Seventy-one pages into his book Austin Nights, Herocious (a pen name for Michael Davidson) confirms what the reader has most likely been suspecting - “What you're reading reading is trying to stay formless and free, without limitations and plot.” The book floats from present to past, but the gist of it is this - Davidson, or a character he inhabits in these pages - has left Miami Beach with his girlfriend Bridget to move to Austin. Like so many others, the University is the impetus for their move, and Austin presents both difficult and happy challenges to their worldview. Bridget is also a narrator in Austin Nights, but the story is primarily told through Michael's words. Davidson is prone to the “occasional digression,” as he puts it, and his narrative is quick-moving, often familiar, and occasionally frustrating. more ›

Highlights for this week: The Royal Family bids adieu to the east side with a giant Halloween bash, featuring DJ sets by Stay Gold, a costume contest, and a whopping 75% off the entire store inventory The Blanton Museum of Art opens up afterhours on Friday for its monthly B scene, with art from the American West and music by the Unfortunate Heads and DJ Spooky Texas Fun Fun Fun Fest takes over Waterloo Park... more ›

The Writers' League of Texas will be honoring author Lawrence Wright on September 21st with the 3rd Annual Award of Literary Merit. The award seeks to recognize individuals who "embody the League's mission of promoting literacy and elevating the art of writing." The first two Awards of Literary Merit were bestowed upon Sarah Bird (2006) and Anne Patchett (2005). Currently a staff writer for The New Yorker, Lawrence Wright has authored several books as well... more ›

We're always trying to extol the value of having the Harry Ransom Center right here in town. They keep so many valuable treasures safe, yet make them readily available to the Austin community. Who else is going to keep your authentic Raging Bull boxing trunks so "just-off De Niro" fresh for an eternity? Well, it was only a matter of time before the HRC got mad props from New York's poshest periodical: The New Yorker.... more ›

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-Lewis "Scooter" Libby evidently dabbled in a bit of fiction writing, his 1996 novel The Apprentice dubbed by The New Yorker as his "entry in the long and distinguished annals of the right-wing dirty novel." Consider the following tasty excerpt: "He could feel her heart beneath his hands. He moved his hands slowly lower still and she arched her back to help him and her lower leg came against his. He held her breasts... more ›

Austinist imagines Parisian chanteuse Keren Ann to be the musical lovechild of Jacques Dutronc and Eva Cassidy, which is to say an intercontinental pairing of jazz and folk/country. On our iPod otherwise congested with frenetic, post-everything tunes, her songs strike a perfect, delicate balance: between nostalgia for a simpler time and place none of us will ever know, and a sensual promise of heated trysts within shrouded bedrooms. more ›

Shocking news has surfaced revealing that Dave Chappelle, star of Comedy Central’s “Chappelle’s Show,” has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital in South Africa. It may seem like just another Kaufman-esque type joke , but all signs point to Dave Chappelle and his show not returning to its sketch comedy throne anytime soon. Chappelle, who received a new 2-year 50 million dollar contract for seasons three and four, has pushed production back several times... more ›

What with his curly hair and PC company, Austinite Michael Dell has always seemed like a pretty mild-mannered guy to us. But according to The New Yorker’s James Surowiecki, he’s a local hotshot and is in danger of being undone by hubris, like Moctezuma, Abdul Hamid II or Alcibiades.* more ›