The Texas Institute of Letters Oct., Nov., Dec. 2007 Newsletter

Changes Made to Dobie-Paisano Fellowship Program

By Michael Adams impressive list of published essays, The Dobie-Paisano Fellowship articles, poems, stories, etc. The Program has been changed. Beginning decision of the judges will be based on with the current application process, the quality of the writer’s past work and there will be two distinct fellowships: the potential for future excellence. Of the Jesse H. Jones Writing Fellowship— course, the writer’s suitability for ranch for a period of approximately six life is always taken into account. We months with a stipend of $3000 a will be asking this writer to give a month; and the Ralph A. Johnston reading or talk at The University of Memorial Fellowship—for a period of Texas at Austin during the residency. four months with a stipend of $5,500 a There will be separate judging panels month. The fellowships are available to for each award. If you have any both creative writers and writers of non- questions, feel free to contact Michael fiction. Non-fiction should be written Adams, Director of the Dobie-Paisano for the general audience. Program. The Jesse H. Jones Writing For the coming year, the Ralph A. Fellowship will be aimed at, though Johnston Fellowship will run from certainly not limited to, writers who are September 15 to January 15. The Jesse early in their career and who would Jones Fellowship will run from February benefit from at extended period at the 1 to July 15. Length of residency can ranch. Demonstration of prior always be changed due to maintenance publishing and critical success is not or programmatic needs. expected, though many applicants will The application fee for each award is have such a record. Any writer at any $20. If you are applying for both the level of success (including those with Jesse H. Jones and the Ralph A. strong publishing records) is eligible for Johnston Memorial Fellowship, the fee the Jesse Jones Fellowship. will be $30. If applying for both awards, The Ralph A. Johnston Memorial check the appropriate box at the top of Fellowship is aimed at writers who have the Ralph A. Johnston Memorial already demonstrated some publishing Fellowship application page, and and critical success. This may or may include only one check with the Ralph not be writers a little later along in their A. Johnston Fellowship materials. Each literary careers. The definition of application and its accompanying “publishing and critical success” will be materials must be mailed in separate determined by the judges each year, but, packets. There will be different judges in general, we’d expect at least one for each fellowship. critically well-received book, or an

How Dobie’s Paisano Ranch emerged as a TIL writing center

In 1959 J. Frank Dobie purchased a country retreat. He gave it a new name: 254-acre ranch known as Shady Creek Paisano, a Spanish name denoting Ranch outside of Austin to use as his roadrunner. (continued next page)

Texas Institute of Letters Oct.Nov.Dec. 2007 Newsletter Page 2 Paisano, through which Barton added enough money to purchase the Creek meandered, proved to be a most ranch for the University of Texas. congenial setting. Dobie began Paisano would be operated as a summoning friends there who would sit permanent memorial to Dobie with a on the stone house’s long porch with its primary purpose of encouraging creative pleasant view of the cactus, wildflowers, artistic effort in all fields, particularly in bushes and tall live oaks trees. On a writing. corner of the land was a log cabin, a part Maintenance and administration of of which dated to the middle of the 19th Paisano was placed under the University century. of Texas at Austin, and the Texas A few months after Dobie’s death in Institute of Letters assumed 1964 the idea arose between Dobie’s responsibility for the fellowship widow Bertha and two of his close stipends. friends, Frank H. Wardlaw, director of The first Dobie-Paisano Fellow was the University of Texas Press, and Lon Bill Porterfield who took residence in Tinkle, a faculty member at SMU and June 1967. He was followed by A.C. book critic of the Dallas Morning News, Greene, then Eldon S. Branda, and the to use Paisano as a writer’s retreat. artist Jose Cisnéros. Through the years A steering committee arose to writers such as Stephen Harrigan, achieve that goal, and Houstonian Ralph Claude Stanush, Dagoberto Gilb, Gary A. Johnston bought Paisano to allow Cartwright, C.W. Smith, Laura Furman, time for fund-raising. Members of the Sandra Cisnéros, Rosemary Catacalos, Texas Institute of Letters were early and Allen Wier, and painters, supporters of the project. On May 11, photographers, and other artists have 1966, nearly 500 people attended a gala profited from their stays at Paisano. dinner and auction of paintings by As A.C. Greene wrote, being at twenty prominent southwestern artists Paisano offered “a time to find time, a (including Jerry Bywaters, Otis Dozier, period and a suspension beyond and Alexandre Hogue, Peter Hurd, Olin above the claws of care, beyond the Travis, Tom Lea, and many others) as a reach of daily drudgery and worry fund-raiser. Stanley Marcus was the which frustrates creativeness.” principal speaker. Nearly $40,000 was (Information from the Handbook of raised, and Johnston and a few others Texas Online entry on Paisano Ranch.)

April 2008 annual meeting to return to Dallas

President Fran Vick has announced that the April 18, 19, 2008, annual meeting will be held in Dallas at the same location as in April 2007, the Park Cities Hilton, which proved to be a most congenial setting.

