Not long ago
I had the privilege of attending the Tucson Festival of Books. It’s the only
event I’ve seen that attracts hundreds of thousands of people who share a love
of books and reading. Display tents line the University of Arizona mall several
rows deep, filled with all kinds of vendors and publishers and booksellers and
others, most book-related.
A large
meeting room filled to hear a panel discussion featuring Bob Boze Bell, author,
illustrator and Executive Editor of True
West magazine, and author and retired rancher Alan Day. I filled the third
seat at the table. Bell, a raucous raconteur, kept the audience laughing as we
three exchanged stories of how our experiences growing up in the West
contributed to and affected our writing.
Later, I
conducted a workshop on opportunities in and approaches to Western writing for
a small group of aspiring authors.
All in all,
a worthwhile trip with lots of Arizona scenery and sightseeing stops along the
way. Besides, the weather down there was a lot warmer than what we left behind
and what we came home to.
If you’re
able, plan a visit to next year’s Festival. A full slate of lectures, panel
discussions, books signings, and other presentations by authors of every type
of book imaginable, including writers who are household names. If you love
books, you’ll love the Tucson Festival of Books.
