated in NaNoWriMo? Announce your intention to join this November and give yourself the benefit of the half-off cost. (Or check with NaNoWriMo) if cost is still an issue for you, but don’t miss out.) 

Next – Carve Magazine has added online writing classes, beginning August 30. I haven’t tried them, but as a Dallas resident, I’m proud of the reputation this Dallas-based literary magazine has acquired. Click on “classroom” at the site for details.

Finally – Lonestar INK rides again! This Dallas writing conference returns February 28-March 2, 2019, promising workshops, writing contests, agents, editors, pitches, the whole shebang! Because the enthusiastic crowd this past February overflowed the facilities available at the Dallas Public Library, organizers are working to find a more comfortable venue. The price probably will be a little higher than 2018’s, but still hundreds less than comparable conferences. Look for Lonestar INK’s website to go live the last week of August.

Writing contests – there's more here than book reviews

This site isn’t all about reviews. Sometimes it’s about competitions, like a chance to win a free writing residency (and more!) from the DFW Writers Workshop. Or can you be tempted by a chance to have bestselling author James Patterson pick you from among his writing students to co-author one of his books? How about a critique (and chance to pitch to) a literary agent in your field? Or, if you’re a medical professional with a yen to write, check out an opportunity just for you.

January 15: Deadline for the Writers League of Texas 2017 manuscript contest is this coming Sunday, January 15. This is a chance to get your manuscript (in any of several genres) before the eyes of writing professionals. Winners in each category will meet individually with the literary agent who was the final judge in their category. No finished manuscript required, only the first approximately 10 pages plus a synopsis. Plus, you don’t need to live in Texas to qualify.

image: wikimedia commons

Fees are $55 for WLT members, $65 for nonmembers. All contestants, winners or not, will receive written feedback. Or plunk members can plunk down $25 ($35 for nonmembers) to enter and forego the written feedback. (Although why wouldn’t you want feedback?)

See the site for details and formatting requirements.

February 1 – March 1: James Patterson’s 22-lesson writing starts with how to get started and covers outlines, plotting, characters, dialogue and more. Includes class workbooks and a chance to submit drafts for feedback from fellow students (and maybe from Patterson himself.) Cost: $90. See the Master Class site for class details and information on how to enter the contest to be his next co-author.

March 10:  The annual Literature + Medicine conference, previously hosted by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, is moving to the campus of Southern Methodist University for this year’s conference, April 1. In addition to some wonderful speakers (last year’s special guest was Dr. Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone, among other works), the conference includes a creative writing contest. Sorry, this is only for health care professionals, but it’s a chance to exercise your skill at essays, poems and short stories about your experience in medicine. Check the Literature + Medicine site for details.

March 22: Now, for those who’ve already written the first chapter of their novels for the Writers League contest, (who are hard at work on the same), get more bang from your work by entering the first-ever writing residence contest from the DFW Writers Workshop. This is the organization that hosts an annual literary conference (this year, May 6-7). Now they’re giving us a chance to polish our work, not to mention free or reduced price admission to the DFWWW conference.

Grand prize winner gets free admission to the conference (which includes a 10-minute pitch session with an agent or editor), admission to VIP events not open to general conference attendees, two weeks’ room and board at the conference hotel, airfare to Dallas-Fort Worth from anywhere in the continental United States, manuscript critique and mentorship by a published author.

Second and third place winners receive free admission to the conference. Fourth and fifth place winners receive half-price admission.

Submit the first chapter (up to 5,000 words) of a book-length work in any prose genre along with an outline or synopsis demonstrating your vision and ability to complete the project. Fee per entry: $50. See the DFW Writers Workshop site for details.