The 2nd Annual McDermott Library-UTD Mercury Fall Writers Series will feature authors discussing such disparate topics as the Dallas Cowboys, tabloid journalism and the world of mystery novels. The lectures are free and open to the public and will be held in the McDermott Library Auditorium (Room MC 2.410) on the University of Texas at Dallas campus.
The series of three lectures will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4, when veteran sports columnist Frank Luksa will put a humorous twist on “40 Years Covering the Dallas Cowboys.” Since 1962, Luksa has seen the triumphs and the tragedies of America’s team from inside the locker room. The Plano resident and Dallas Morning News sportswriter had been scheduled to kick off last year’s Fall Series, but his talk was postponed because of the 9-11 tragedy.
Ever wonder how those tabloid newspapers get away with the outrageous stories and headlines? That question likely will be answered in the second lecture at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 9, which will feature Bill Sloan of Dallas, former editor at several national tabloid newspapers. His topic is the title of a recent book,”I Watched a Wild Hog Eat My Baby: A Colorful History of Tabloids and Their Impact on Our Culture.”
Dallas novelist A. W. “Bill” Gray, who has written some 20 books and specializes in mysteries, will present the third lecture on Nov. 6 beginning at 9:30 a.m. Gray also writes courtroom dramas under the pseudonym Sarah Gregory. His topic will be “Facts, Not Fiction, About the Life of a Novelist.”
“The popular response we received during our first Fall Writers Series last year made it an easy decision to repeat this feature offered to the university community and community at large by the McDermott Library,” said Dr. Larry D. Sall, director of UTD libraries.”The audiences grew as each author came to our campus and library. We are also thankful to the student newspaper, the UTD Mercury, for joining us in presenting this series.”
“We discovered last year that bringing professional writers and authors to UTD provides us with added educational value,” said Mercury staff advisor Jay Miller. “Two of the 2002 presenters are veteran journalists and the other a self-taught and successful novelist. We expect their comments to be entertaining and insightful.”
Over the past year, the McDermott Library has helped sponsor appearances by authors such as Sharon Robinson, daughter of famous baseball player Jackie Robinson; award-winning true crime specialist Carlton Stowers; Pulitzer-prize winning investigative reporter Andres Oppenheimer; controversial sleuth Bill Dear; noted military historian C.V. Glines, and Texas Reporter of the Year Tim Madigan.