Inprint offers diverse author series
Inprint Houston has endured an unprecedented and difficult 2020-21 season for its Margarett Root Brown reading series, thanks to a pandemic that shut down the author appearances. But the organization found a way to muddle through with a smartly assembled series of virtual readings and discussions by authors who released notable books over the past year.
“We try to create a lineup that feels diverse like Houston,” says executive director Rich Levy. “And I think we have a group of writers who say things worth saying, who engage our readers in conversations. Maybe they piss off some people, maybe they fill them with joy. That’s what we want to do.”
The readings series will offer two programs for subscribers: a $400 tier that includes every book by every author in the series and a $225 tier that includes books by four of the authors. Individual tickets for the events, without the book, remain $5. Currently all of the events except two — Jan. 24 and May 9 — will take place via Inprint’s “virtual studio.” Aug. 30 — Rita Dove:
A Pulitzer Prize winner and U.S. poet laureate, Dove in August released “Playlist for the Apocalypse,” her first new collection of poems in 12 years. She’ll read and joined in conversation with fellow Pulitzer winner Jericho Brown, an alumnus of the University of Houston creative writing program.
Sept. 20 — Lauren Groff:
Author of the award-nominated and bestselling “Fates and Furies,” Groff dropped a brilliant short-story collection in 2018. “Matrix,” a piece of historical fiction set in the 12th century, is her first novel in six years and arrives this month. She’ll read and appear in conversation with Brenda Peynado, an assistant professor at the University of Houston’s creative writing program and author of “The Rock Eaters.”
Sept. 27 — Ruth Ozeki:
If Ozeki isn’t the only Zen Buddhist priest among this year’s Inprint guests, she’s certainly the only Zen Buddhist priest/novelist/filmmaker who has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle
Award. Her fifth novel, “The Book of Form and Emptiness,” publishes this month. She will read and speak with “The Giant’s House” author Elizabeth McCracken.
Oct. 18 — Anthony Doerr:
Doerr enjoyed enormous commercial success with his second novel, “All the Light We Cannot See,” which also earned him a Pulitzer Prize. His “Cloud Cuckoo Land” is dedicated to librarians; at 650-plus pages, they may need a back support to get it to the shelves. But the September release is one of the most anticipated of the year. Doerr will read and participate in a discussion with former Houston Chronicle book editor Maggie Galehouse.
Oct. 25 — Jonathan Franzen:
Twenty years after “The Corrections” was Oprah’d into the stratosphere, Franzen returns with his sixth novel, “Crossroads,” which appears to be the first in a trilogy, undermining the author’s claim that his next novel would be his last. He reads from his latest and speaks with short-story author David Means.
Nov. 15 — Wole Soyinka:
A native of Nigeria, Soyinka is the first African writer to win the Nobel Prize in literature. His body of work is astounding, with dozens of titles in the form of plays, poetry collections, memoirs and novels. That said, some time has passed since his last novel: “Chronicles From the Land of the Happiest People on Earth” is his first in 48 years. He will read from it; his partner in conversation will be announced at a later date.
Jan. 24 — Honorée Fanonne Jeffers and Tiphanie Yanique:
Though best known as an award-winning poet, Jeffers has an audience eagerly awaiting her debut novel, “The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois.” She’s joined by novelist Yanique, who earned her MFA from UH’s creative writing program. Her “Monster in the Middle” will be released in October. Both will read from their latest.
Feb. 27 — Olga Tokarczuk:
Tokarczuk is a Polish Nobel Laureate and a Booker Prize winner for “Flights” whose body of work contains several novels, shortstory collections, poetry and nonfiction.
April 11 — Yusef Komunyakaa:
Komunyakaa’s many volumes of poetry have drawn acclaim and awards, including a Pulitzer Prize. Ta-Nehisi Coates referred to him as “probably my favorite living poet.” He’ll read from “Every Day Mojo Songs of the Earth: New and Selected Poems.” Also on the bill is another veteran poet, Carl Phillips, who will read from “Then the War and Selected Poems, 20072020.” Both will read prior to a conversation with Francine J. Harris, an associate professor at UH’s creative writing program and author of last year’s brilliant and award-winning collection “Here is the sweet hand.”
May 9 — Hernan Diaz:
Argentinian writer Diaz won a Whiting Award for his first novel, “In the Distance.” He brings new novel “Trust,” set in 1920s New York and due in May, for a reading and a conversation with Houston-based novelist Mark Haber.