Texas Book Festival
The Texas Book Festival celebrates authors and their contributions to the culture of literacy, ideas, and imagination. See the full schedule at texasbookfestival.org.
Book Events at The Contemporary Austin
11A–12P
Surf Texas, Kenny Braun
Native Texan, longtime surfer, and art photographer Kenny Braun celebrates the release of his new book Surf Texas. Surf Texas shines a light on a little-known aspect of Texas culture through the use of beautiful black-and-white photographs of the people, places, and waves that make the Texas Gulf Coast a special place. Come on out and catch a wave.
12:30–1:30P
Views of Texas: Marfa Flights, Paul V. Chaplo, and On the Road with Texas Highways, J. Griffis Smith
Normally, “home on the range” means big plains and bigger skies. The landscape of Texas has always excited the imagination of America, for here, the endless Texas vistas reflect the unfettered optimism of the American spirit. Join photographers Paul V. Chaplo and J. Griffis Smith as they share their new photography books and discuss the magic of Texan landscapes.
2–3P
Memories from a Hill Country Garden: Flowers, Stones, and Critters, Jim Truchard
Lifelong Texan Jim Truchard has had decades of experience not only as the CEO of National Instruments, but also in his own backyard garden. Truchard’s new book Memories from a Hill Country Garden showcases plants and stone features that can create year-round charm and a diverse habitat for Texas wildlife. The combination of personal anecdotes and scientific data make this session perfect for those curious about life in the Hill Country landscape.
3:30–4:30P
Authentic Texas, Marcia Hatfield Daudistel and Bill Wright
The "wild, wild West" is largely nonexistent now, thanks to modernization. But there is one place in the American Southwest that still remains just as wild and untamed as it was when it was first encountered: West Texas. Many of the people who live in West Texas must live cooperatively with the elements, off the grid, so life can often be difficult for these citizens. But that doesn’t stop them from staying true to traditional virtues like friendliness or persistence. Marcia Hatfield Daudistel and Bill Wright sit down and talk about their experience interviewing the Texans who choose to live in this wild West.