Cinco Puntos at the TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL

If you're within driving distance to Austin this weekend (Oct 31-Nov 1), try to get to the 14th Annual Texas Book Festival. It's a trip well worth the effort for book-lovers of all kinds. Held at the State Capital it's one of the great cultural events in Texas. Book lovers of all sorts--writers, readers, collectors, musicians, academics, lots of kids--are wandering around the marble halls, a truly peculiar and glorious exhibition of Texas democracy, considering our legislature's history for monitoring and censoring what school children read. Clay Smith, the Festival's Literary Director, does a bang-up job of bringing a cornucopia of writers to the event. Of course, he brings all of the usual suspects--the best sellers, the Texas (read "red state") favorites, the cookbook writers--but he also makes sure the poets, the short story writers, the unusual and the up and comers are there. We're always satisfied (at least, mostly) and we're difficult customers.

Click here for schedule.

Cinco Puntos, with Johnny Byrd and Bobby Byrd at the cash register, will be in booth 307. Cinco Puntos authors who will be participating are Benjamin Alire Saénz (12:30 Saturday) José Lozano (noon Sunday) and Luis Alberto Urrea 2pm Sunday). Reading Rock Stars, a TBF statewide outreach program, José to perform in public schools earlier in the week. Ben is there to receive the Tomas Rivera Award, and Luis is on a panel of novelists talking about writing about Mexico. Please check the schedule for their events.