November 15 is deadline for nominating new members

Nominations for membership in TIL Remember that the nominee should not are due to vice-president Paula Marks be aware of his or (continued next page) no later than November 15, 2007.

Texas Institute of Letters Oct.Nov.Dec. 2007 Newsletter Page 3 her nomination, as problems have arisen front side only, as other photocopies will in the past when nominees were be made from what you send. Please do involved in the process. not send pages larger than 8 1/2 x 11 Please send the following materials inches. to Paula Marks at 104 Vireo Drive, Buda, TX 78610: You can include the seconding letter from another TIL member, or the other 1. Your letter nominating the person TIL member can send it directly to the and explaining why address above, or s/he can send it via e- 2. A vita or résumé for the person, if mail to Paula's work e-mail: one is available [email protected]. 3. Fifteen (15) pages of the person's Any questions? E-mail Paula or call work. These need to be quality copies, (512-312-1395).

Identifying Our Past Winners’ Categories

Thankfully, TIL has a list of all the Here’s Bob’s report on his progress: winners of our literary contests since the “It's slow going; I'm checking each first prize was awarded to J. Frank title for each year through Amazon and Dobie in 1939. As the years went by and whatever else I can find. May need our categories grew, more and more ome help later in determining whether awards were presented, and our present more than one prize was given in one list does not include what category our year -- for instance, awards for best winners represented. . book of poetry and best first book of Enter now our recording secretary, poetry, etc. First steps are fairly easy, Bob Compton. Bob is attempting to since the early prizes were few, and the recreate history, determining just what Vann history of TIL is pretty detailed prize each individual won. It often is through 1963. It's sort of like the important to know, for instance, whether problems I had putting together awards an individual won. Carry on, Bob, and for children/young adult winners, more power to you! This, we know, is a multiplied several times.” rather massive effort.

News of members and others

Maybe you saw the article in the became a TIL member in 2001, turns October 22, 2008, edition of The New 100 in November, and he’s still Yorker about TIL member Jacques sprightly. Barzun under the “Annals of Letters” In the same issue of The New Yorker heading and the title, “Age of Reason.” we find the lead item in “The Talk of the No, many don’t often think of Barzun as Town” written by Lawrence Wright. a Texan, but that’s what he has been Larry reviews our situation in Iraq and since he moved to San Antonio a the attitudes of the Iraqis concerning our number of years ago with his wife presence. As he concludes his piece, Marguerite (herself a Texan with a PhD “The decision of when we leave, as in American Civilization from the inevitably we will, should be as much University of Texas). Jacques, who theirs as ours.” (continued next page)

Texas Institute of Letters Oct.Nov.Dec. 2007 Newsletter Page 4 New TIL member Bill Sloan Award, which brings to him a $50,000 (inducted in 2006) has published the cash prize. Ben was one of ten third book in his trilogy about World “emerging writers of exceptional talent War II battles in the Pacific. This one, and promise” to receive the award. His The Ultimate Battle: Okinawa 1945— was based largely on his collection of The Last Epic Struggle of World War II, short stories, Brief Encounters With Che has been named the best book of 2007 Guevara. Coming up in 2009 will be his by World War II History magazine. novel, The Texas Itch. Ben earlier won Simon & Schuster is the publisher. On Barnes & Noble’s 2006 Discover Great October 25 Bill pulled a double of sorts. New Writer Awards with a $10,000 He appeared live on a remote broadcast prize. of radio station KLIF at Borders in Mylene Dressler, a TIL member Dallas, then walked about twenty-five since 2002, has been appointed a 2007- feet away for a brief talk and 2008 Fellow in Writing by the Carson autographing session before a gathered McCullers Center in Columbus, crowd. Georgia. This permits Mylene to live in Steven L. Davis of Texas State McCullers’ childhood home, where she University is completing a biography of is completing her fourth novel. Another J. Frank Dobie, due out in 2009 by the bit of news about Mylene. Her novel, UT Press. Title evidently will be “Mr. The Deadwood Beetle has been added to Texas: The Life and Times of J. Frank the Women’s Press list of Great Books Dobie.” Davis’ last book was Texas By Women Writers. Literary Outlaws: Six Writers in the The September/October issue of Sixties and Beyond, published in 2004. Poets & Writers featured Bryce Judy Alter occasionally writes a Milligan and his San Antonio column for the Sunday book pages of publishing firm, Wings Press, which in the Dallas Morning News entitled the past twelve months published “Texas Letters.” In her September 2 seventeen books. column she reported on several lists of Terry Dalrymple of Angelo State the top ten Texas books. Jim Lee’s list University has a short story, "Seeing was headed by Benjamin Capps’ A Gina," coming out in the forthcoming Woman of the People, followed by Larry issue of New Texas. Perhaps more McMurtry’s Leaving Cheyenne, George provocatively, Terry recently gave a Sessions Perry’s Hold Autumn in Your presentation at the Texas Association of Hand, and William A. Owens’ This Creative Writing Teachers entitled Stubborn Soil. Don Graham’s top ten "How I Became a Poet and Why I Quit." list was headed by Blood Meridian and (Say it aint so, Terry!) Terry and a No Country for Old Men, both written colleague, John Wegner published an by Cormac McCarthy, then followed by article, "We Could Be So Good McMurtry’s In a Narrow Grave. Then Together: Rock and Roll and American came Judy’s own choices, the first four Fiction," in Nebula, a peer-reviewed being John Graves’ Goodbye to a River, online journal. Stephen Harrigan’s The Gates of the News from Kent Biffle: “I managed Alamo, Elithe Hamilton Kirkland’s Love a Halloweeny beat in my Dallas Is a Wild Assault, and McMurtry’s Morning News column (10/07/07) with a Leaving Cheyenne. description of Steve Hardin's new book Ben Fountain, the former practicing on grave robbing and low life in the attorney who gave up the law for writing Republic of Texas—Texian Macabre: and became a TIL member in 2006, has The Melancholy Tale of a Hanging in won yet another impressive award. This Early Houston.” The Texas A&M Press time it’s the 2007 Whiting Writers book has (continued next page)

