sylviej310txbkfest

[sylviej310txbkfest]

The Texas Book Festival, started in 1995 by Laura Bush, has grown and flourished over the years to become one of the biggest literary events in the country.

“The writers, book editors, publishers, agents, and book reviewers can’t wait to come down here because they get treated so well, and people really seem to appreciate what they’re doing,” said John Spong, a senior editor at Texas monthly and member of the board of directors of the book fest.

The festival hosts more than 230 authors each year and has more than 40 thousand attendees, according to their website, and has donated more than $2.5 million to Texas libraries in its 17-year existence.

Top Photo: Author Marika Flatt and friend enjoy the festival. Bottom Photo: John Spong sits after speaking at an event.

By Cooper Haynie, The Book Report

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Diversity at the Texas Book Festival

Texas Book Festival director, Steph Opitz, is already facing controversy with the recently published op-ed piece about the lack of diversity at this year’s Texas Book Festival.

  Dallas Morning News recently published an article regarding the piece “Dear Texas Book Festival – Where Have All the Latinos Writers Gone?” featured in the Texas Observer and written by book critic, Gregg Barrios.  The article also featured an apology issued by Steph Opitz about the lack of Latino/a representation at the festival.

  In the article, the division of diversity within the Texas Book Festival is brought into question. Barrios said, “Why hasn’t the festival’s overwhelmingly white board of directors and advisory committee bothered to ensure that the state’s fastest-growing demographic group … is adequately represented?” Of the 230 authors represented at this year’s festival, only 15 were Latino/as.

  Opitz issued an apology about the lack of diversity before the festival began, saying, “It’s important to me that Latino and Latina writers feel they have a strong presence at the Fest. It’s important that all Texans, of any ethnic background, feel that they have a place.”

  Opitz said that many of the writers that were invited that were of Latino/a descent declined their invitations for various reasons. She also believes that her hiring five months prior may not have been enough time for her to adequately bring in diversity. “I suspect that my late hire date, resulting in late invites, prevented many authors from attending because their fall schedules had already been solidified,” Opitz said, “In any event, there’s really no excuse.”

  The Texas Book Festival went smoothly in spite of the article and controversy stirred up. Latino cookbook author, Mando Rayo, spoke on the diversity issue during his book signing. Rayo said, “I feel like I am representing my heritage, but I do see the line drawn between the cultures represented here.”

  Despite having an opinion on the diversity issue, Rayo believes that the Texas Book Festival should be based on the authors, not on the race they happen to be. “It’s many Hispanics’ dreams to own a restaurant or write [a cookbook],” Rayo said, “I’m just glad I got to demonstrate for them.”

  Though Barrios wrote his article specifically regarding those of Latino descent, the book festival’s demographics featured mostly Caucasian authors.

  Scott Roberts, owner of Salt Lick Barbecue in Austin and a Japanese-American, was the sole Asian representative featured at the Texas Book Festival. “My mother was Japanese and my father was a generation-raised Texas,” Roberts quipped during his demonstration, “Which is why I look the way I do, but sound the way I do.”

  When asked about the diversity issue, Roberts took it in stride. “To be honest, I didn’t really pay attention,” he said, “I came here and did what I was asked to do, and that’s that.”

  The Texas Book Festival might have gone off without a hitch, but the underlying issue of the lack of diversity peeked its way through. Opitz did not have the opportunity to fix it this year, but next year is just around the corner.

-- Eyes of ATX

Olivia, Kylie, Sam, Jerry

Sources: Scott Roberts, owner of Salt Lick BarbecuMando Rayo, author of Breakfast Tacos

Invisible Sources: Dallas Morning News, http://artsblog.dallasnews.com/2013/10/texas-book-festival-diverse-enough.html/

LA Times, http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-texas-book-festival-apologizes-for-lack-of-diversity-20131023,0,5086592.story#axzz2j1s9mbCf

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Glenn Frankel, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and director of the University of Texas School of Journalism, takes questions from an audience about his new book "The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend."

