{"id":891,"date":"2018-12-31T14:32:22","date_gmt":"2018-12-31T14:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/?p=891"},"modified":"2018-12-31T14:32:22","modified_gmt":"2018-12-31T14:32:22","slug":"4-2-17-news-briefs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/?p=891","title":{"rendered":"4.2.17 News Briefs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Year of firsts: Texas Institute of Letters convention has a new location \u2014 and a new focus<\/h1>\n

by Chrisine Granados<\/p>\n

The year 2017 will be remembered as one of firsts<\/span> for the Texas non-profit literary honor society, the Texas Institute of Letters. The TIL will host its convention and awards banquet for the first time in El Paso and New Mexico on April 7\u20138. It will award the Lon Tinkle Award for Lifetime Achievement to a Mexican American woman and will induct a musician into the organization, both TIL firsts.<\/p>\n

Steve L. Davis, <\/span>TIL president, said his position as president comes with a lot of work and few privileges but one of those perks is that he got to help choose the site of the annual banquet. \u201cI knew we had never met in El Paso since I was inducted back in 2009 and I thought as president it was time for the TIL to go back,\u201d he said. \u201cThen I started looking through the history and realized, damn, the TIL has been around for eight-one years and has never<\/span> met in El Paso!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEl Paso is a great place for the TIL to meet because it arguably has the richest literary history in the state of Texas,\u201d said Davis, who is the curator of the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University. \u201cWhen you compare its literary output to other cities in Texas I\u2019m not sure that another does it as well as far as writers who have come out of El Paso or who have lived and worked there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inclusiveness a goal for 2017<\/h1>\n

Davis and TIL vice president Carmen Tafolla<\/span> and author Benjamin Alire S\u00e1enz<\/span> were voted into the TIL in 2009. \u201cWhen I was inducted and realized that Ben S\u00e1enz and Carmen Tafolla were voted in at the same time I was embarrassed. In all honesty, these were two people who should have gotten in long before me. Carmen, Ben and I talked about the TIL at the time and we questioned whether we wanted to join or not because it seemed like an insider\u2019s club.\u201d<\/p>\n

Davis said he and Tafolla joined because they wanted to help lead \u201can evolution from the inside.\u201d S\u00e1enz declined membership. \u201cIt\u2019s funny because when we got in we found that the TIL members were people with busy lives, whose circle of influence were similar, which made it an insular organization,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople inside the organization were already changing and becoming aware, so the change was already happening. Kip Stratton<\/span> (treasurer of TIL) was the emerging leader within the TIL and he was leading the evolution.\u201d<\/p>\n

S\u00e1enz, a multi-genre author and PEN\/Faulkner Award winner, has now accepted TIL membership and will read from his work at the Saturday banquet.<\/p>\n

Literary achievement<\/h1>\n

The TIL circle of influence has been accused of being male-centered since its founding in 1936, when J. Frank Dobie\u2019s<\/span> Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver<\/span> won book of the year over Katherine Anne Porter\u2019s<\/span> Pale Horse, Pale Rider.<\/span> Perhaps this influence can best be seen in the organization\u2019s lifetime achievement awards. The Lon Tinkle Award has been given to five women since it began in 1981. Last year\u2019s recipient, Sarah Bird,<\/span> a novelist, screenwriter, journalist, and Dobie Paisano fellow, made mention of the fact in her literary achievement acceptance speech at the awards banquet in Austin.<\/p>\n

