Utter Reading Series is back with an enviable line-up of writers from Austin and beyond. Tyson Midkiff will host the reading at House Wine tonight from 7-10 pm, so settle in with some delicious wine, cheese and/or dessert while listening to Flash Fiction from Kevin Sampsell and B. Frayn Masters of Portland, OR, two writers who can articulate in a few sentences stories that might otherwise take a lifetime to tell. Joining them with their own well-timed words will be Austinites Elizabeth Crane and Jeff Chan, along with Fort Worth's Alex Lemon. more ›

It cannot be denied that some people will find themselves using love and money interchangeably, as the value of one can often directly effect the other. We live in a society where both are shared, spent, saved or squandered. It can be hard to remember which one is earned and which one was a gift and the confusion can be costly. For Love and Money, tonight's reading at BookWoman, continues to explore the connection between the tangible and intangible in relationships as four talented women writers muse on the topics of love, sex, desire and cash. more ›

Crane is at peak form when crafting worlds that her readers can easily relate to and recognize, even once they've taken an odd (if not outright bizarre) turn. Still, they're ultimately anchored in the honesty of the most basic of human emotions and needs, as in the near-realism of "Donovan's Closet": in a town not unlike Austin—where "you could weave a tapestry from the mutton chops alone"—we witness a relationship fall apart as the story's protagonist becomes obsessed with her boyfriend's lemon-scented closet. more ›