Booking It

Texas city's storied book festival returns virtually with all-star author lineup

Piper Kerman, author of Orange is the New Black, will make an appearance at this year's fest.

Photo by Sam Zalutsky Spiegel and Grau

More than 200 authors, including a couple from Dallas-Fort Worth, are taking part in the 2021 virtual San Antonio Book Festival. On March 9, organizers revealed the full details behind this year's celebration, which includes more than 100 sessions and special lit-themed events.

The weekend festivities take place April 9-11, and will allow attendees a chance to engage with celebrated authors from across the city, state, and nation. Registration is free and can be done here.

North Texas authors joining this year's virtual San Antonio Book Fest are Dallas' Aaron E. Sánchez (Homeland: Ethnic Mexican Belonging Since 1900, Volume 2) and Fort Worth's Gregg Cantrell (The People’s Revolt: Texas Populists and the Roots of American Liberalism).

Among the literary stars participating are Walter Isaacson (The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, the Future of the Human Race); Kristin Hannah (The Four Winds); Jeff VanderMeer (Hummingbird Salamander); Gary Paulsen (Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood); Annette Gordon-Reed (On Juneteenth); Adam Silvera (Infinity Reaper: Infinity Cycle, 2); Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas, hosts of the NPR's "Wow in the World" and co-authors of Wow in the World: The How and Wow of the Human Body: From Your Tongue to Your Toes and All the Guts in Between; Nic Stone (Dear Justyce); and poet Martín Espada (Floaters: Poems), who will be in conversation with Luis Alberto Urrea, a member of the Latino Literature Hall of Fame and best-selling author.

Other notables making an appearance: Emily V. Gordon, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Samantha Irby, Piper Kerman, Ted Flato, Roy Benson, Elizabeth McKracken, and Meg Wolitzer.

The weekend-long celebration will also feature a series of special events, including Lit Crawl, "a virtual block party for books and everyone who loves to read them."

Another highlight is the debut of Sandra Cisneros Presents, a new program where the acclaimed writer introduces four of her favorite writers to festival audiences. Among Cisneros’ accolades are the Texas Medal of the Arts, a MacArthur Fellowship, and the National Medal of the Arts, which was awarded to her by President Obama in 2016. This year, the author will feature Diana Marie Delgado, John Olivares Espinoza, Joe Jiménez, and Christine Granados as part of the inaugural Sandra Cisneros Presents.

Additional sessions are available for teens, adults, and children, and a full list can be found here. Spotlighted events include:

Revolutionary Women of Texas and Mexico examining the role of women in the Mexican Revolution with co-editor Kathy Sosa, contributors Ellen Riojas Clark and Cynthia E. Orozco, and moderator Norma E. Cantú.
Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty, an in-depth look at Maurice Chammah’s debut book.
Nic Stone in Conversation with J. Elle, a discussion with two of the most successful young adult authors working today.

“When I look at this year’s book festival lineup and programming, the word that comes to mind is ‘abundance,’” said Lilly Gonzalez, SABF’s executive director. “Longtime fans will find comfort in the wealth of options that our online edition offers. Plus it’s reassuring to know that amid everything that’s happened, art is still thriving. It’s reason enough for us to come together, even if that’s via our computer screens this year.”

This year's festival does come with one big change: its official bookseller. Locally owned Nowhere Bookshop has taken over as the festival's book purveyor.

For more information and a full schedule of events, head to the SABF's official website.

books festivals

Rivers wild

Ethan Hawke narrates new documentary that deep-dives into Texas rivers

Cropped still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The Rio Grande is one of the stunning subjects of Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers.

One Texas film icon passes the torch to another for a deep dive on Texas' river ecosystems in the upcoming documentary Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers. Matthew McConaughey narrated the original 2022 film, Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story. Now Ethan Hawke narrates the follow-up, which will be in theaters September 25.

Deep in the Heart 2 is directed by Ben Masters, a nature-obsessed Texan who was born and raised in Amarillo and has followed wildlife around the state and beyond. Working with his crew at Fin & Fur Films, Masters explores the Rio Grande, the Sabine River, and the Neches River, a press release says, coming across otters, turkeys, alligator snapping turtles, and more.

This underwater shot was taken in San Marcos.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The original Deep in the Heart took a broad view of Texas — both its landscapes and their inhabitants — while the "sequel," as the release calls it, specifically highlights water. Conservation is an important angle, and viewers will get a chance to consider how they could connect with and protect the ecosystems on their screens.

"Most of my favorite memories are on Texas Rivers," said Masters in the release. "I grew up on the Canadian, fell in love on the Brazos, got married on the Guadalupe, found adventure on the Rio Grande, and am raising my kids on the Colorado."

The filmmaker says that spending three years filming his natural subjects gave him "a newfound appreciation" for rivers and how distinct they are from one another.

Amazing cinematography was a hallmark of the original film, and the sequel offers more beautiful shots.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

"We spent months filming mountain lions on the Pecos, snapping turtles on the Neches, otters on the Sabine, fatmuckets on the Llano, and whooping cranes in the Guadalupe's Estuary," Masters said. "Editing the majesty of Texas Rivers into 80 minutes was a huge challenge, and I'm just incredibly grateful to work with such a talented team of cinematographers, editors, producers, and musicians."

Hawke, born in Austin and raised in Fort Worth, is known for acting in the Dead Poets Society, Gattaca, the Richard Linklater films Boyhood and Blue Moon, and more. He has taken up causes in environmental advocacy for years and appeared in other ecology-focused films, including the intense fictional First Reformed (2018) and a goofy anti-littering PSA with TxDOT (2023).

Some unexpected guests in the Rio Grande.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The film was made in association with H-E-B, a regular supporter of ecological documentaries and initiatives, and conservation organization Texan by Nature. Other collaborators include producer Josh Winkler, editor Sam Klatt, assistant editor Chet Stefan, and composer Noah Sorota. The musical score is performed by Dallas Chamber Symphony.

animals documentaries ecology ethan hawke film matthew mcconaughey movies nature texas wildlife