PRESS RELEASE: Upcoming #TXBookChat LIVE Features Author Dave Dalton Thomas at State Library on Oct. 7

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Austin, TX - Join the Texas Center for the Book on Monday, Oct. 7 from 2 to 3 p.m. (CT) for #TXBookChat LIVE: Picnic: Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Tradition with author Dave Dalton Thomas. A conversation with Texas Center for the Book Coordinator Michele Chan Santos will be followed by an audience Q&A session and book signing opportunity.

Thomas has attended nearly every Willie Nelson Fourth of July Picnic since 1995. For the last 20 years, he has researched the history of the Picnic, chronicling the brutal heat and the quirky and sometimes illegal antics of fans, musicians and others. Thomas has watched the Picnic evolve over the decades, as Willie and his audience have evolved. He has interviewed participants, including artists, organizers, promoters and even a few colorful hangers-on.

Formerly a journalist for the Austin American-Statesman, Thomas released Picnic: Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Tradition in April 2024, published by Texas A&M University Press. With the American-Statesman from 2002 to 2019, his reporting and writing have also appeared in Texas Highways, the San Angelo Standard-Times, The Daily Beast, CNN.com and other outlets.

Attendees may RSVP online at: https://bit.ly/TXBookChat_Thomas.

Hosted in the Public Event Space at the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building located in the Capitol Complex, 1201 Brazos St. in Austin, this event is free and open to the public. Parking is available at the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage across the street. Additional parking options, including handicapped parking, along with directions and maps, is available on TSLAC's website at www.tsl.texas.gov/visit. Books will not be for sale on site, but Picnic is available at local bookstores and online.

Thomas will sign books at the conclusion of the event. Books will not be for sale on site, but Picnic is available at Texas A&M University Press online, other online retailers and in local bookstores.

Attendees are invited to explore TSLAC's current Texas history exhibit while visiting. Named a National Literary Landmark, the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building located directly east of the Texas Capitol. View the six flags flown over Texas, six Texas seal mosaics and the panoramic Texas history mural in the lobby.

The Texas Center for the Book's #TXBookChat series has provided a platform for discussions with authors, librarians and literary professionals since 2020. These informal events offer a quick look into different aspects of the state's literary world while bringing together diverse voices and perspectives. For more information, and to view videos of past events, visit the website at www.tsl.texas.gov/txbookchat.

One of 50 state centers affiliated with the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, the Texas Center for the Book is under the direction of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

For more information, contact Michele Chan Santos at [email protected] or visit www.tsl.texas.gov/centerforthebook.

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The Texas State Library and Archives Commission provides Texans access to the information they need to be informed, productive citizens by preserving the archival record of Texas; enhancing the service capacity of public, academic and school libraries; assisting public agencies in the maintenance of their records; and meeting the reading needs of Texans with disabilities. For more information, visit www.tsl.texas.gov.

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