An Open Book is now open

March 5, 2012, by

Welcome to Inprint’s new blog An Open Book. For close to three decades Inprint has been lucky enough to provide Houston with readings, writing workshops, fellowships for emerging writers at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program, and much more. We’ve witnessed other literary initiatives take root and flourish, and we’ve seen Houston develop into a great city for readers and writers. So much is happening in Houston’s literary scene, we can barely keep up ourselves.

Not only is there exciting local news, but Houston’s literary community has a synergistic relationship with national literary events and trends. We’re influenced by what is happening nationally, but Houston writers and our events are having a direct impact on shaping the global literary scene too, and that is something we are very proud of. We are part of it, not just a result of it.

We see this in our work every day. Our sold-out audience (and publicity and book sales) for Jeffrey Eugenides in October, according to his people, blew all his other readings out of the water. Salman Rushdie, who read for our Series last year, attracted the largest crowd he has ever had for a literary reading, right here in Houston. Novelist and Rice faculty member Justin Cronin, the featured speaker at the 2012 Inprint Poets & Writers Ball, said as part of his talk, that moving to the “always changing” Houston made writing the bestselling The Passage possible for him.

Novelist and Rice faculty member Justin Cronin, the featured speaker at the 2012 Inprint Poets & Writers Ball, said as part of his talk, that moving to the “always changing” Houston made writing The Passage possible for him.

Emerging writers, such as Amber Dermont, whose novel The Starboard Sea was reviewed in the New York Times Book Review this month, won an Inprint fellowship when she was a student at the UH Creative Writing Program.

This is just the tip of (the sadly melting) iceberg. We know there is so much to talk about, mull over, and celebrate. We know you have your own ideas and thoughts to share. We invite you to join the conversation. In the coming weeks, we’ll be talking to literary Houstonians and sharing their news, events, and ideas with you. Send us story ideas, literary news tips, and leave comments. It’s all part of An Open Book.

Until next time, happy reading and writing.

Inprint staff–Rich, Marilyn, Lee, Krupa, Kristi, & Kristen

4 thoughts on “An Open Book is now open

  1. I have a great story idea to share with you and the literary community. Since we are in a recession, the entire culture has change when it comes to being extremely optimistic. When President Kennedy and Regan ran for presidency, one of the things that made their run for the presidency successful was because they felt the heart of the nation and a union of needs. People will vote based on their needs and what they feel at the time. It is when a candidate is running for an office it is important to feel the pulse of a nation or that candidates in the area in which they are running. Since this is an election year it would be nice to read a small insightful book on the personality analysis of each candidate and relate it to the current pulse of a nation.

    • It is extremely exciting to live in a city that is as culturally diverse as Houston. With this “salad bowl” of city, it definitey adds to the varieties of writing samples that our city has to offer. So many writers sit in our local Starbucks banging away on their PCs and Macs. Most of our local talented writers have yet to be discovered. I look forward to the writings of the students that are completing their Creative Writing courses!

  2. Wow! it is great taht the city of houston is full of wonderful talent. I use to think that you had to travel all the way to New York to be in the top CReative Writing programs. It is good to have outstanding convenient Creative writing programs , right here in Houston. There are also many peotry workshops here in Houston for people who want to make themselves known.

  3. It is truly in inspiring to hear that there is such a spark for the literary community right here in Houston. Houston is a very cultural diverse city, which gives more reason that we should be a great cite for literary minds of every type to conjugate and produce awesome works and join in with cities best known for their literary minds.

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