{"id":837,"date":"2018-12-31T14:14:34","date_gmt":"2018-12-31T14:14:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/?p=837"},"modified":"2018-12-31T14:14:34","modified_gmt":"2018-12-31T14:14:34","slug":"austin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/?p=837","title":{"rendered":"Austin"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"articleHeader\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"u217132-22\"><span>For the past thirty-plus years, for five days in March,<\/span> Austin transforms into the epicenter of cutting-edge technology, music, film, journalism, and storytelling. The <span id=\"u217132-20\">South by Southwest<\/span> conference launched in 1987 and since then has grown to celebrate annually the newest, sweetest, coolest, or hottest new thing in technology in all of its forms.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-30\">Attendees at SXSW \u201918 will get the chance to step into the futuristic world of movie mogul <span>Steven Spielberg\u2019s<\/span> forthcoming action adventure flick ahead of the film\u2019s March 29 release. But the work it\u2019s based on has a truly Texas claim to fame: drawn from the book by Austin novelist and poet <span>Ernest Cline, <\/span><span>Ready Player One,<\/span> set in a dystopian 2044, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a virtual reality game, the discovery of which will lead him to inherit a fortune in a world wrecked by an energy crisis.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-39\"><span id=\"u361334\"><span id=\"u361326\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"207\" height=\"137\" src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/tx%20austin_atx%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361326_img\" \/><\/span><\/span>This year\u2019s SXSW promises to be a quest to understand the impact of foreign influence via social media, hacking, and bots on American democracy. <span>Bernie Sanders<\/span> and <span>Arnold Schwarzenegger<\/span> will be on hand to talk about technology\u2019s influence on society, and <span>Senator Mark Warner<\/span> of Virginia will be speaking about the new world of virtual warfare.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-48\">Digital surveillance is also a theme. With a nod to the Precrime division featured in <span>Philip K. Dick\u2019s<\/span> book <span>The Minority Report,<\/span> science futurist and bestselling author <span>David Brin<\/span> will discuss how \u201cpredictive policing\u201d is already here.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"u217132-51\"><span id=\"u361321\"><span id=\"u361316\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"readableLargeImageContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/tx%20austin%20o%20henry%20house%20sign%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361316_img\" \/><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span>Politics and puns<\/h1>\n<p id=\"u217132-53\">Those for whom large gatherings focusing on puns instead of politics are preferred: Austin is still your destination.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-58\">An iconic wordplay event occurs each spring in the state\u2019s capital. Participants in Austin\u2019s <span id=\"u217132-56\">O. Henry Pun-off World Championships<\/span> have been creating clever wordplays for more than four decades \u2014the event, held at Brush Square Park behind the O. Henry House, celebrated its 40th anniversary last spring and comes back around on May 12, 2018.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-65\">Back in the 1880s, when North Carolina native <span>William Sidney Porter <\/span>worked as a draftsman for Texas\u2019s General Land Office and lived with his new wife in a modest rented house in downtown Austin, Brush Square was a much different environment than today, when the relocated house is surrounded by high-rises and hotels. Gaining infamy in Austin as an embezzler and acclaim in Houston, San Antonio, and elsewhere under the famous pseudonym <span>O. Henry,<\/span> Porter set forty-two of his stories in Texas.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-70\">Today, you can visit O. Henry\u2019s relocated Victorian-style house at 409 East 5th Street. The City of Austin maintains the house as a museum dedicated to the author\u2019s life and career during his Austin years; it also manages the <span id=\"u217132-68\">Susanna Dickinson Museum<\/span> next door. Admission to both is free.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"u217132-75\"><span><span id=\"u231792\"><span id=\"u231784\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"readableLargeImageContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/tx%20austin%20philosophers%20rock%2017794%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u231784_img\" \/><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span><\/span>Austin destinations for literary pilgrims<\/h1>\n<p id=\"u217132-89\">Another iconic city-owned destination for book lovers is situated on the other side of Lady Bird Lake from downtown, in Austin\u2019s 350-acre <span id=\"u217132-77\">Zilker Park.<\/span> At the entrance to the historic spring-fed <span id=\"u217132-79\">Barton Springs Pool,<\/span> three giants of Texas letters are frozen mid-debate in a <span>Glenna Goodacre<\/span> sculpture titled \u201cPhilosophers\u2019 Rock.