West Texas Book and Music Festival

September 22-27, 2008

Presented by Friends of the Abilene Public Library & the Abilene Reporter-News

New events, new authors, great music and more at the annual West Texas Book & Music Festival, Sept. 22 through 27 in downtown Abilene. From the opening Poetry Fest to the Gospel Hymnfest on Saturday afternoon, it’s a full week of activities honoring local and area authors and musicians.

Featured authors include: Don B. Graham, author of a new book on Texas movies as well as editor of the acclaimed anthology Lone Star Literature; Elmer Kelton of San Angelo, Joaquin Jackson of Alpine, and Mike Cox of Austin, who have all written books about the Texas Rangers; Kathy Patrick of Jefferson, author and organizer of The Pulpwood Queens reading club featured on Good Morning America; Dixie Cash, the irrepressible West Texas fiction-writing sisters, and Amarillo novelist Jodi Thomas, whose new book Twisted Creek is being touted for community-wide reading programs.

The festival begins on Monday, Sept. 22, with the first West Texas Poetry Fest ‘open mic’ program at noon for local poets to showcase their work. The Brown Bag series begins Tuesday, Sept. 23 at noon with local authors Robert Pace and Steve Butman on Abilene Landmarks and Barbara Rollins, Ginny Greene, Becky Haigler, and Kerin Riley-Bishop talking about their books, Silver Boomers and Freckles to Wrinkles. People are welcome to bring their own lunches to the library auditorium and drinks will be provided, or a light sandwich lunch will be available in limited quantities for $4 a plate.

Tuesday evening, local authors who have published in the last year will be honored at a 6 p.m. reception at the library, 202 Cedar in downtown Abilene. Many of these authors will be featured throughout the week speaking in school classes

Wednesday, Sept. 24, the Brown Bag series continues at noon with Rosanna Herndon telling stories from The Line from Here to There: A Storyteller’s Scottish West Texas. Novelist Carol Walt will discuss her newest books, Aloha, Texas and Assisted Living.

Thursday, Sept 25, featured cookbook authors Tom Perini, Rebecca Rather and Marie Hejl will talk about their books and the menu to be served at that evening’s Texas Cookbook Gala fund-raiser at the Abilene Country Club.

Friday, Sept 26, Austin singer/songwriter Terri Hendrix, accompanied by Lloyd Maines, will play some of her latest works and talk about the creative musical process.

The free Texas Songwriters Concert at the Paramount Theatre, 7:30 p.m. on Friday night, will spotlight Hendrix & Maines, as well as area singer/songwriters Victoria Moore, Amanda Dunn, and Kina Lankford.

Saturday’s program at the Abilene Civic Center will include the Hall of Texas Authors from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and panel discussions on self-publishing, Texas Rangers, and Texas Women Authors: Fiction, Fun & Romance.

Dr. Don B. Graham, a distinguished writer and teacher specializing in Texas and Southwest literature, will be the 2008 recipient of the A. C. Greene Award, given each year to a distinguished Texas author for lifetime achievement. The award will be presented at the Boots & Books luncheon on Saturday. Reservations are $25 each or $250 for a table of ten and can be made by sending a check to 130 Lawrence Circle, Abilene 79605. Abilene songwriter Greg Young will perform at the luncheon, and the other featured authors will make brief comments.

The festival will conclude with the West Texas Gospel Hymnfest from 3-4 p.m. The singing will be led by Judge Lee Hamilton and pianist Sharon Leyerle

This is the eighth year for the festival, which began as the West Texas Book and Author Festival and expanded three years ago to include music. It is presented by Friends of the Abilene Public Library and the Abilene Reporter-News and is supported by a number of generous sponsors, including the Scripps Howard Foundation, the Dodge Jones Foundation, the Dian Graves Owen Foundation, the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Community Foundation of Abilene. Over the years the festival has helped raise more than $150,000 for library programs and activities, including some of the funding for the new Mockingbird Branch Library.

For more complete information, see the festival web site at http://www.abilenetx.com/apl . Click on the Boots & Books logo.