The Bookish Frog The Newsletter of Christian University Press

VOLUME 7 / FALL 2004

Here and There with TCU NEWS\ NOTES Press Authors

TCU Press author John Texas, as Don Graham noted in recent Irsfeld, author of Radio Elvis remarks, has many halls of fame but none and Other Stories, was inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of honoring its strong literary heritage. The Fame. Radio Elvis (2002) was Friends of the Fort Worth Public Library Irsfeld’s first published fiction in several years, following Coming decided to fill that need and inaugurated Through and Little Kingdoms in the the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, reason- late 1970s and Rat’s Alley in 1987. ing no place could be better than Fort Irsfeld teaches English at the University of Nevada/Las Vegas. Worth, home at one time or another to John Graves, Larry McMurtry, On September 25, the Historical Association presented Helen , William Barney, Gary Green with the Otis Lockheed Award Cartwright, Mike Cochran, Patrick for the best book on East Texas published during the past year.The Anderson, Bud Shrake, Thomas award was given for East Texas Daughter, Thompson, Jerry Flemmons, and a host of her memoir about her poverty-stricken other literary lights. Judy Alter and Jim Lee joined Jeff childhood in East Texas,acceptance as the first black enrolled in a professional Guinn of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram to make initial suggestions school of nursing in Dallas, and her about the selection of honoress, and a selection committee chose successful career in nursing administration. John Graves, Horton Foote, Elmer Kelton, Shelby Hearon, Larry McMurtry, and the late J. Frank Dobie, Walter Prescott Webb, and With regret, we announce that Tracy Row, former editor of the press, Katherine Anne Porter. died November 9, 2003, following a TCU Press authors were prominent at the podium at the lengthy hospitalization. Donations in May 12 ceremony. The press has reprinted ten novels by Elmer Tracy’s name may be sent to Vietnam Veterans of America, 8605 Cameron Kelton, along with a new collection of nonfiction and an audio tape Street, Suite 400, Silver Spring, of Elmer reading some of his own speeches; we have reprinted two Maryland: Attn: CFO Joe Starver. Shelby Hearon novels; John Graves and Larry McMurtry have both Gene Smith, director of the Center been exceedingly gracious with contributions to press projects over for Texas Studies,has announced a generous grant from the Houston the years; Don Graham, who did a masterful job as the emcee, is the Endowment to establish the Library author of the 1998 collection, Giant Country, and is currently at work of Texas Biography Series. Gregg on another project for us; and Jim Lee accepted the honorary plaque Cantrell, holder of the Emma and Ralph Lowe Chair in Texas History, for the late Walter Prescott Webb. will edit the series and TCU Press will The evening was a complete success, from the unveiling publish the volumes. of an original painting commissioned to commemorate the event Y and the clever introductions by Don Graham and the heartfelt

continued on page 2 Authors . . . continued appreciation of the honorees to Betty Lynn Buckley’s spur-of-the-moment rendition of “Amazing Grace.” Hats off to the Friends of the Fort Worth Public Library and to our authors for earning such recognition. We’re proud to have them on our list. Steve Davis’ Texas Literary Outlaws: Six Writers in the Sixties and Beyond made a splash in Texas even before books hit the warehouse, coming to public attention with a long and laudatory feature arti- cle by Patrick Beach in the Austin American-Statesman. Steve was Barnes & Noble author of the month in Austin in May. Gary Cartwright, one of the six writers and now senior editor at Texas Monthly, joined Steve for a discussion of the impact of the sixties on Texas literature on May 25 at the Barnes & Noble at The Village at Westlake Shopping Center in Austin. And Steve, assistant curator of the Southwest Writers Collection at -San Marcos, put together an exhibition or original manuscripts, letters, photographs and memorabilia from the archives of Billie Lee Brammer, Gary Cartwright, Larry L. King, and Bud Shrake housed at the collection. (Two other authors considered in the book are Peter Gent and Dan Jenkins.) A June 3 book signing and discussion at the Alkek Library, home of the Southwest Writers Collection, brought together Davis, Cartwright, and Shrake. ■ Y A Look Ahead Y This spring, a scholarly study of the Mexican American War will lead the TCU Press list. Wars within War: Mexican Guerrillas, Domestic Elites, and the United States of America, 1846-1848, by Irving W. Levinson, studies two little-known guerilla wars. Using information from twenty-four archives, includ- ing the normally closed files of Mexico’s National Defense Archives, Levinson argues that these con- flicts—rebellions of class and race among the Mexican population—were critical to the course of the war and Mexican history. The book builds nicely on previous TCU titles, such as Dueling Eagles: Reinterpreting the Mexican War, 1846-1848, and critical biographies of Ricardo Flores Magón and Praexidis Guerrero. Once again working with the Disciples of Christ Historical Society and author D. Duane Cummins, we will publish the first volume of Alexander Campbell: Adventurer in Freedom, a literary biog- raphy begun some seventy years ago by Eva Jean Wrather. Dr. Cummins was asked to work with the late Ms. Wrather to edit what was then an 800,000-word manuscript. Before Ms. Wrather’s health failed, they completed the first seven chapters, detailing Campbell’s physical journey from Scotland to America and his spiritual journey from the stern Calvinism of his youth to his own theology of a lov- ing and kind God. Dr. Cummins’ first book for the press was Dale Fiers: Twentieth Century Disciple. Dr. Cummins hopes to follow with other volumes of the biography and to facilitate more joint titles with the Historical Society. J’Nell Pate, a widely published historian, has published two books with TCU Press—North of the River: A History of North Fort Worth and Hazel Vaughn Leigh and the Fort Worth Boys’ Club. Now we are pleased to add her new manuscript, America’s Historic Stockyards: Livestock Hotels to our spring list. The work studies the beginning and growth of these markets in large cities and small and their eventual decline as trucks replaced railroads in the United States.