\u201d Since 1994 the bronze likenesses of authors <span>J. Frank Dobie,<\/span> <span>Roy Bedichek,<\/span> and <span>Walter Prescott Webb<\/span> have occupied this prominence near the trio\u2019s long-ago poolside gathering spot for what might be considered \u201cAustin\u2019s first literary salon.\u201d Visitors to the pool\u2019s three acres (yes, you read that right) of clear, cold, open-year-round water will benefit from ongoing improvements to habitat, landscaping, and other functions in the historic park.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-97\"><span id=\"u217133\"><span id=\"u217134\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"212\" height=\"105\" src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin_texas%20center%20for%20the%20book%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u217134_img\" \/><\/span><\/span>In 2015 the <span id=\"u217132-93\">Texas Center for the Book<\/span> moved to Austin from Dallas, where the Dallas Public Library had hosted the organization since its inception in 1987. The Texas Center for the Book (TCB), now located at the <span id=\"u217132-95\">Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building<\/span> adjacent to the capitol, was established to stimulate public interest in books, reading, and libraries and encourages the study of the written word to the more than 28 million residents in the State of Texas.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-100\">One of fifty state centers affiliated with the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, the TCB is a nonprofit organization under the direction of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and is guided by library professionals, educators, authors, publishers and booksellers who provide support to their shared mission of promoting a love of literature throughout the Lone Star State. The TCB sponsors special exhibits, literary programs, creative writing contests, lectures and symposia, and publications. It promotes the educational and cultural role of the book; the history of books and printing; authorship and writing; libraries; publishing and preservations of books; reading and literacy.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-113\"><span id=\"u361347\"><span id=\"u361339\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"208\" height=\"81\" src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin_llillas%20bentson%202016%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361339_img\" \/><\/span><\/span>The TCB and the Texas State Archives and Library are among the many government and university sites in the state\u2019s capitol that welcome visitors regularly. Bookish travelers to Austin will find literary wonders in store at the <span id=\"u217132-103\">LBJ Presidential Library,<\/span> the <span id=\"u217132-105\">LLILAS (Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies) Benson Collection, <\/span>and the <span id=\"u217132-107\">Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, <\/span>and <span id=\"u217132-109\">UT\u2019s Perry-Casta\u00f1eda Library,<\/span> all on the UT campus, as well as the <span id=\"u217132-111\">Austin History Center,<\/span> a unit of the public library.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-116\">Above: On the UT campus near the LBJ Library, the LLILAS-Benson Collection offers a spacious reading room for followers of Latin American letters.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-120\"><span id=\"u362478\"><span id=\"u362479-4\"><span>\u2014\u2014\u2014 A D V E R T I S E M E N T \u2014\u2014<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-126\"><span id=\"u362450\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thelongcenter.org\/event\/deepak-chopra-future-wellbeing\/?utm_campaign=deepak-chopra-future-wellbeing&#038;utm_medium=referral&#038;utm_source=lonestarliterary\" id=\"u362445\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"readableLinkWithLargeImage\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"readableLargeImageContainer float\"><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/long%20center_deepakchopra_220x300%20ad%20feb%202018.jpg\"  id=\"u362445_img\" \/><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/span>The <span id=\"u217132-122\">Long Center for the Performing Arts<\/span> (also affiliated with the University of Texas), with its inspiring views of <span id=\"u217132-124\">Lady Bird Lake,<\/span> and the restored Paramount Theatre also host literary events throughout the year, bringing in some of the nation\u2019s top talent.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"u217132-129\">Austin Public Library\u2019s many locales and programs<\/h1>\n<p id=\"u217132-133\">For some while now, travelers along Lady Bird Lake have watched an impressive, six-story, contemporary structure take shape. When the eagerly anticipated new <span id=\"u217132-131\">Faulk Central Library<\/span> opened in fall 2017, the media praised it as a downtown game-changer and a gathering place.