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Join National Book Award–honored authors Anthony Cody (Borderland Apocrypha, 2020 Poetry Finalist), Shing Yin Khor (The Legend of Auntie Po, 2021 Young People’s Literature Finalist), and LaToya Watkins (Holler, Child, 2023 Fiction Longlist) for readings and conversation on the porous boundaries of genre, of history, and of place. Moderated by Lacy M. Johnson, a Houston-based professor, curator, activist, and author. Presented in partnership with the National Book Foundation and Sam Houston State University, and sponsored by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the MFA Program in Creative Writing, Editing, and Publishing.

Till Next Year, NBAF!
By Bri Chapman

The National Book Awards Festival has come and gone and with that so has one of my favorite parts of being a Bearkat! For those who are just joining us, each year SHSU partners with the National Book Foundation to not only take on an SHSU student intern every summer but also sends us talented authors to come and talk to us about their craft, their books, and their life as writers. At this year’s festival, we had the pleasure of hosting Anthony Cody, Shing Yin Khor, and LaToya Watkins.

Throughout the day I had the opportunity to talk to and get to know these authors. Cody and Watkins gave very insightful presentations during their craft talks in the afternoon. Cody helped us understand how to take up space as an author, especially one who comes from diverse backgrounds, and how to use that space to express yourself. He showed us that by literally pushing the boundaries and borders of your work you also push the boundaries that might come with being from diverse backgrounds. Watkins explained her ways of method writing and how she uses method writing to embody her characters, to find the meat of them for her stories. By embodying these characters she learns things about them that might not have otherwise come up which she says helps her make her characters and stories more impactful and interesting for the readers. That night, we had the pleasure of hearing all three authors not only read from their books, but also discuss with each other and answer questions from the audience about their writing styles, their inspirations, and so many other things! The night ended with applause and book signings, one of the best nights yet!