Texas Institute of Letters Oct.Nov.Dec. 2007 Newsletter Page 5 a publication date of November 2007. be doing book signings in the areas Hardin is chairman of the history around the Kennedy and King ranches. department at Victoria College. Report from Joe Coomer: “I've just Mark Busby and Elmer Kelton finished a book about restoring our 1885 were to combine in a session entitled Victorian home in Stonington, Maine. “The Making of Two Texas Legends” at Writing the book only took half as long the Texas Book Festival in Austin, Nov. as the restoration and wasn't nearly as 3-4, in which they would assess John hard on the hands. My last novel, Graves Texas State selected Graves’ Pocketful of Names, was nominated for book, Goodbye to a River, as the text the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award that all incoming freshmen and transfer and is now out in paperback from students must read for the academic Graywolf Press. An earlier novel, The year. Busby has been doing a number of Loop, is in movie production with presentations on campus and in town TapWater Media. I'll turn 50 soon.” about the 50th anniversary of Graves’ Clay Reynolds, UTD professor, memorable trip down the Brazos. Mark novelist and book critic, has a new also talked about Graves, Walt collection of stories, Sandhill County McDonald, Dorothy Scarborough, and Lines, published by Texas Tech William Hauptman in a presentation University Press. In it he spins yarns on "Texas Wind" at the annual about small town people trapped in Waxahachie Chautauqua in September. mean circumstances, mostly in the Lone Rolando Hinojosa-Smith of the Star State. Publishers Weekly says University of Texas at Austin and Reynolds “shines penetrating light on Dagoberto Gilb of Texas State small lives.” University take center stage at the Texas The Nov. 5, 2007, issue of Book Festival in the House Chambers to Newsweek has a fascinating essay by read passages from Gilb’s Hecho en Larry McMurtry about the new movie Tejas: An Anthology of Texas Mexican by Joel and Ethan Coel,”No Country for Literature. Old Men.” The essay, entitled “A River Also at the Festival, Rick Riordan Runs Through It,” is a wide-ranging was to read from his yet-to-be-released piece about western movie-making novel, Percy Jackson and the through the years and the essential role Olympians, the fourth in the Percy the Rio Grande has played. Jackson series. Bud Shrake’s new novel, Custer’s A special feature at the Festival was Brother’s Horse, has been released. a tribute to the late Molly Ivins, Publisher is John M. Hardy Publishing. featuring a new film, “Remembering Dale Walker reviewed it in the Dallas Molly Ivins,” by Paul Stekler, with Morning News, calling it “a terrific comments by Lou Dubose, Roy Blount story.” Jr., and Ellen Sweats. Richard Dunham Robin Doughty, University of moderated. Texas at Austin geographer, is in the Fran Vick, our TIL president, was final stages of his book on establishing featured at the Festival with her co- an environmental regime for conserving author, Jane Clements Monday, for their the albatross. It tracks the development new book, Petra’s Legacy: The South of knowledge and concern for the bird Texas Ranching Empire of Petra Vela group that is now the most threatened and Mifflin Kennedy. Also on the panel one in the world, and examines the roles was Jerry Thompson, TIL’s 2006 of individuals who are most effectively winner for the most significant scholarly presenting alternatives for long liners book, Civil War to the Bloody End. that are taking tens of thousands of birds After the Festival the two authors will annually.

Texas Institute of Letters Oct.Nov.Dec. 2007 Newsletter Page 6

Time to pay dues for 2008

Members may send in their dues now for 2008. Make your check payable to Texas Institute of Letters. Dues are $50, and members may wish to make additional contributions for the Paiisano fund and the Fred Whitehead Memorial Endowment fund. Send your check to James Hoggard, TIL Treasurer, Department of English, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX 76308.

Please don’t forget: Send us your address, telephone, and e-mail changes. And corrections. Also, don’t forget to send news about yourself. Our members are interested in you. Send to [email protected]. And especially send your e-mail address if it’s not already in the directory.