|
|
 
|
Newsletter sign-up: 
Get Breaking News on your cell|
About This Blog
Michael Merschel: Michael Merschel is The Dallas Morning News books editor. September 2009
Recent Posts
A salute to William Safire, wordsmith "Oxford American's" Southern Lit poll: Yep, it's full of Faulkner Let us now praise punctuation. Punctuation? Punctuation! "Best American" poet Michael Grabell on journalism and poetry Books on book clubs -- is your favorite listed? Sachse-Wylie Author Festival starts Saturday Review of and excerpt from Oprah pick "Say You're One of Them" Recent Comments
Categories
GuideLive.com
Entertainment Blogs |
« Texas Book Festival: Susan Orlean, playing with the kids |
Main| Texas Book Festival: What's selling (updated) »
The biggest crowd I saw today was for Roy Blount Jr. and Peter Sagal, who drew several hundred people to the Senate chamber -- so many that people were turned away, and some who made it in had to be swept from the aisles as they crowded to hear the radio stars. Ironically, the acoustics were lousy in the upper levels of the Senate chamber, and several people left early complaining that they could not hear. (Which was fine with me -- I wouldn't have made it in otherwise.) Mr. Blount was discussing his new book, Alphabet Juice. Mr. Sagal was discussing his new-in-paperback release of The Book of Vice. He provided one of those only-at-the-Texas-Book-Festival moments when Mr. Sagal, under the watchful gaze of giant portraits of great Texans who have filled the august chamber, spoke at length about dining with porn stars and his experiences in swingers clubs, which he visited strictly for research purposes. (He also explained how it was a Republican's involvement in such clubs that led to scandal that enabled an Illinois legislator named Barack Obama to get elected to the Senate.) For his part, Mr. Blount contributed a discussion of the sounds pigs make in various languages. It was a fitting end to the first day of the festival. E-mail entry: |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bio
E-mail
News tips|
THINGS TO DO
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Leave comment