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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2003
Contact: Sylvia Gale, UT Humanities Institute, (512) 471-2654
Fax: (512) 471-9646
Writing Austin’s Lives
A Citywide Community Discovery Project
In April, 2003, the University of Texas Humanities Institute launched its most ambitious public humanities and community-building initiative to date, “Writing Austin’s Lives.” By August 31, metro Austin residents of all ages, races, neighborhoods, occupations, and levels of formal education had submitted more than 800 one to three page stories, in English and in Spanish, on the six topics about which the Institute had invited citizens to write: "My Family's History in Austin"; "Where I Live"; "The Best Day of my Life"; "What I Really Need"; "My Family's Most Treasured Possession"; or "What I See When I Look at Austin". Some of these citizen-writers received encouragement and assistance in composing their stories at one of the twenty free, public life-writing workshops that were led by University and writing community volunteers and held at local branch libraries, bookstores, senior centers, and other venues throughout the summer.
“Writing Austin’s Lives” has already generated substantial and broad-based public and media interest, with radio shows devoted to the project on KOOP, KAZI, EXITOS 98.9, and a six-part series on KUT, and with newspaper features in The Austin American Statesman, The Austin Chronicle, The Daily Texan, and The Senior Advocate. This fall several public events will give thousands more Austinites an opportunity to share in the extraordinary grassroots history and portrait of Austin contained in the stories of their fellow citizens.
In mid-October, “Writing Austin’s Lives” will come to life on stage as noted Austin Director Rick Garcia and his cast of 20 present an original theatrical performance that dramatizes material from 44 of the collected stories in a rich collage of voices and lives that reflects our diverse city. The performance will run from Thursday, October 16th through Saturday, October 18th, in the Akins High School Theater (10701 South First Street). All performances are at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10 for the general public; $5 for students, seniors, and "Writing Austin's Lives" contributors. Seats may be reserved by calling 471-2654.
On Sunday November 16, at 3:00 pm in the LBJ Auditorium in the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum, the Humanities Institute will host the “Writing Austin’s Lives” Awards Ceremony in which more than forty adult and student writers (one from each participating neighborhood and school) will be specially recognized for contributing stories that, in the estimation of a diverse panel of readers and judges, powerfully express and deepen all of our understandings of Austin's various "lives." Some of these $50-prizewinning stories will be read and all of them will be displayed at this awards ceremony and community celebration. This event is free, and everyone is invited to come share good food and great stories while honoring the creativity and eloquence of their Austin neighbors.
Finally, The Humanities Institute plans to publish a book of “Writing Austin’s Lives” stories, to be sold in area bookstores. This published collection will be a unique portrait of Central Texas at the edge of the 21st century, and an important piece of local history. The entire archive of stories submitted to “Writing Austin’s Lives” will be collected at the Austin History Center.
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