Texas Book Festival - 2012

It's almost time (October 27-28) for my annual trek to Austin for the Texas Book Festival.  I'm just starting to plan my two days there by going over this list of attending/presenting authors and trying to maximize the number of authors I can see in the limited number of sessions you can squeeze into two days.  I always come away a little frustrated, so pre-planning is a definite must.

October is one of my favorite months around here because there is also a really good FREE bluegrass festival hosted by the city of Farmers Branch (near Dallas) this month - one weekend prior to the book festival, in fact.  I was very disappointed last year that the two events were on the same weekend and, although I was tempted to do one day of each, I decided that would be impossible without driving most of Saturday night.  I opted for the book festival but thought all weekend about the music I was missing.

2012 Festival Authors David Abrams Hipolito Acosta Bruce Aidells Ayad Akhtar E. Kristin Anderson Katherine Applegate Gustavo Arellano Jami Attenberg Avi Paolo Bacigalupi Bob Balaban Rosecrans Baldwin Mac Barnett Annie Barrows Steven Barthelme Kelly Bennett Lou Berney Jeff Biggers Andrew Blackwell Matt Bondurant Brain Quest H.W. Brands Michael Brick Douglas Brinkley George Bristol Peter Brown Shana Burg Rachel Kramer Bussel Ken Caillat  Ina Caro Robert Caro Dale Carpenter Kristin Cashore Brian Castner Katherine Catmull William H. Chafe Cinda Williams Chima R. Gregory Christie Marcia Clark William J. Cobb Cherie Colburn Nora de Hoyos Comstock Winifred Conkling Andy Coolquitt  Sarah Cortez Elizabeth Crane Andrea Cremer Kambri Crews Margie Crisp Justin Cronin Karen Cushman Mark Z. Danielewski Tony Danza Bree Despain David Dettmer Junot Diaz William J. Dobson James Donovan Robert Draper Naomi Duguid Dayton Duncan Jessica Dupuy Damien Echols Kurt Eichenwald John Eisenberg Paul Elie Chris Elliott Michael Ennis Michael Erard Will Erwin Jonathan Evison Jasper Fforde Sarah Fioroni Candace Fleming Ben Fountain Thomas Frank Ian Frazier James K. Galbraith Marjorie Galen Chris Gall Gilbert Garcia Kami Garcia Anthony Giardina Michael Gillette Adam Goodheart Alice Gordon Hilary Weisman Graham Reyna Grande Michael Grant Amelia Gray Tim Green Jesse Griffiths Liz Gutman Janice Hamrick Jenny Han Noah Hawley C.A. Heifner J. R. Helton Tad Hills Michelle Hodkin Henry Horenstein Sam Hurt Mary Irish Jewel Maureen Johnson Stephen Graham Jones Jodi Kantor Anna Keesey Jacqueline Kelly Jen King Jon Klassen Austin Kleon Helen Knode Yael Kohen Thomas Kreneck Jarrett J. Krosoczka Diana López Lynda Lanker Joe Lansdale Hope Larson Peter LaSalle Jeanne Marie Laskas Jenny Lawson Guy Lawson Robert Leleux David W. Lesch Meira Levinson Sanford Levinson Cynthia Levinson David Levithan Margot Livesey Attica Locke Nikki Loftin Loren Long Katherine Losse Marie Lu James Luna Michael MacCambridge Kristen-Paige Madonia David Maraniss  Leonard S. Marcus Domingo Martinez Kati Marton D. T. Max  Guadalupe Garcia McCall Lily Raff McCaulou Jenna Hays McEachern Lisa McMann Bryan Mealer Chris Meister David Menconi Bill Milliken Simon Sebag Montefiore Tomás Q. Morín Diane Morgan Vance Muse Gary Nabhan Charlie Newton Garth Nix Tim O'Brien Hugo Ortega Carolyn Osborn Julie Otsuka Adriana Pacheco Melinda Palacio Keija Parsinnen Joe Nick Patoski Becky Crouch Patterson Kate Payne Jeffrey M. Pilcher Dav Pilkey Turk Pipkin Andrew Porter Dan Rather Amy Reading Ben Rehder Jan Reid Adam Rex Steven Rinella Adam Roberts Scott Roberts Eric Rohmann Carlin Romano Marco Roth Edith Royal Ron Rozelle Lynda Rutledge René Saldaña Jr. Barney Saltzberg Esmeralda Santiago Steven Saylor Liz Garton Scanlon Krista Schlyer Gary D. Schmidt John Schwartz Jon Scieszka Elaine Scott Mike Scotti Rob Scotton Kirk Scroggs Maria Semple David Shapard Bob Shea Anita Silvey Sylvie Simmons Greg Leitich Smith Tyler Stoddard Smith Roland Smith Suzy Spencer John Spong Ilan Stavans Rebecca Stead Erin Stead Philip C. Stead Maggie Stiefvater Deanne Stillman Margaret Stohl Abby Stokes Michel Stone W.K. Stratton Emma Straub Cheryl Strayed Mathew Sturtevant Robert Sullivan Rachel L. Swarns Don Tate Kayte Terry Chuck Thompson Stephen Tobolowsky  Duncan Tonatiuh Jeffrey Toobin Paul Tough Pat Tucker Mark Updegrove Catherynne M. Valente Juan Pablo Villalobos Ray Villareal Siobhan Vivian Jason Walker Robb Walsh David Westin Andrea White Ted Widmer Henry Wiencek Sean Williams Dan Winters Naomi Wolf Paul Woodruff Reavis Z. Wortham Tom Wright Claire Wurtzel Bill Wurtzel Philip Yates Charles Yu Ralph Yznaga Zane Gwendolyn Zepeda

Each of the author names is linked back to the festival booksite, by the way, in case anyone is interested in seeing what is planned for them.