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-144\"><span id=\"u361370\"><span id=\"u361362\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"readableLargeImageContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin_austin%20central%20library_2018%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361362_img\" \/><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span>The new Central Library, facing <span id=\"u217132-136\">Lady Bird Lake,<\/span> opened in 2017 as the first &#8220;library for the future&#8221; in the United States and only the second in the world. When the new central library opened in October, Austin <span id=\"u217132-138\">American-Statesman<\/span> architectural writer <span>Michael Barnes<\/span> called it \u201ca place of consequence.\u201d As Barnes noted in the <span id=\"u217132-142\">Statesman,<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-146\">\u201cThe floor surfaces in the 198,000-square-foot, multi-angled structure are made of cut mesquite blocks, so hard a material that it once was used to pave streets in San Antonio. The vast windows and interior surfaces transmit huge volumes of natural light, while perforated metal sunscreens, sometimes rendered as screen porches, sometimes as literary quotations punched through the metal, protect the airy six floors of the library from heat and glare.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-148\">This spring the Cookbook Cafe will launch inside the brand-new, state-of-the-art Austin Central Library. The counter-service eatery and bar will feature cookbook-inspired food and drink, as well as special events with touring culinary authors. A spacious, airy and adjacent area will be used for cooking demonstrations.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-150\">The new library was a $125 million project, $90 million of which came from public bonds. The library foundation helped raise the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-153\">The new Austin library outranks the once-largest McAllen Public Library in a refurbished and renovated former Walmart as one of the largest libraries in Texas. McAllen\u2019s Library boasts 123,000 square feet; Austin\u2019s new Central Library is 198,000 square feet.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-158\">The Austin Public Library System also includes twenty public library branches that host everything from genealogy classes to the Austin Poetry Society\u2019s monthly gatherings to the <span id=\"u217132-156\">Recycled Reads<\/span> secondhand bookstore. The former Faulk Central Library at 800 Guadalupe Street is under renovation as an extension of the Austin History Center.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"u217132-161\">Words on wheels<\/h1>\n<p id=\"u217132-168\"><span id=\"u361426\"><span id=\"u361421\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"218\" height=\"135\" src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin_human%20powered%20library%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361421_img\" \/><\/span><\/span>In Austin, one of the high-tech libraries might even come to you. In 2017 the Austin Public Library debuted its first human-powered mobile library, <span id=\"u217132-163\">unbound: sin fronteras,<\/span> which shares books, information and online resources with the community at non-traditional venues. The unbound: sin fronteras trike and trailer pops up around Austin at community events, washaterias, or even city parks. Funded by the Austin Public Library and the Austin Transportation Department&#8217;s Active Transportation Program (formerly the <span id=\"u217132-165\">City of Austin Bicycle Program<\/span>), the unbound: sin fronteras fleet is made up of a cargo trike from Haley Trikes in Philadelphia and a custom-built trailer by local builder Saila Bicycles. Both are hand-painted by Red Rider Studios, which recently relocated to Taylor, Texas. The trike and trailer were assembled in Austin at <span id=\"u217132-167\">East Side Pedal Pushers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-171\">Want pedals of your own? Austin\u2019s a very bike-friendly city, with inviting paths and lanes, and numerous bicycle rental options \u2014 including the bike sharing service B-cycle, which offers some 50 kiosks around town. Pedicabs and 14-seater pedal-pusher \u201cparty on wheels\u201d vehicles are other people-powered ways to see Austin\u2019s bookish sites.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-179\">For guided group tours, there\u2019s <span id=\"u217132-174\">Segway, <\/span>with multiple operators and packages. Nation Tours\u2019s nightly Haunted Ghost and Bat Segway Tour is a great way to view Austin\u2019s historic moonlight towers, which figure in the 19th-century true-crime story depicted in <span>Skip Hollandworth\u2019s<\/span> 2017 <span>The Midnight Assassin: The Hunt for America\u2019s First Serial Killer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-184\">\u00a0If you\u2019re inclined to visit the <span id=\"u217132-182\">Texas State Cemetery, <\/span>where many of Austin\u2019s literary figures are buried, drive or bike to the cemetery\u2019s visitor center at 909 Navasota Street. Guided group tours for 10 or more may be scheduled in advance.