This year the honor has been given to Pat Mora,<\/span> the third Mexican American and sixth woman to be given the Lon Tinkle Award for Literary of Achievement. \u201cI am, of course, grateful to those who made the decision. I am pensive about being the first Latina though \u2014 2017,\u201d the El Paso native said. \u201cI think of all the women of Mexican descent, as I am, who wrote and savored words through the years on the landscape we now call Texas. It gives me pause.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said that there is a prevailing myth that inclusiveness and diversity equals lowering standards and it is something she is working to dispel. \u201cWhether we\u2019re talking about colors, flowers, or people, diversity enriches our individual lives, expands our sense of the possible,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing committed to encouraging more voices means more work. Groups that take turns honoring one another and friends are basically comfortable private clubs, even if composed of talented people. I think all of us committed to the power, privilege and pleasure of the written word want our knowledge and understanding of Texas literature to be deep and wide. How exciting that TIL agrees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mora, who is best known for her poetry, writes in many genres and has forty-seven books to her credit. She has received honorary degrees and countless awards for her literary achievement. However, her legacy will endure most strongly through her efforts in founding the community-based literacy initiative El d\u00eda de los ni\u00f1os, El d\u00eda del los libros<\/span>\/Children\u2019s Day, Book Day. Mora brought this Latin American tradition of a day-long celebration filled with food, games, and activities as a special recognition for children and expanded it to promote literacy and bilingual education. The celebration was adopted as national holiday by the American Library Association and has grown to include all languages and cultures. Today, D\u00eda de los ni\u00f1os is celebrated in libraries across the United States.<\/p>\n

Inductees<\/h1>\n

Another first for the TIL is the induction of a musician in the literary organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me say up front that we are not inducting Joe Ely<\/span> as a musician but as a writer,\u201d Davis said. \u201cHe\u2019s written two books, Bonfire Road Maps,<\/span> a memoir of his life on the road, and Reverb: An Odyssey.<\/span> It\u2019s fantastic and it reads like Beat novel about his move from Lubbock across the state of Texas. When I read that, I thought this guy has such a well-developed literary sensibility, with a consistent voice and literary technique. He is nominated as a literary writer. It\u2019s why he got voted in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ely was surprised and honored by the inclusion. \u201cI\u2019m thrilled and humbled,\u201d Ely said. \u201cI really think that this will open the door to other musicians because there are so many great writers out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really a bonus that Joe\u2019s a musician. Because he\u2019s going to come and play a song,\u201d Davis said. \u201cHe\u2019s also a good reader. It\u2019s always good when you have a writer who is also a terrific performer. He and his wife Sharon have been highly enthusiastic and are deeply honored by this. He canceled one of his performances to come to the banquet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with Ely, fourteen new members will join the TIL. The 2017 honorees are: Celeste Bedford Walker, David Bowles, Bobby Byrd, Lee Merrill Byrd, Cary Clack, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Elizabeth Harris, Cliff Hudder, Baine Kerr, Attica Locke, C. M. Mayo, Elaine Scott, Thad Sitton,<\/span> and Rosalyn Story.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one of the largest and most impressive groups of writers to come into the TIL in single year,\u201d said Davis. \u201cFor those elected it means that you have the respect and admiration of your fellow writers, which is a very significant level of recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n

The banquet, which will take place in Sunland Park, New Mexico, will award more than $20,000 in prize money to writers in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, history, poetry, children and young adult, short stories, journalism, along with a special award recognizing book design. The competition is limited to those who have lived in the state for at least two years or have entries pertaining to Texas subjects.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cool thing about TIL being in El Paso is that it is a reflection of the people in Texas and membership in the TIL,\u201d Davis said. \u201cRight now, the TIL is the closest it has ever been to the ideals of why it was established \u2013 to be an organization that truly reflects and celebrates Texas letters and the production of literary in Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n

(continued on opposite column)<\/p>\n

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Texas Mountain Trail Writers to hold 25th annual retreat, Sat., April 29, at historic Indian Lodge<\/h1>\n

The Texas Mountain Trail Writers group invites both beginning to advanced authors<\/span> to join them for a one-day retreat at the Indian Lodge in the historicDavis Mountain State Park in scenic Big Bend area, Sat., April 29, 2017. It will mark the group\u2019s twenty-fifth year of hosting the retreat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Presenters of this year\u2019s retreat are Barbara Brannon<\/span> and Kay Ellington<\/span> of Lubbock, Texas, editors of Lone Star Literary Life and coauthors of the Paragraph Ranch series of novels. The novels have been praised by readers for realistic characters, authentic West Texas settings, and interesting plots.<\/p>\n

