Texas Pages

Saturday's dark skies and thunderstorms only added to the ambiance of author Nick Redfern's lecture.

As Books blog fans read previously, the Dallas-based paranormal investigating journalist was at the downtown library discussing "Weird Mysteries of Texas."

It was a great turn-out despite the tornado alerts. Attendees included Terry Groff, a field investigator and webmaster for the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of MUFON (Mutual UFO Network), which is dedicated to UFO research and public education on the subject.

Redfern presented a dramatic slide show from his travels across the globe and right here at home in search of everything from ghosts, chupacabras and Big Foot to crop circles and UFOs.

What's Redfern working on next? He's returning to the Big Thicket region of East Texas for a deeper investigation of the Bragg Road ghost light.

Learn more about Redfern's adventures in his new book, Memoirs of a Monster Hunter: A Five-Year Journey in Search of the Unknown.

Photo by C. Wynn: Redfern at the Dallas Public Library

Here's a potential treat from The Writers Garret -- they are releasing a very limited number of free tickets to see Louis Begley (Holocaust survivor whose novels include "About Schmidt") record at The Writers Studio.

He'll appear 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Theatre Three in the Quadrangle, 2800 Routh St. Call 214-828-1715 or e-mail gen@writersgarret.org, and tell them you saw it on Texas Pages.

Although it's admittedly a stretch.

Still, Galleycat notes that New Yorker editor Ben Greenman has made a hobby of doing musical treatments of current events. (His "Death Comes for Britney Spears," via YouTube, is posted below. It's marginally naughty -- and the acting is, um, no threat to any of the Oscar nominees.)

Anyhow, his latest work is about Texas' own Roger Clemens, and is posted at McSweeney's. Sample dialogue, which I suppose is vaguely Shakespearean, which makes it literary:

BRIAN MCNAMEE

Roger, I swear,
I'm in such despair.
I never meant to cause you any pain,
But, Roger, see,
They ordered me
To tell them what your shots really contained.

ROGER CLEMENS

If I had a baseball right here in my hand,
I'd hurl it hard at the spot where you stand.
Maybe I'd miss but maybe I'd hit.
Maybe, you numskull, your dumb skull would split.

It goes on like that.

Anyhow -- here's Britney.

Here's an early heads-up: You've got two chances to see the African-American Author Showcase this weekend.

On Saturday, it's from 2 to 4 p.m. at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young St.

On Sunday, it's from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Ruthe Jackson Center, 3113 S. Carrier Parkway.

And that showcase would include:

Barbra Porter Coleman, "The Reservationist"

Valerie L. Coleman, "Blended Families Anthology"

Cheryl Lacey-Donovan, "Women What the Hell Are You Thinking?"

Michael J. Lockwood, "Women Have All The Power"

Marion Napoleon, "Lady Silverstone’s Darkest Hour"

Shewanda Riley, "Love Hangover"

Marvin D. Woodard, "101 Things a Black Man Should Know"

Not long ago, we were discussing whether classic literature has any place in a modern school, or if it's time to emphasize "relevant" works.

The New York Times has countered with a piece that shows kids of diverse backgrounds responding to, of all things, "The Great Gatsby," by ... some dead white guy.