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-187\"><span id=\"u361416\"><span id=\"u361411\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"221\" height=\"148\" src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin_flatbed%20press%20exterior%202016%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361411_img\" \/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h1 id=\"u217132-189\"><span id=\"u361396\"><span id=\"u361388\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"readableLargeImageContainer float\"><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin%20book%20arts%20center%20type%202016%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361388_img\" \/><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span>Just our type<\/h1>\n<p id=\"u217132-199\">The <span id=\"u217132-191\">Austin Book Arts Center,<\/span> housed in the im-<span id=\"u217132-193\">press<\/span>-ive <span id=\"u217132-195\">Flatbed building<\/span> at 2832 E. Martin Luther King, opened at its new location in fall 2015 with a mission to engage people of all ages in creative, interpretive, and educational experiences related to the arts of the book. Drawing on the expertise of longtime book-arts specialists in the area as well as Austin \u00e9migr\u00e9 from Houston\u2019s Printing Museum <span>Amanda Stevenson,<\/span> ABAC offers workshops in letterpress printing, bookbinding, papermaking, typography, book history and design, and various arts of the book. In addition, ABAC provides access to equipment for qualified users during regularly scheduled Open Studios. Through its activities, ABAC seeks to advance the book as a vital contemporary art form, preserve the traditional and robust crafts related to making books, promote the contemporary arts of making books, inspire diverse artists and learners, and engage the community in creative, interpretive, and educational experiences, including the improvement of literacy for people of all ages.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-202\">The Austin Book Arts Center (right) teaches all of the crafts related to traditional bookbuilding. Since 2015 it has been housed in the headquarters of the Flatbed Press, which celebrated 25 years of printmaking in 2016.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-207\">And if you\u2019re a fan of vintage letter craft\u2014or a poet\u2014check out the <span id=\"u217132-205\">Typewriter Rodeo,<\/span> a hardy group of writers-for-hire who create ad hoc compositions on old Royals and Underwoods.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"u217132-210\"><span id=\"u361436\"><span id=\"u361431\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"221\" height=\"140\" src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin_texas%20book%20festival%20tent%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361431_img\" \/><\/span><\/span>Texas Book Festival<\/h1>\n<p id=\"u217132-212\">One Austin tradition that has bridged old and new is the Texas Book Festival, now in its third decade (the exact weekend is always coordinated with the away football schedule for the UT Longhorns; 2018 dates are Oct. 27-\u201328). A free annual book fair held on the grounds and premises of the State Capitol and other nearby venues, the festival was established in 1995 by Laura Bush, then the first lady of Texas, and Mary Margaret Farabee, wife of former state senator Ray Farabee. Featuring hundreds of authors, performers, and publishers each year, the festival benefits the state\u2019s public library system, promotes the joy of reading, and honors Texas authors. Approximately 50,000 book lovers of all ages attended last year. With the assistance of honorary chairman and librarian Mrs. Bush, and a dedicated task force, the festival has grown to be one of the largest in the nation; it\u2019s hosted more than 3,000 authors since its . Since its founding, according to the festival\u2019s website, the TBF has donated nearly $3 million to Texas public libraries and donated more than 81,000 books to students in Title I schools through its Reading Rock Stars program.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-218\"><span id=\"u361462\"><span id=\"u361454\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"readableLargeImageContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin_texas%20book%20festival%202015%20readers%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361454_img\" \/><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span><span>The Texas Book Festival also sponsors a <\/span><span id=\"u217132-215\">LitCrawl<\/span><span> on the Friday evening preceding the festival proper, and it now hosts other events throughout the year, such as the <\/span><span id=\"u217132-217\">Texas Teen Book Festival.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-243\">The Austin area is home to many other book fairs and festivals as well. Check out the <span id=\"u217132-221\">Jewish Book Fair,<\/span> the <span id=\"u217132-223\">New Fiction Confab,<\/span> the <span id=\"u217132-225\">African American Book Festival,<\/span> the <span id=\"u217132-227\">Austin International Poetry Festival,<\/span> <span id=\"u217132-229\">Poetry at Round Top, <\/span>the <span id=\"u217132-231\">LesFic Book Festival,<\/span> the <span id=\"u217132-233\">Humanities Texas Book Fair,<\/span> the <span id=\"u217132-235\">Pflugerville Book Festival,<\/span> and the <span id=\"u217132-237\">Austin Book &#038; Paper Show,<\/span> to name a few of the biggies. The best way to keep up with recurring events in Austin (and elsewhere) is on <span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.lonestarliterary.com\/go.