Brannon holds graduate degrees in American literature and book history. She has taught creative writing and is widely published. Ellington is a graduate of the Kenyon Review Writers\u2019 Workshop and founder of Lone Star Literary Life. Both women combine more than five decades of experience in teaching, book publishing, editing, and marketing.<\/p>\n

The theme of this year\u2019s retreat is \u201cWrite Inspired: Fiction.\u201d In keeping with this theme, the presenters will expose attendees to techniques that will help them to create believable characters, enrich character interactions, enhance dramatic tension, and develop realistic plots. Some practical aspects of marketing, publishing, and editing will also be addressed.<\/p>\n

Dr. Brannon and Ms. Ellington will give attendees the opportunity to complete writing exercises that will enhance their understanding of the writing craft. Free workbooks will be provided. In some sessions, participants will be able to join discussions.<\/p>\n

Check-in before morning sessions will begin at 8 A.M. A free continental breakfast will be served from 8 A.M. until 9 A.M. Check-in and breakfast will take place in the meeting room below the Black Bear Restaurant. The retreat will start at 9 A.M. and end at 4 P.M. A lunch break is scheduled for 12 noon until 1 P.M. Attendees can eat lunch at the Black Bear Restaurant or drive four miles into Fort Davis to eat at establishments there. After the retreat ends, participants are invited to join other attendees for a 5 P.M. meal at the Black Bear.<\/p>\n

The cost of the event is $70 per person. Individuals paying their registration fees will automatically become members of the Texas Mountain Trail Writers. They will be eligible to be published in the TMTW\u2019s annual anthology. Other than the continental breakfast, meals and lodging are not included in the registration fee. Early registration is encouraged because of limited space.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Participants planning to stay overnight at the Indian Lodge can call Texas Parks and Wildlife, Indian Lodge, Fort Davis, Texas. The reservation number is 512-389-8982. Reservations should be made early. Spring is coming, and the rooms are booked quickly.<\/p>\n

For other lodging information, contact the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce (www.ftdavis.com or 432-426-3015). This organization has a list of area vacancies (including RV campgrounds).<\/p>\n

If you have further questions about the retreat, contact Jackie Siglin, Registrar, at ten.dnebgib@1aksaladekab.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Six Texas authors nominated for eight RITAs in 2017 romance novel awards<\/h1>\n

Each year up to 2,000 romance novels<\/span> are entered in the Romance Writers of America\u2019s RITA competition\u2014and an impressive number of books by Texas authors have made this year\u2019s finalist round. Once RWA announces the RITA finalists, a final round of judges evaluates and scores these novels to determine the RITA Award winners, which are announced at a black-tie awards ceremony on Thursday, July 27, 2017 at the Swan and Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, Florida.<\/p>\n

Congratulations to the Texas authors whose novels have made the cut.<\/p>\n

Best First Book<\/h1>\n

Once and For All: An American Valor Novel<\/span> by Cheryl Etchison<\/span><\/p>\n

(Avon, Impulse; Priyanka Krishnan and Rebecca Lucash, editors)<\/p>\n

Cheryl Etchison graduated from the University of Oklahoma\u2019s School of Journalism and began her career as an oil and gas reporter. From there she moved on to public relations and now fiction; she lives in Austin.<\/p>\n

Contemporary Romance: Mid-Length<\/h1>\n

Lone Heart Pass<\/span> by Jodi Thomas<\/span><\/p>\n

(Harlequin, HQN; Brittany Lawery and Susan Swinwood, editors)<\/p>\n

Jodi Thomas, author of more than forty novels and thirteen short-story collections, has previously won five RITA awards. In 2006 she was the eleventh writer to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. She currently serves as writer in residence at West Texas A&M University and lives in Canyon.<\/p>\n

Once and For All: An American Valor Novel<\/span> by Cheryl Etchison<\/span><\/p>\n

(Avon, Impulse; Priyanka Krishnan and Rebecca Lucash, editors)<\/p>\n

Cheryl Etchison graduated from the University of Oklahoma\u2019s School of Journalism and began her career as an oil and gas reporter. From there she moved on to public relations and now fiction; she lives in Austin.<\/p>\n

