Alex Temblador will be introducing her insightful new book, "Writing An Identity Not Your Own: A Guide for Creative Writers". Moderating the event will be the talented author Logen Cure. Join us for an evening of literary excitement, insightful discussions, and a chance to meet these amazing authors!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A practical guide to help authors authentically write and edit a character whose identity is different than their own.

Do you have the tools to authentically write and edit a character whose identity is different than your own? It’s not a subject that’s generally taught in creative writing programs, and there are so few craft books and online resources on the subject. Even if you can take a seminar, class, or workshop, there’s nothing like having an easy-to-understand book on hand to provide guidance and insight every time you craft characters with historically
marginalized identities.

In Writing an Identity Not Your Own, award-winning author Alex Temblador discusses one of the most contentious topics in creative writing: crafting a character whose identity is historically marginalized. What is “identity,” and how do unconscious biases and bias blocks impact and influence what we write? What is intersectionality? You’ll learn about identity terms, stereotypes, and tropes, and receive genre-specific advice related to various identities to consider when writing different races and ethnicities, sexual and romantic orientations, gender identities, disabilities, nationalities, and more. Through writing strategies, exercises, and literary excerpts, writers will gain a clearer understanding on how misrepresentations and harmful portrayals can appear in storylines, dialogue, and characterization. Alex will guide writers from the brainstorming phase
through the editing process so they can gain a full understanding of the complexities of writing other identities and why it’s important to get them right.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alex Temblador is the Mixed Latine award-winning author of Secrets of the Casa Rosada and Half Outlaw. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma and is a contributor to Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America and Speculative Fiction for Dreamers: A Latinx Anthology. Alex has taught creative writing seminars, workshops, and classes with the Women's Fiction Writers Association, WritingWorkshops.com, the Writer's League of Texas, and more, as well as spoken about diversity in the literary world with the Texas Library Association, Abydos Learning Conference, and at many other festivals, conferences, and universities. She is an award-winning travel, arts, and culture journalist who specializes in diversity, equity, and inclusion, publishing in the likes of Conde Nast Traveler, Outside, and Travel + Leisure, and speaking about such topics at SXSW, the Society of American Travel Writers, and the World Travel Market. Alex lives in Dallas, Texas, where she runs a literary panel series called LitTalk and is the Executive Director of Write Here DFW.

Stephanie M. Seaton and Rondregus “Mr. U” Underwood have a book launch event at The Dock Bookshop. This interactive evening promises to provide extensive insights and engagement into deep matters that requires necessary awareness for all. The event will feature their book Innocence Taken with host/moderator Michael Guinn. 🎯The event is scheduled for Saturday, August 3rd from 6 to 9 pm.

📖The upcoming book release, "Innocence Taken," explores the poignant story of a young girl and boy whose innocence was shattered by trauma. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they embarked on a journey of healing and redemption, ultimately becoming ministers of the gospel. This powerful narrative not only highlights their personal struggles but also aims to give a voice to those whose experiences of lost innocence have been overlooked and unresolved.

Join us in celebrating the release of Valois J. Vera's third collection of poetry, "Love, Liberation, and Other Longings."

A POETRY JAM is a celebration of all things poetry; a celebration of community. Join us in celebrating the release of Valois J. Vera's third collection of poetry, Love, Liberation, and Other Longings.

The evening will feature: A read and performance from the book Love, Liberation, and Other Longings by Poet, Author, and Activist, Valois J. Vera; Special Guest Emcee, Poet and Activist Suietko Zamorano-Chavez; and performances by Roses, Mel Finefrock, and Jennifer Wang.

PRE-JAM 6PM: Meet us for complimentary hors devours, drink specials, signed copies of Love, Liberation, and Other Longings available for purchase, and an hour of curated chill, hip hop, and urban jazz vibes.

JAM 7PM: Join us in the back lounge for an evening of poetry and spoken word performance.

WHAT TO EXPECT/ACCESSIBILITY: Live poetry readings and performances inside a dimly lit lounge; Music during the Pre-Jam; Book purchase opportunity; Complimentary hors devours; Drink specials available for purchase; Cocktails and non-alcoholic options available for purchase; Wheelchair accessible entrance, seating, and restroom; Parking spaces (including Accessible Parking) located throughout the Downtown Denton area (The Square)

A raw, gripping, authentic, and boldly original novel about a fifteen-year-old Texas girl set to stand trial for murder—and the one person who might be able to help her clear her name.

A wealthy businessman is dead, and fifteen-year-old Ruby Monroe is in a Dallas jail awaiting trial for his murder. Ruby has no one she can count on—no one, except her state-appointed caseworker, a woman named Cadence Ware. In Ruby’s experience, that’s not anyone she can trust.

Cadence is familiar with the cold reality of Ruby’s situation, even before Ruby was arrested. Angry and alone, homeless and hungry, breaking the law just to survive, she is the kind of girl no one wants to listen to, especially not the prosecutor who wants to put her away for life. 

But no one knows the story—the real story—of what happened the day Ruby met the man who would end up dead. As the layers of truth are peeled away and time is running out, Ruby and Cadence will both have desperate choices to make—choices that could mean the difference between Ruby spending her life in prison or her name being cleared.

Told through a collection of letters, meeting notes, news articles, court transcripts, and more, Girls Like Her is a riveting and unflinching tale of the truths so often lost in the American justice system, and one girl’s fight to be heard.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melanie Sumrow is the author of the novels The Inside Battle, a 2020 New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, and The Prophet Calls, a 2018 Writers' League of Texas Book Award finalist. Before turning her attention to writing, she worked as a lawyer for more than sixteen years, many of her cases involving children and teens. She received her MFA from Hamline University's writing for children and young adults program and lives in Dallas. You can visit her online at melaniesumrow.com.