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span id=\"u217132-239\">Lone Star Literary Life\u2019s Go page<\/span><\/a><\/span>, which posts current dates as soon as they\u2019re announced.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"u217132-247\">Indie bookstores, chain bookstores<\/h1>\n<p id=\"u217132-268\"><span id=\"u361906\"><span id=\"u361898\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"184\" height=\"118\" src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin_malvern%20books%20exterior%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361898_img\" \/><\/span><\/span>Greater Austin is blessed with a bounty of\u00a0 bookstores, including indies <span id=\"u217132-250\">BookPeople, BookWoman, Malvern Books, Resistencia Bookstore, South Congress Books, Austin Books &#038; Comics, MonkeyWrench Books,<\/span> and <span id=\"u217132-252\">Brave New Books<\/span> (Read more in-depth descriptions of these bastions of books at the <span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.texasbookfestival.org\/top-independent-bookstores-austin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Texas Book Festival website<\/a><\/span>) and five <span id=\"u217132-258\">Barnes &#038; Nobles,<\/span> six <span id=\"u217132-260\">Half Price Books<\/span> stores, and a <span id=\"u217132-262\">Mardel Christian Bookstore.<\/span> Comics fans can also shop at <span id=\"u217132-264\">Dragon\u2019s Lair Comics &#038; Fantasy, Tribe Comics &#038; Games, <\/span>and <span id=\"u217132-266\">Hops and Heroes.<\/span> All feature regularly events for the literary enthusiast.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-271\">Above: Malvern Books offers an elegant space for readings and events, and a selection of world literature and poetry second to none.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-280\"><span id=\"u217132-273\"><span id=\"u361477\"><span id=\"u361478\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"214\" height=\"166\" src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin_bookpeople%20marquee%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361478_img\" \/><\/span><\/span><\/span><span id=\"u217132-274\">BookPeople<\/span> alone hosts more than 300 (yes, three hundred) events annually, with authors far and near. For popular touring authors\u2014such as recent readers <span id=\"u217132-276\">Bruce Springsteen<\/span> and former presidential candidate <span>Hillary Clinton<\/span>\u2014space may be limited, and the store issues advance free tickets for these. But even if you can\u2019t make it in person to a signing, BookPeople provides an online pre-ordering service for signed copies.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-286\"><span id=\"u361480\"><span id=\"u361481\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"readableLargeImageContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin_jenna%20opperman%20reading%20feb%202016%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361481_img\" \/><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span><span id=\"u217132-282\">BookWoman,<\/span> on North Lamar, recently celebrated forty years in business\u2014making it one of only a handful of feminist bookstores still thriving in North America. Owner Susan Post was named Austin\u2019s \u201cBest Feminist Flamekeeper\u201d by the <span id=\"u217132-284\">Austin Chronicle<\/span> in 2014; the store has made the Chronicle\u2019s \u201cbest\u201d lists in numerous categories over the years.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-301\">In the spoken-word realm, there\u2019s a lot to hear in Austin, including the <span id=\"u217132-289\">Neo-Soul Poetry Slam<\/span> (every Thursday at <span id=\"u217132-291\">Mr. Catfish &#038; More<\/span>), the <span id=\"u217132-293\">Austin Poetry Slam<\/span> (Tuesdays at the <span id=\"u217132-295\">Spider House Caf\u00e9 and Ballroom<\/span>), and the <span id=\"u217132-297\">Spoken and Heard<\/span> (Open Mic poetry) series (<span id=\"u217132-299\">Kick Butt Coffee,<\/span> Sunday nights).<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-304\">Left: BookWoman has hosted writers from Austin and around the globe for more than four decades, including local poet Jenna Martin Opperman in February 2016.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-308\"><span id=\"u361985\"><span id=\"u361977\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"readableLargeImageContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin_amazon%20store%20opens%20in%20austin%202018%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361977_img\" \/><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span><span>Left: Interior of the first Amazon Books store in Texas, which opened in Austin on March 6, 2018 in Domain Northside. (Amazon\/Courtesy photo)<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-329\">Austin also has a wealth of places to shop for books including museum stores and destinations with gift stores such as the <span id=\"u217132-311\">Bob Bullock Museum Store;<\/span> the <span id=\"u217132-313\">Capitol Gift Shop;<\/span> the <span id=\"u217132-315\">Austin History Center;<\/span> the <span id=\"u217132-317\">UT Coop<\/span> campus bookstore; the <span id=\"u217132-319\">Lady Bird Wildflower Center;<\/span> and the <span id=\"u217132-321\">LBJ Library<\/span>. For used, rare, and collectible volumes, turn to <span id=\"u217132-323\">South Congress Books,<\/span> 12th Street Books, and the newcomer in 2017, <span id=\"u217132-325\">Balcones Books<\/span>. And you never know what will turn up at <span id=\"u217132-327\">Recycled Reads,<\/span> open regular hours in the public library branch at 5335 Burnet Rd.