Wanderlust<\/span> by Roni Loren<\/span><\/p>\n

(Penguin Random House, Berkley; Kate Seaver, editor)<\/p>\n

Roni Loren earned a master\u2019s degree in social work from Louisiana State University and has worked in mental health careers, counseling, and recruitment. She lives in Dallas.<\/p>\n

Erotic Romance<\/h1>\n

Off the Clock<\/span> by Roni Loren<\/span><\/p>\n

(Penguin Random House, Berkley; Kate Seaver, editor)<\/p>\n

Roni Loren earned a master\u2019s degree in social work from Louisiana State University and has worked in mental health careers, counseling, and recruitment. She lives in Dallas.<\/p>\n

Historical Romance: Long<\/h1>\n

The Moon in the Palace <\/span>by Weina Dai Randel<\/span><\/p>\n

(Sourcebooks, Landmark; Shana Drehs and Anna Michels, editors)<\/p>\n

Weina Dai Randel was born in China and grew up there. She came to the U.S. when she was twenty-four and has lived here more than fifteen years. She earned an MA in English from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, and now lives in Flower Mound.<\/p>\n

Romance Novella<\/h1>\n

\u201cThe Husband Maneuver\u201d by Karen Witemeyer<\/span> in With This Ring?<\/span><\/p>\n

(Baker Publishing, Bethany House; Charlene Patterson, editor)<\/p>\n

Karen Witemeyer grew up in California but attended college at Abilene Christian University, where she earned bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in psychology. She is a multiple RITA award winner and an ACFW Carol award winner. She lives in Abilene.<\/p>\n

Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements<\/h1>\n

My Hope Next Door<\/span> by Tammy L. Gray<\/span><\/p>\n

(Amazon, Waterfall Press; Amy Hosford, editor)<\/p>\n

Tammy L. Gray self-published her best-selling Christian romance and young adult titles, starting in 2012, before being signed by Amazon\u2019s Christian imprint, Waterfall Press, in 2014, when she became one of Waterfall\u2019s first fiction authors. She lives in Dallas.<\/p>\n

(Information from organization\u2019s website)<\/p>\n

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(continued from column 1)<\/p>\n

Texas Institute of Letters Banquet Activities<\/h1>\n

(All activities are open to the public)<\/p>\n

April 7 \u2013 6 pm: TIL Opening Reception and Poetry Awards <\/span>at the Sky Lounge in the Doubletree Hilton, 610 El Paso St., El Paso, TX 79901<\/p>\n

April 8 \u2013 9:30\u201311 am: Children\u2019s Book Award<\/span>s at the Sky Lounge in the Doubletree Hilton<\/p>\n

1\u20133 pm: New TIL Members reception and reading<\/span> at the Sky Lounge in the Doubletree Hilton<\/p>\n

8\u201310 pm: TIL Awards Banquet<\/span> at Ardovinos Desert Crossing, 1 Ardovino Dr., Sunland Park, NM 88063<\/p>\n

Tickets to the banquet are $60 and can be purchased at http:\/\/www.texasinstituteofletters.org\/payments\/index.htm<\/p>\n

TIL Literary Prize Winners<\/h1>\n

Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction<\/span><\/p>\n

Winner: Paulette Jiles,<\/span> News of the World<\/span><\/p>\n

Finalists: Karan Mahajan,<\/span> The Association of Small Bombs;<\/span> Dominic Smith,<\/span> The Last Painting of Sara de Vos<\/span><\/p>\n

Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Nonfiction<\/span><\/p>\n

Winner: Skip Hollandsworth<\/span>, The Midnight Assassin<\/span><\/p>\n

Finalists: Shelley Armitage, <\/span>Walking the Llano: A Texas Memoir of Place;<\/span> Dan Slater,<\/span> Wolf Boys<\/span><\/p>\n

Helen C. Smith Award for Best Book of Poetry<\/span><\/p>\n

Winner: Bruce Bond,<\/span> Gold Bee<\/span><\/p>\n

Finalists: Jonathan Fink<\/span>, Barbarossa; William Wenthe,<\/span> God\u2019s Foolishness<\/span><\/p>\n

