Living in an Open Book: Austin Makes a Book Project

Austin is a story town - but for every treasured encounter with the vitality and talent that surrounds us, there are a thousand voices we don't get to hear. What if a single book promised one-hundred glimpses into the thoughts, lives, and creative capacities of one-hundred Austinites? Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists want to make this possible, with the community based project, Austin Makes a Book.

For thirty dollars, Austinites can purchase one page in a high-quality paperback zine-book. A bit pricey, sure, but that page can become anything - a photograph, a story, a poem, a grocery list, a love letter - whatever a 7x7 flat surface can hold. The money pays for the book's publication and any leftover funds are donations to Room to Read, an international literacy and classroom building outreach organization. Contributors will celebrate with a launch party to be announced. Submissions so far range from prose to photography, including a five-year-old Austinite's first published literary endeavor. The book will read like the lively, unpredictable citizens who make it. Phenix & Phenix is accepting the first one-hundred submissions they receive. Contact them if you'd like to chime in. Submission guidelines available here.