biggest bookish extravaganza

Texas Book Festival 2023 includes Stacey Abrams and 15 more literary and political leaders

Abrams has written several New York Times bestselling books.

Photo by Kevin Lowery

Texas' annual literary extravaganza, the Texas Book Festival, has revealed the first 16 featured authors that will join in on the fall weekend festivities at the Capitol in Austin, November 11-12.

Founded by former First Lady Laura Bush and journalism advocate Mary Margaret Farabee in 1995 — and now in its 28th year — the annual Texas Book Festival (TBF) celebrates literature and connects readers to their favorite authors. These relationships then have a chance to exist off of bookshelves and outside of libraries.

"We are thrilled to share this sneak peek of some of the many remarkable writers we are bringing to the Texas Book Festival this year," said Dalia Azim, the festival's interim executive director in a release. "Every fall we look forward to connecting hundreds of today’s leading authors with thousands of readers who attend our beloved event, in a celebration of books, ideas, and community."

Among the list of famed authors TBF has invited to their 2023 festival is entrepreneur and former Georgia State Representative Stacey Abrams. Abrams has written several New York Times bestselling books under her own name and under the pseudonym Selena Montgomery. Her most recent fiction book, a thriller called Rogue Justice, was published in May 2023.

Other distinguished authors mentioned in the lineup include PEN/Faulkner Award winner Ann Patchett; 2023 National Humanities Medal winner, biographer, and Time Magazine editor Walter Isaacson; and Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer.

The remaining 12 featured authors scheduled to appear at the festival are:

Abraham Verghese
S.A. Cosby
Curtis Sittenfield
Jacqueline Woodson
Angie Thomas
Lawrence Wright
Luis Alberto Urrea
Roger Reeves
Elizabeth Crook
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Rachel Louise Snyder
Vashti Harrison

These accomplished authors are just the first to be named out of 250 total featured guests. The full list will be released on September 13.

More information about the Texas Book Festival can be found at texasbookfestival.org.

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Airline News

American Airlines unveils plush seating on new Boeing 787-9 flights

There's plush new accommodations coming to American Airlines with the debut of American’s premium Flagship Suite seats aboard the airline’s newest Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

Starting May 5, customers dying to be the first to sit in the new seats can purchase tickets for the inaugural flight June 5 from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to Los Angeles (LAX) for Flight 2012, which will then return to ORD for its inaugural Flagship Suite service to London Heathrow (LHR) as Flight 98.

Later this summer, American will also operate the new 787-9 from Philadelphia (PHL) to LHR and Zurich (ZRH).

The Flagship Suite service will then be available in the fall with service from Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) to Brisbane, Australia (BNE).

American welcomed two new 787-9 planes to Dallas-Fort Worth on Tuesday and anticipates a total of 30 new aircraft will join the fleet family between now and 2029. The airline expects to grow its lie-flat and Premium Economy seating by 50 percent by the end of the decade.

Primarily utilized for long-haul international flights, customers traveling on American’s 787-9 will delight in the 51 Flagship Suite seats at the front of the aircraft, featuring privacy doors, more personal storage space with a wireless charging pad and a one-of-a-kind chaise lounge seating option with an adjustable headrest pillow.

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As part of the Flagship Suite service, customers also receive Priority check-in, security, boarding and baggage handling, as well as access to American’s Flagship lounge with free regionally inspired dishes and signature cocktails. Inflight Flagship Suite service offers a multicourse meal with wines,plus amenity kits containing skincare items, a duvet blanket, and a dual-sided pillow with cool touch fabric on one side and traditional fabric on the other.

“Every aspect of our new 787-9 is designed to feel premium in nature,” said Heather Garboden, American’s Chief Customer Officer. “Whether flying for business or pleasure, having the opportunity to explore other parts of the world should be an exciting and memorable experience that begins the moment you book your flight, long before you reach your final destination.”Looking ahead, American’s Flagship Suite® seats will be available on all newly delivered 787-9 aircraft, as well as new Airbus A321XLR aircraft and the airline’s retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER.

The rollout will be as follows:

June 5: Chicago (ORD) London (LHR)
August 6: Philadelphia (PHL) London (LHR)
September 3: Philadelphia (PHL) Zurich (ZRH)
October 2: Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Brisbane, Australia (BNE)

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