News/Print

Jennifer Egan

Fall is always a solid season for books, and this month is no exception. Just as Austin starts to cool down, the literary scene is heating up.

• An Austin teen was just named a National Student Poet by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Louis Lafair is a senior at St. Stephen's Episcopal School; he joins four other "literary ambassadors" in this year's class of the National Student Poets Program.

• The next In Short fiction-writing workshop is going to be Oct. 26, in case you wanted to complement your Texas Book Festival weekend with a creative outlet all your own. Details and registration here.

• Speaking of the TBF, the festival organizers announced the lineup for its First Edition Literary Gala, to be held Friday, Oct. 25: a cocktail reception with Mother Falcon, a silent auction, and festival authors Meg Wolitzer, James McBride, Jeff Lindsay, and Ken Jennings. Individual tickets are $500; email [email protected] for seats.

• Too spendy for your wallet? Two upcoming free readings should help fill your bookworm calendar: Pulitzer winner Jennifer Egan (A Visit From the Goon Squad) hits Texas State University with readings and signings at the Wittliff Collections (Oct. 17) and the Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center (Oct. 18). See www.kapliterarycenter.com for more details. The day before (Oct. 16), the Michener Center for Writers hosts playwright Sarah Ruhl, who will read several of her short essays and answer audience questions. Visit the Michener website for details there.

• We've already shared the news that Winter in the Blood is coming to the Austin Film Festival later this month, but first you have a chance to better know the book it's based on, thanks to the Austin Public Library. There are two meetups to discuss James Welch's on Oct. 12 and 20; visit library.austintexas.gov for complete details.

• Military novelist Tom Clancy died this week in Baltimore at the age of 66. The bestselling author was the man behind Patriot Games and The Hunt for Red October; his final book, Command Authority is slated to hit shelves Dec. 3.