RICHARDSON, Texas (March 23, 2006) — The School of Arts and Humanities at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), along with literary associations PEN Texas and PEN USA, will sponsor the second “Writers’ Toolbox” lecture on Sunday, April 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Jonsson Performance Hall (Room 2.604) of the Jonsson Building on the UTD campus.  Titled “What is the Small Press Looking For,” the event is free and open to the public.

The featured speaker, Kate Gale, who is the managing editor of Red Hen Press and president of PEN USA, will share her extensive insight and knowledge about the publishing world. Gale will outline the publishing process and will provide easy and effective suggestions about how to get the attention of the small press.

Drs. Tim Redman and Robert Nelsen, both of whom are professors of literary studies in UTD’s School of Arts and Humanities, organized the event. Redman is a board member of PEN USA and received a lifetime achievement award from PEN Texas in 2001 for his involvement with the Lone Star Writing Contest, his commitment to the Freedom-to-Write Committee, his biographical work about Ezra Pound, as well as his involvement with chess as an educational tool. He is the author of Ezra Pound and Italian Fascism (Cambridge University Press, 1991).

Nelsen also is an associate provost at UTD. Selected as the university’s teacher of the year for 2004-2005, Nelsen most recently assisted UTD President Dr. David E. Daniel in the creation of the university’s strategic plan. He has published extensively throughout his 20-year academic career, and his work has appeared in such journals as StoryQuarterly, Other Voices, Chariton Review and Southwest Review. Nelsen recently finished a novel, Spirits Colliding.

According to Redman, “Nearly all serious fiction and poetry published today is coming out of small presses, not the big trade presses. Writers will find Kate’s talk of enormous use in helping them to place their work.”

PEN USA’s Writers’ Toolboxes consist of discussions and workshops designed to serve the needs of professional writers. Held in collaboration with community-based literary organizations in the western United States, the talks have included such topics as working with a literary agent and promoting your own book.

PEN is an international membership association of prominent literary writers and editors. The more than 10,000 members (2,900 in the United States) of PEN are poets, playwrights, essayists, editors and novelists, as well as translators and agents who have made substantial contributions to the literary community.

Gale’s workshop also will be offered at the “Writes of Spring” festival at 3 p.m. on April 1 in the Gallery at Southside on Lamar, near downtown Dallas.

For more information about both events, please contact Redman at redmanink@yahoo.com.

About UTD

The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor®, enrolls nearly 14,500 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s website at www.utdallas.edu.