For immediate release — Jan. 13, 2012
(DALLAS) — The Dallas County Community College District will serve as a community partner in 2012 for the 21st season of the Arts & Letters Live program — part of the Dallas Museum of Art’s multi-faceted offerings.
DCCCD will sponsor authors in February, and the district will be one of several co-sponsors for the second annual summer BooksmART Festival in June. February’s authors sponsored by DCCCD are Richard Mason and Amor Towles, who will speak on Friday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. in Horchow Auditorium; DCCCD students may purchase tickets at the reduced price of $5 for that event. Mason is the author of “The Drowning People,” and Towles will discuss his first novel, “Rules of Civility.”
The free, one-day BooksmART Festival will offer families and children of all ages a chance to celebrate literature and the arts. The day will feature authors, artists, illustrators, workshops, music, gallery tours, story time, games and other activities at the Dallas Museum of Art. Visit http://www.DallasMuseumofArt.org/ALL for details.
Arts & Letters Live presentations in January include:
- Friday, Jan. 20, 7 p.m., Horchow Auditorium —
Luis Alberto Urrea and Ayad Akhtar — Urrea, born in Tijuana to a Mexican father and an American mother, has been inspired by his Mexican roots throughout his extensive career. The bestselling author of “The Devil’s Highway” and “Into the Beautiful North,” Urrea has written a new novel, “Queen of America,” which continues the saga of “The Hummingbird’s Daughter,” the true story of Urrea’s great-aunt Teresita, who came to be the “The Saint of Cabora” during the Tomochic Revolution. First-generation Pakistani-American Ayad Akhtar grew up in Milwaukee and was very aware that his peers did not understand his Islamic background. Akhtar was motivated to write his first novel, “American Dervish,” to share his sense of Islam in America — its beauty, simplicity and vivid spirituality. The two authors will discuss common threads of spirituality and multiculturalism in their works.
- Saturday, Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m., Horchow Auditorium —
Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel — Meet the “League of Comic Justice”: Pulitzer prize-winning humorist Dave Barry and the winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor, Alan Zweibel. New Yorker and former class clown Barry was a columnist for the Miami Herald for 25 years. He has written more than 30 books for children and adults and is a former syndicated columnist. Zweibel started his career as a writer for stand-up comedians who paid him $7 a joke! The former “Saturday Night Live” writer created memorable characters like Roseanne Roseannadanna and Emily Litella. The multiple Emmy-winner also is a screenwriter. Barry and Zweibel have collaborated on a new novel, Lunatics, about two strangers who cross paths and collide in an escalating series of events that will send them running for their lives.
- Sunday, Jan. 29, 3 p.m., Horchow Auditorium —
Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman — Meet Lemony Snicket — err ... Daniel Handler — the author of critically acclaimed novels for both children and adults, including the 13-volume “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” and learn more about his intricate and witty writing style. Handler will team up with writer/illustrator Maira Kalman to discuss their recent collaboration on the young adult novel “Why We Broke Up.” Kalman has written and illustrated 13 children’s books, including “What Pete Ate,” “13 Words” (with Handler) and her beloved works featuring Max Stravinsky, the poet dog.
(Editor's note: For more information about the January events, plus photos of the authors and their works, please visit our
Arts & Letters Live overview page.)
Prices vary by event. For tickets, register online at
http://www.tickets.DallasMuseumofArt.org.
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Press contact: Ann Hatch
214-378-1819;
ahatch@dcccd.edu