The book details the story of Cynthia Ann Parker, a Texas woman who was kidnapped and eventually adopted by Comanche Indians in 1836, and how it inspired director John Ford to make the classic western "The Searchers."

--Cooper Haynie, The Book Report

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"The night I wrote this song I was so high I needed a stepladder to scratch my ass," said former Texas gubernatorial candidate and musician Kinky Friedman.

--Cooper Haynie, The Book Report

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3:03PM: As the sun comes out over the Capitol, the line for Amy's Ice Cream grows. Olivia Leitch - Eyes of ATX

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Dallas Noir

2:43 PM "Dallas Noir" Is a collection of stories that tells the darker story of one of Texas most iconic cities. Authors Ben Fountain and Kathleen Kent, and editor David Hale Smith provide a lighthearted discussion on what are well kept secrets on the Northern Texas cities. The book is decided into three sections, "cowboys", "rangers", and "mavericks", all three of which are entirely coincidental titles in this book.

Gerardo Latigo, Eyes Of Texas

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Author Alan Weisman supports population control as a means to save humans from extinction, but calls China's One Child policy "abhorrent."

--Cooper Haynie, The Book Report

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2:20PM: Alan Weisman begins his discussion about overpopulation on Earth. Weisman's most recent publication was his book The World Without Us, which describes the world as a place extinct of human life. "Food production is actually what pushes population," said Weisman. He also discussed how fossil fuels have pushed food production to new levels causing huge population growth. Olivia Leitch - Eyes of Texas

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2:32 PM A look inside the C Span bus, equipped with multiple high definition televisions, desktop, a smart board and even some couches.

Gerardo Latigo, Eyes Of ATX

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Author Alan Weisman prepares before his presentation on his new book "Countdown," which theorizes that overpopulation will lead to the extinction of the human race.

Read a review here: http://bit.ly/1hl5spJ

--Cooper Haynie, The Book Report

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Another Clinton May Run For Office

1:04PM "I’ve been wrong on this so many times…The democratic side is clear at this point, Hillary Clinton should be the representative to run during the next election, its just a matter of her agreeing to it" 

Dan Balz, Washington Post political correspondent at the C Span/Book TV tent on who he believes will run for president for the democratic party during the 2016 presidential election.

Gerardo Latigo –  Eyes of ATX

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Jack, a therapy dog with his handler Ruth Ann Marsh. Both members of Austin Dog Alliance, a  shelter and Therapy organization. Jack also participates in the Bow Wow Reading Dog Program, where children are encouraged to read with the company of a furry friend.

Facebook.com/ausdogalliance Austindogalliance.org

Gerardo Latigo – Eyes of ATX

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Addie Broyels, author of “The Austin Food Blogger Alliance Cookbook.” discusses food blogging, its simplicity, the character of food and more in the Central Market Cooking Tent.

Gerardo Latigo – Eyes of ATX

[sylviej310txbkfest]

Detroit Is The Place to be?

Mark Binelli discusses the evolution of Detroit in his book “Detroit City Is The Place To Be” and in the C Span/BookTV tent. Here are some interesting statistics on the Motor City: http://www.businessinsider.com/depressing-detroit-statistics-2013-7

Gerardo Latigo - Eyes of ATX

[sylviej310txbkfest]

Clouds litter the sky as day two of the #Texasbookfestival gets under way, but weather should be no threat. Temperature will stay in the mid 70s and precipitation chance below 20 percent, according to weather.com

Gerardo Latigo – Eyes of ATX

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Photo Update #2 - Protestors, Scott Roberts - Salt Lick, Michael Fracasso.

Photos by Sam Hays - Eyes of ATX

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Protestors take advantage of the Book Festival's crowds on the Capitol steps on the 12th anniversary of the Patriot Act's signing. 

Sam Hays - Eyes of ATX