Editor’s note: The Texas Book Festival first took place in 1996. Former First Lady Laura Bush, whose husband at that time was Governor of Texas, founded the weekend-long book lovers’ takeover of the Texas State Capitol Building. A librarian who earned her masters in library science at UT-Austin, Bush visited the campus Friday to receive the Texas Exes Distinguished Alumni Award. She also sat down with The Daily Texan to share a list of events at this weekend’s festival, which she believes will draw UT students’ interest. They are listed below:
“A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel”
by Hope Larson
Sunday, 2:30 p.m.
Texas State Capitol: Capitol Auditorium Room E1.004
“This is the 50th anniversary of ‘A Wrinkle in Time,’ and there’s a new graphic novel by a writer named Hope Larson. Madeline L’Engle is obviously not living any more, but I figured a lot of students read ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ as children. I certainly did, and I read it with [my daughters] Barbara and Jenna.”
“Blood of Heroes”
by James Donovan
Sunday, 11 a.m.
Lone Star Tent
“There’s a new, terrific book about the Alamo by James Donovan called ‘Blood of Heroes.’ There hasn’t been such a comprehensive book about the Alamo in many years. George just read it and loved it, so I think Texas students might be interested in it, too.”
“The Texas Book Two: More Profiles, History, and Reminisces of the University”
by David Dettmer
Sunday, 11 a.m.
Texas State Capitol: Capitol Extension Room E2.010
“There’s also a book about UT, a big anthology that I think students would be interested in reading.”
“Life After Death”
by Damien Echols
Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
The Sanctuary at First United Methodist Church
(1201 Lavaca St.)
“For students interested or studying social justice, there’s a book by Damien Echols, who was on death row and was proven to be innocent with DNA. I think people would be really interested in meeting him and
hearing him talk.”
“The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson”
by Robert Caro
Saturday, 1 p.m.
Texas State Capitol: House Chamber
“I really want to encourage people to attend Robert Caro’s talk, though I’m sure it will be crowded. This is [Caro’s] fourth book about Lyndon Baines Johnson. It’s about the assassination of John F. Kennedy and what that meant for former [President Lyndon Baines Johnson] when Johnson became president. I was in graduate school in 1973 when Johnson died. His body lay in state at the LBJ Library when the library was new. I lined up with thousands of other people and Lady Bird Johnson and Lynda and Luci Johnson and stood by the casket and shook everyone’s hands. There are about 60 pages in Robert Caro’s new book about the assassination, the 50th anniversary of which is next year.”
“Exit Interview”
by David Westin
Saturday, 11 a.m.
C-SPAN/Book TV Tent
“If there are broadcasting students, people particularly interested in the publishing trade, there’s a new biography of Walter Cronkite, who went to UT and wrote for The Daily Texan. That will be part of the festival. David Westin, himself, who was the head of ABC, has written a book called ‘Exit Interview.’”
“The Dallas Cowboys: The Outrageous History of the Biggest, Loudest, Most Hated, Best Loved Football Team in America”
by Joe Nick Patoski
Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
Lone Star Tent
“There are three books about the Dallas Cowboys [this year]. I think people, especially young students who are from Dallas and are Cowboys fans, would like the book.”
The Lit Crawl
“One other thing I think UT students especially would love is the ‘Lit Crawl,’ or the literary crawl, which is on the night of the 27th at 8:00. You show up on East Sixth Street and walk through the Texas State Cemetery. You stop at this bar on East Sixth and hear an author, and then you can go on to another spot on East Sixth Street and hear another author.”
The Music Tent
“Finally, the music tent is always great. It’s at 11th and Colorado, and this year Jimmy LaFave is going to be there. [Dale] Watson is going to be there, and I think people would love to go to that. I remember when we lived in the Texas Governer’s Mansion across the street [from] the Capitol [where the Book Festival takes place] that I’d always go early on a Sunday morning. I don’t know that they still do this, but there was always gospel in one of the tents, before people had really started getting there. The Book Festival was open, but people didn’t start trickling in until that time.”
Printed on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 as: Laura Bush lists festival favorites