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-332\">The LBJ Library plans a robust year of fiftieth anniversary events in 2018, the anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson\u2019s last full year in office and a time of great social change. The museum will host events throughout the year to showcase key turning points.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-341\">From political discourse to the spoken-word realm, there\u2019s a lot to hear in Austin, including the <span id=\"u217132-335\">Neo-Soul Poetry Slam<\/span> (every Thursday at Apanas at The Domain), the <span id=\"u217132-337\">Austin Poetry Slam,<\/span> which celebrated 20 years in 2015 (Tuesdays at the Spider House Caf\u00e9 and Ballroom), and the <span id=\"u217132-339\">Spoken and Heard<\/span> (Open Mic poetry) series (Kick Butt Coffee, Sunday nights).<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"u217132-344\">Literary visitors and Austin\u2019s university campuses<\/h1>\n<p id=\"u217132-352\"><span id=\"u361531\"><span id=\"u361526\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"219\" height=\"146\" src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin%20hrc%20nov%202016_3sm219x147.jpg\"  id=\"u361526_img\" \/><\/span><\/span>Austin\u2019s a world-class university city, of course, and that means frequent opportunities to catch a reading by visiting writers at <span id=\"u217132-346\">UT-Austin, St. Edward\u2019s University, Austin Community College,<\/span> and other institutions. UT\u2019s <span id=\"u217132-348\">Harry Ransom Center for the Humanities<\/span> (right), which recently added to its lengthy roster of literary archives the papers of the late Nobel Prize winning author <span>Gabriel Garc\u00eda M\u00e1rquez<\/span> , maintains a renowned collection of rare books (including a Gutenberg Bible and three Shakespeare First Folios) and holds more than 42 million manuscripts. The Center mounts public exhibitions year-round from its collections. While the HRC is primarily a research institution and use of its collections must be arranged in advance, public tours are offered at regular times, several days a week; no reservation is required.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-359\">The <span id=\"u217132-355\">Michener Center for Writers,<\/span> a top-ranked MFA program, accepts fellows to study and write with dozens of resident and visiting faculty in fiction, poetry, playwriting or screenwriting. In 2017, author <span>Bret Anthony Johnston<\/span> of Corpus Christi returned to his native state to take the helm of the program.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-366\">Also associated with the University of Texas is the <span id=\"u217132-362\">Dobie Paisano Fellowship Program<\/span> for Texas-related authors. The twice-yearly residencies, among the nation\u2019s most coveted fellowships, are sited at the 250-acre ranch of Texas literary legend <span>J. Frank Dobie,<\/span> about 20 miles west of Austin.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"u217132-369\">Austin&#8217;s authors<\/h1>\n<p id=\"u217132-371\"><span id=\"u361503\"><span id=\"u361504\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"readableLargeImageContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin%20authors%20montage%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361504_img\" \/><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span>Well-known living authors from Austin or with Austin connections\u2014and this is only a brief sampling of local talent indeed\u2014include Jeff Abbott, Sarah Bird, Gary Cartwright, Oscar Casares, Elizabeth Crook, Kinky Friedman, Stephen Harrigan, Bethany Hegedus, David Heymann, Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, Skip Hollandsworth, Cynthia Leitech Smith, Nikki Loftin, James Magnuson (director of the Michener Center), Jan Reid, Mary Helen Specht, John Spong, Liz Garon Scanlon, Kip Stratton, Jesse Sublett, Andres Tijerina, Toni Tipton-Martin, and Lawrence Wright.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-377\"><span>Austin&#8217;s authors<\/span>\u00a0 <span id=\"u217132-375\">Authors associated with Austin include, from top left: <\/span><span id=\"u217132-376\">Sarah Bird, Stephen Harrigan, Elizabeth Crook, Jeff Abbott, Nikki Loftin, Amanda Eyre Ward, Skip Hollandsworth, Mary Helen Specht, Lawrence Wright, Bethany Hegedus, Natalia Sylvester, Don Tate, Katherine Catmull, Edward Carey, Elizabeth McCracken.