Austin and Texas DUers...HEEEEELLLLLPPPPPP!!!!

[GOPisEvil]

As some of you know I've been trying to organize a Will Pitt book tour stop here in Austin. Allow the following emoticon to describe my success to date:

That's not entirely true. The North by Northwest Democrats group, led by our own jobycom made a pledge as did a few DUers. The problem is, I can't seem to get enough to fund EVERYTHING. The bookstores I have contacted have gotten me nowhere. Not a fuck you, not a no thanks, just stone, deafening silence. Other groups I have been in touch with have told me they are interested but, they can't commit fundage. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard, "August is a slow month in Austin.", I'd have enough to buy Will his own damned airplane!

Sigh...I'm at my wit's end. I'd like to get this done, but the window is closing rapidly. Let me know if you have ideas, suggestions or a spare $500-1000 laying around. Thanks!

David

[supernova]

1. What about the University?

any chance of Will getting into a speakers'/lecture series? Just tossing out ideas.

edit: Or a local writer's group? Attack it from the writing/journalism angle rather than strictly political.

[GOPisEvil]

6. You mean like this guy?

http://journalism.utexas.edu/faculty/jensen.html

He was the latest to tell me that August is a slow month. ;-) Actually, he's a great guy who happens to be on vacation for most of the month.

[commander bunnypants]

2. Good luck my friend

Sorry all my spare change is going for my aeroplane


DEMMAN

[WilliamPitt]

3. September is pretty open

if August is too hard. I'm not teaching anymore, so...

[GOPisEvil]

9. Has the tour been extended past Aug. 31?

If so, that makes my life a lot easier! :-)

[WilliamPitt]

16. The tour goes for as long as I want it to

:)

[GOPisEvil]

17. Excellent!

That helps. I might have to get Dr. Jensen back...I imagine he and his students might be a trifle interested.

[Sagan]

4. Ok, what bookstores are you trying?

I've got a connection with the manager of the Arboretum Barnes and Noble...

Can't give you a lot of cash, but I'd be willing to give Mr. Pitt a place to stay! lol

[GOPisEvil]

7. Hey now...that's more like it!

We need to get in touch. Hell, we've needed to for a while now, but now we REALLY do.

[Sagan]

11. come to Dave and Buster's on Saturday, then...

I'll be there at a gathering of a bunch of folks from a message board I frequent.

Not all liberals, but not all fascists either. :)

[Richardo]

14. Failing that, Richardo moonlights at a B&N in Houston...

...and gets along with the community affairs/programs person pretty well.

BTW our B&N was where CSPAN Booknotes filmed the segemnt on the Prescott Bush :puffpiece: puff piece.

I know it's not Austin (much to my chagrin) but...

[GOPisEvil]

15. I picked Austin out of sheer laziness!

I mean; I live here. Plus, I was trying to help jobycom raise some membership and money for his group!

But Houston is an option to explore for sure! Thanks!

[GOPisEvil]

28. Hey Richardo...

...no reason this can't be an "AND" instead of an "OR". Will can do Austin AND Houston!!! :bounce:

[Richardo]

30. I can check with the CommRelations liaison and see what we need to do...

NW Houston is not as progressive-friendly as Austin**, but I'd love the opportunity to meet Will and I'd bet a lot of other Houston-area DUers would too.

I'm going in this Saturday - I'll let you know by PM next week.


** Richardo: master of the understatement. BTW: Hillary still beating Coulter like a drum at our B&N by a 2:1 margin. Not bad for the 9th circle of RW hell.

[pmbryant]

5. How do I make a pledge?

I'm in San Antonio, but would definitely be interested in attending such an event in Austin if the date worked out for me.

Even if I couldn't make it, I'd be interested in making a pledge to help you make it happen. How do I do that? (Alas, it won't quite be $500-$1000, though.)

:hi:

--Peter

[GOPisEvil]

10. The best thing would be to send me a PM or e-mail...

..that way I won't forget anyone. I'm keeping paper backups of everything just in case. :-)

Thanks Peter!

[Sagan]

8. now that I think about it...

I might be able to wheedle the Bookstop at Lamar and 38th. Tougher job, but much friendlier neighborhood, politically.

[GOPisEvil]

12. True, that's a better neighborhood politically!

I've tried Bookpeople, Monkeywrench and...something else that I can't recall...

[bluestateguy]

13. Wait until the students get back

There will be a larger pool of people when the students get back to UT (classes start Aug. 27). In fact, if the situation in Iraq continues to flag I expect the campus anti-war movement to regain new momentum again.

[txprog]

18. Contact Robert Jensen at UT

Perhaps he might have an idea or two.

[GOPisEvil]

19. I have!

:-) However, now that I know we can go into September, I'll get back with him. He was very nice, and I have a good feeling he'd like to be helpful.

[lastliberalintexas]

20. I know you said you've talked to someone at UT

but only the journalism dept? Try the Poli Sci Dept, or the Law School, or the LBJ School of Gov't. I think you'll get a better response from one of them, but you will probably still have to wait until school starts back up. Poli Sci profs are usually so much more interested in things like this!

However, if you call the law school, do NOT talk to Lino A. Graglia or his office! RW fascists learn how to manipulate the law from this man.

Good luck- hope it works out. Too bad that's 5 and 1/2 hours from here though. :hi:

[GOPisEvil]

21. Well, Dr. Jensen is HUGE in the local anti-war movement.

He's got a MASSIVE mailing list, and is cut from similar cloth as Will. Plus, I got his name from someone here at DU. If anyone has inroads at the university, I'm all ears. That is, if they don't immediately reject me for being an Aggie. ;-)

:hi:

[Sagan]

22. ohhhhh...you're an Aggie?

I can't work with you, man... I'm sorry.


:P

[GOPisEvil]

24. If UT had friendlier people when I visited I'd have been a Longhorn.

Go figure! :shrug:

[lastliberalintexas]

25. Oh dear lord

You're a Maroon Moron? *couhg8 *sputter* However did you survive that place? To paraphrase- College Station ain't hell, but they share the same zip code.

Just don't mention that fact to anyone at UT and you'll be ok. Or anyone in Austin, for that matter! ;-)


And I'd never call you my pet name for Aggies, btw. You are much too intelligent and sweet to be part of the Maroon Moron Brigade!

[Zan_of_Texas]

27. Jensen is cool.

I've met him and interviewed him. He is cool.

If you decide you want to do something in Houston, KPFT Radio might be a good bet. They've already brought in Greg Palast, Daniel Ellsberg, and plenty of others. www.kpft.org

[Richardo]

23. I know a couple of Profs at the LBJ School...

but they're more trade-oriented.

[argyl]

26. September really would be better. Right now it's too hot to breathe.

Lots of people pick August as a vacation month to escape the worst of the Texas heat; and August is really the worst of it.I'm going to the Northwest this Monday myself and will not be back until the end of August and hopefully the last of the 110 degree humidity index days.Plus,full school will be back in session.If it's scheduled between Monday and Thursday I'll try to be there.Good Luck.

[GOPisEvil]

29. By the way, I haven't thanked everyone for their help and ideas!

So...thanks...a million. We'll get this done! I'm totally re-energized!

:bounce:

[newyawker99]

31. kick

:kick: