The Library Foundation is proud to host and sponsor University of Texas Press at 75: A Celebration of Books and Ideas
Admission is free | No reservations are required
All programs are held in the Special Events Center at Austin Central Library
Books will be sold on site by First Light Books
10 a.m. — Mayor Kirk Watson
Launching the University of Texas Press at 75: A Celebration of Books and Ideas, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson will deliver remarks and issue a proclamation declaring September 21 “University of Texas Press Day.” Introduced by Tim Staley, executive director of The Library Foundation
10:30 to 11:15 a.m. — Sarah Bird
Beloved Texas writer Sarah Bird is the author of three books published by the University of Texas Press, most recently Juneteenth Rodeo, a collection of her photographs taken at small-town Black rodeos in the late 1970s. In this session, Bird will display photos from Juneteenth Rodeo and discuss her long collaboration with UT Press
12 noon to 12:45 p.m. — David Hillis in conversation with Asher Elbein
David Hillis (Armadillos to Ziziphus: A Naturalist in the Texas Hill Country) and Asher Elbein (Dinosaurs and Other Ancient Animals of Big Bend) will discuss the natural diversity of Texas, exploring the state’s deep and varied natural history, threats to nature in Texas, and efforts to preserve and restore some of the state’s natural treasures.
1:30 to 2:15 p.m. Michael Hurd in conversation with Leonard Moore
Black history scholars Michael Hurd (Thursday Night Lights: The Story of Black High School Football in Texas) and Leonard Moore (Teaching Black History to White People) will reflect on the intersections of their work published by UT Press and bring their expertise to a discussion of football in Texas.
3 to 3:45 p.m. — Lisa Keefauver in conversation with Art Markman
Grief specialist Lisa Keefauver will be joined in this session by Art Markman, host of the “Two Guys on Your Head” podcast, for a conversation about the psychology of grief and Lisa’s UT Press book, Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss.
4:15 to 5 p.m. — Toni Tipton-Martin in conversation with Adrian Lipscombe
Celebrating ten years since the publication of Toni Tipton-Martin’s James Beard Award–winning The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks, Tipton-Martin and Austin chef Adrian Lipscombe will discuss the book’s influence and legacy, and the larger project of Tipton-Martin’s career as a culinary journalist.
5:30 to 6:15 p.m. — Stephen Harrigan in conversation with Ross McCammon
Acclaimed essayist and novelist Stephen Harrigan, author of nine titles published by UT Press, will be joined by Texas Monthly editor in chief Ross McCammon for a conversation about Harrigan’s body of work and his latest UT Press book of essays, An Anchor in the Sea of Time.
7 to 7: 45 p.m. — Hanif Abdurraqib in conversation with Jessica Hopper
Hanif Abdurraqib (Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest) and Jessica Hopper (Night Moves) are two of the most important music critics and editors working today. In this closing session, the two will discuss their pathbreaking careers, including their longtime collaboration and more recent partnership as series editors on UT Press’s American Music Series.