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-380\">The Austin Public Library maintains\u00a0 a useful, more comprehensive list:<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-382\">http:\/\/www.austinlinks.com\/austin_media\/austin_writers.html<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-389\">Past literary lights of Austin include western writer <span>J. Frank Dobie<\/span>\u00a0 and the newsman-storyteller <span>O. Henry, <\/span>the onetime Austin resident William Sidney Porter, who crowned the state capital \u201cCity of the Violet Crown.\u201d<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"u217132-392\"><span id=\"u361500\"><span id=\"u361501\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"readableLargeImageContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\"   src=\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/austin%20area%20books%20montage%202017%20sm.jpg\"  id=\"u361501_img\" \/><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span>The Writers\u2019 League of Texas and other writers\u2019 resources<\/h1>\n<p id=\"u217132-396\">For learning experiences accessible to the wider writing public, join the <span id=\"u217132-394\">Writers\u2019 League of Texas<\/span> and sign up for their workshops, newsletters, conference, and contests. Founded in 1981 as the Austin Writers\u2019 League, the organization expanded its scope in 2000 to serve a statewide population of writers and authors.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-401\">In recent years Austin has played home to a burgeoning enclave of young adult, middle grade, and children\u2019s authors. Four local chapters of the <span id=\"u217132-399\">Society of Children\u2019s Book Writers and Illustrators<\/span> (SCBWI) are known for fostering a close-knit community of children&#8217;s book creators. It meets monthly and holds workshops and critique and networking opportunities throughout the year. The organization also runs an annual conference for all levels of creators.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-414\">Austin\u2019s also home to the Texas Institute of Letters; three chapters of the <span id=\"u217132-404\">Romance Writers of America,<\/span> two chapters of <span id=\"u217132-406\">Sisters in Crime, <\/span>a chapter of <span id=\"u217132-408\">Mystery Writers of America,<\/span> and more than a dozen critique groups in the region that are open to newcomers. (Check them out on our <span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.lonestarliterary.com\/write.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Write page<\/a><\/span>.)<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-419\">If you like to learn about the writing craft when you travel, you\u2019ll want to check out <span id=\"u217132-417\">the Writing Barn.<\/span> Situated on seven and a half wooded acres in south Austin, this rural-chic facility under the oaks provides a peaceful retreat for writers without ever leaving Austin and hosts a slate of workshops, talks, seminars, and meetings.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-424\">And when you\u2019re ready to plug into the publishing scene, you\u2019ll find myriad opportunities in Austin. From the <span id=\"u217132-422\">University of Texas Press,<\/span> which publishes regional trade books and art books in addition to its core of scholarly titles, to a flourishing trend of independent and small presses and journals, there\u2019s plenty to learn and enjoy.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"u217132-427\">Hop on<\/h1>\n<p id=\"u217132-431\">After experiencing all that Austin offers, literary travelers (especially those coming to SXSW) are sure to work up a thirst. <span id=\"u217132-429\">Hops &#038; Heroes <\/span>Comics, 1118 E. Cesar Chavez St., is currently in the process of applying for a beer and wine sales permit from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. In the meantime, they are offering free local beer for patrons and guests of legal age. This 501(c (3) nonprofit provides educational scholarships to financially disadvantaged students attending a two- or four-year college or university. In-store purchases and donations from customers, guests, and individuals help fund the program.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-434\">They\u2019re also the first Austin comics book store to deliver.<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"u217132-437\">Plan your visit<\/h1>\n<p id=\"u217132-451\">In addition to the statewide coverage of book events and authors news in <span id=\"u217132-439\">Lone Star Literary Life<\/span> each week, and the reviews in the Sunday <span>Austin American-Statesman,<\/span> when you\u2019re traveling to Austin be sure to check out the <span id=\"u217132-443\">American-Statesman\u2019s<\/span> <span>Austin 360<\/span>, <span>CultureMap,<\/span> and the <span>Austin Chronicle<\/span> to plan your bookish itinerary.<\/p>\n<p id=\"u217132-454\">* * * * *<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the past thirty-plus years, for five days in March, Austin transforms into the epicenter of cutting-edge technology, music, film, journalism, and storytelling. The South by Southwest conference launched in 1987 and since then has grown to celebrate annually the newest, sweetest, coolest, or hottest new thing in technology in all of its forms. Attendees [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/837\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}