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| Speaking at "Texas Writers Talk" |
This weekend the Philosophical Society of Texas met in Dallas at the Adolphus Hotel. "Texas Writers Talk" was the group's theme this year, thanks to the motivation of its president Fran Vick, the well-known and accomplished publisher. Vick assembled a group of writers, most of whom live in the state, to talk about their work. Also, the participants were asked to comment on the impact digitization might have on the world of writing and publishing. Steven Davis and Mark Busby provided overviews of Texas literary history. Panels saw stellar fiction writers including Elizabeth Crook, Jane Roberts Wood, and Stephen Harrigan appear on the dais, along with poet Karla Morton and writer Paula Mitchell Marks. The audience was large and very attentive, filled with questions and insights about the status of Texas writing. I was a member of a panel that addressed the subject of researching and writing Texas history. Also speaking with me were Randolph B. Campbell, James Crisp, Andres Tijerina and Gregg Cantrell. I addressed questions of historical research, noting that the primary task of the historian is interpretation rather than the rote assembling of facts. A panel with Kent Calder of the Texas State Historical Association, Ron Crisman of the University of North Texas Press, and Caitlin Churchill of the Texas A&M University Press addressed the future of digitization, all of them agreeing that there are profound changes on the horizon.