2 Our fictional entry in the spring will be Galveston Rose, by SOME FACTS ABOUT Mary Powell, author of Auslander, published in 2000. The novel TCU PRESS traces the final big adventure of opinionated and independent Rose Parrish who at the age of seventy-six sets out to open the most Year established: 1966 exciting restaurant and nightclub that Galveston has ever seen. As Books in print: 221 she studies the history of Galveston and the life of pirate Jean Books published annually: 9-12 Lafitte, Rose vividly brings to life the colorful city of Galveston. Distribution: TCU Press In a first for the press, we’ll publish a comic book. Wait! It’s belongs to a publishing consortium headquartered at Texas A&M an educational comic book, explaining the natural history of the University Press. Panhandle. Titled The Ancient Southwest & Other Dispatches from a Staff: Judy Alter, director Cruel Frontier, the strips by George E. Turner were first published in James Ward Lee, acquisitions editor the early 1950s in the Amarillo Globe-News. A cartoonist himself as Susan Petty, editor well as cultural historian, Michael H. Price has restored the strips and added an introduction and annotations. A second strip, “The Editorial Advisory Board: Palo Duro Story,” told mostly from Cabeza de Vaca’s point of view, Joyce Pate Capper, former president of the Tarrant County Historical Society and some college-newspaper cartoons done by Turner will be Theresa Gaul, assistant professor included in the slim volume. of English,TCU And look ahead for a wildflower dictionary and a catalog Douglas Harman, director, for a museum exhibition—both firsts for TCU Press. We’ll add Fort Worth Convention Leonard Sanders’ 1985 novel, Fort Worth, to the Texas Tradition & Visitors Bureau Max Lale, past president,Texas Series and publish more strong regional fiction and history. Watch State Historical Association for a series of books about the literature of specific Texas cities and Joyce Gibson Roach, regions. Literary Austin, Literary West Texas, and Literary El Paso and author, historian, and folklorist the Rio Grande Valley are in the works. Gleniece Robinson, director, Exciting times at TCU Press. ■ Fort Worth Public Library Bob Seal, dean, Mary Couts Burnett Library,TCU Gene Smith, professor of history,TCU A friend of the press steps down The TCU Press is an affiliate member of the Association of American Dr. Larry Adams, who oversaw the press for twenty years, University Presses. stepped down from his position as associate provost to return to the Questions: Call us at 817-257-7822; sociology faculty at TCU. Over the years, Dr. Adams was a strong write to Box 298300, Fort Worth, advocate for the press, guiding us through troubled financial times Texas 76129; or e-mail, [email protected]. and severe budget cuts, always thinking of new ways to promote Check our Web page: the press, praising the work done by the press, attending our http://www.prs.tcu.edu/prs/ events. Without his support, the press might well have shut down Toll-free orders: 1-800-826-8911 more than once. As a staff we remain deeply grateful to him. TCU Press now reports to Bob Seal, newly named dean of libraries at TCU. Mr. Seal has been director of the TCU Library for ten years and a member of the TCU Press Editorial Advisory Board for that entire time. We look forward to working even more closely with him in the future. ■

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Elmer Kelton visits Mansfield Public Library

Elmer Kelton spent a whirlwind two days in Mansfield, a growing upscale Fort Worth suburb, in April when his The Good Old Boys was chosen by that city for the “One City, One Book” program.The Friends of the Mansfield Public Library spearheaded a month-long program that began with a kickoff event at which Mayor David Harry proclaimed April “Mansfield Reads Month” and announced the selection of The Good Old Boys. Readers were encouraged to check out and/or buy not only that title but other Kelton titles and books about the Old West. There were brown-bag luncheons, a showing of the Tommy Lee Jones film based on the book, and a teen poetry coffee house. The program culminated with a visit from Elmer and Ann Kelton. On Friday, April 23, Elmer spoke at the local high school and toured the historical museum. That evening he was honored with an invitation-only reception at the public library, where refreshments were served and the Phunky Phiddlers, a group of young girls, provided pre-program entertainment. Judy Lee, president of the Friends, conducted an informal interview, in which Elmer displayed his usual self-deprecating humor and his insight into the craft of writing. The event had been planned to coincide with the library’s seventy-fifth birthday on Saturday, April 24.. While Elmer signed books, guests enjoyed birthday cake, balloons, and music from the Mansfield Wind Symphony’s Low Brass Section (tubas!). What a way to celebrate a book! ■