Bob Bush Memorial Award for First Book of Poetry<\/span><\/p>\n

Winner: Miriam Bird Greenberg,<\/span> In the Volcano\u2019s Mouth<\/span><\/p>\n

Finalists, Stan Crawford, <\/span>Resisting Gravity; Chera Hammons, Recycled Explosions<\/span><\/p>\n

Steven Turner Award for Best Work of First Fiction<\/span><\/p>\n

Winner: Amy Gentry,<\/span> Good as Gone<\/span><\/p>\n

Finalists: Paul Pedroza,<\/span> The Dead Will Rise and Save Us; <\/span>J. Todd Scott, <\/span>The Far Empty<\/span><\/p>\n

Edwin \u201cBud\u201d Shrake Award for Short Nonfiction\/Journalism<\/span><\/p>\n

Winner: Stephen Harrigan, \u201cOff Course,\u201d in Texas Monthly.<\/p>\n

Finalists: Debbie Nathan, \u201cWhat Happened to Sandra Bland?\u201d (The Nation); C. W. Smith, \u201cFaux Haubeaux\u201d (Southwest Review)<\/p>\n

Kay Cattarulla Short Story Award<\/span><\/p>\n

Winner: David Meischen,<\/span> “Cicada Song,” in Salamander<\/span><\/p>\n

Finalists: Octavio Solis,<\/span> “The Want” (Huizache<\/span>); Jerry Whitus,<\/span> “Restitution” (Ploughshares<\/span>)<\/p>\n

H-E-B\/Jean Flynn Award for Best Children\u2019s Book<\/span><\/p>\n

Winner: Kathi Appelt<\/span> and Alison McGhee<\/span>, Maybe a Fox<\/span><\/p>\n

Finalists: Diana L\u00f3pez,<\/span> Nothing Up My Sleeve<\/span>; David Liss, <\/span>Rebels<\/span><\/p>\n

H-E-B Award for Best Young Adult Book<\/span><\/p>\n

Winner: Phillippe Diederich, <\/span>Playing for the Devil’s Fire<\/span><\/p>\n

Finalists: Kathryn Ormsbee<\/span>, Lucky Few;<\/span> Joe Jim\u00e9nez,<\/span> Bloodline<\/span><\/p>\n

Ramirez Family Award for Most Significant Scholarly Book<\/span><\/p>\n

Winner: Max Krochmal,<\/span> Blue Texas: The Making of a Multiracial Democratic Coalition in the Civil Rights Era<\/span><\/p>\n

Finalists: Glen Sample Ely,<\/span> The Texas Frontier and the Butterfield Overland Mail, 1858\u2013 1861;<\/span> Kenneth Hafertepe, <\/span>The Material Culture of German Texans<\/span><\/p>\n

Denton Record-Chronicle Award for Best Children’s Picture Book<\/span><\/p>\n

Winner: Dianna Hutts Aston,<\/span> A Beetle Is Shy<\/span><\/p>\n

Finalists: Chris Barton,<\/span> Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions;<\/span> Nicol\u00e1s Kanellos,<\/span> El Torneo de Trabalenguas \/ The Tongue Twister Tournament<\/span><\/p>\n

Fred Whitehead Award for Design of a Trade Book<\/span><\/p>\n

Winner: Kristie Lee<\/span>, designer, From Tea Cakes to Tamales<\/span> (Texas A&M University Press) Finalists: Mary Ann Jacob,<\/span> designer, Explore Texas: A Nature Travel Guide<\/span> (Texas A&M University Press); Derek George, <\/span>designer, How to Be a Texan: The Manual<\/span> (University of Texas Press)<\/p>\n

* * * * *<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Year of firsts: Texas Institute of Letters convention has a new location \u2014 and a new focus by Chrisine Granados The year 2017 will be remembered as one of firsts for the Texas non-profit literary honor society, the Texas Institute of Letters. The TIL will host its convention and awards banquet for the first time […]<\/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-891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891","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=891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.etypegoogle10.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}