Latest news with #SanAntonioBookFestival
Axios
10-04-2025
- General
- Axios
New book spotlights San Antonio pecan shellers strike
A local author hopes her new book, a fictionalized story of the San Antonio pecan shellers strike, reaches school-aged children who might not otherwise know about the historic movement. Why it matters: Author Lupe Ruiz-Flores aims to humanize the Latinas who helped spur a landmark law setting federal minimum wage and overtime pay standards — especially when such stories are threatened by book bans in Texas and across the nation. State of play: " The Pecan Sheller," released by Lerner Publishing Group this month, features a fictional teenage girl in San Antonio who wants to become a writer, but has to drop out of school to shell pecans to help her family. She eventually joins the real-life strike for better wages and safer working conditions. The latest: Ruiz-Flores will present the book, aimed at kids in the fifth through eighth grades, at 1:30pm on Saturday at the San Antonio Book Festival. Flashback: In January 1938, around 12,000 pecan shellers — mostly Hispanic women — began a strike in San Antonio that lasted three months. Employees often worked more than 10 hours a day, seven days a week for $2 to $3 weekly pay. When companies decreased wages, Emma Tenayuca of the Texas Workers Alliance led a strike. The workers eventually won higher pay, clearing the way for the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 — a bedrock labor law that established a minimum wage. Zoom in: Ruiz-Flores grew up in San Antonio knowing her mom shelled pecans as a teenager and didn't get to finish high school. But it wasn't something they discussed, and Ruiz-Flores never learned about the strike in school. In 1999, when she read that Tenayuca had died, she thought of her mom. Ruiz-Flores interviewed her mother and used bits of her personal history in the new fictionalized book. Unlike the main character in her book, Ruiz-Flores' mother did not actually join the strike. What they're saying: Hispanic history is often "put aside, and people don't know about it," Ruiz-Flores tells Axios. "I just want (children) to know what happened." It's important that students learn about local history through personal stories, not just in a textbook, she adds. "Especially Latinos, Mexican American children, we need to let them know that we had a part in the history of the United States," Ruiz-Flores says. Yes, but: Ruiz-Flores, who says she hopes kids read her book in school, worries it could be banned. The big picture: Texas is one of the top states in the country for the number of book titles it has challenged in public schools and libraries, according to the American Library Association.
Axios
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Silent reading club Booked launches in San Antonio
Local literary lovers are going to be booked this spring with the launch of a new silent reading club and the upcoming San Antonio Book Festival. The latest: Booked, a silent book club founded by local bookworm Gaby Castillo, blends cozy vibes with community by offering a space for readers to enjoy their books without assigned reading. The inaugural meet-up is planned for March 14 at Flower in Flour, 7-9pm. It joins a global rise of silent book clubs. How it works: Traditional book clubs often involve assigned reading, which may not suit every reader. Silent book clubs offer a more flexible approach, providing a dedicated space for readers to enjoy their own books while still engaging with a literary community. There will be time for mingling and open discussion, but the focus is on uninterrupted reading time. Tickets are $23. What's included: A ticket guarantees entry, a coffee, access to an assortment of treats, bookish-themed goodies and a raffle entry. What they're saying:"I love hosting parties as much as I love books, so I wanted to blend the two and invite San Antonio readers to join," Castillo told Axios. "I hope this can be THE event that readers can treat themselves to every month." Booked also aims to highlight local vendors, venues and coffee shops, creating a literary experience that supports small businesses. The big picture: Cities like Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, and Charlotte have seen similar events, inspired by the Silent Book Club movement, which began in 2012. Zoom in: With over 1,500 chapters worldwide, the trend has reached San Antonio, where a few local Silent Book Club groups have already been gathering. What's next: Castillo hopes Booked becomes a monthly must-attend event for San Antonio's book lovers. Keep an eye on the Booked Instagram page for future events.
Axios
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
San Antonio Book Festival announces 2025 lineup
It's that time of year again — the San Antonio Book Festival announced its 2025 author lineup Wednesday, and local literature lovers will recognize some nationally acclaimed names. The big picture: More than 100 writers will be featured at the free, one-day festival on April 12 at the Central Library and UTSA Southwest Campus downtown. It typically draws up to 20,000 visitors for panel discussions, book signings, food trucks and more. The intrigue: This year will mark the festival's first panel on "romantasy" — a popular genre mixing fantasy and romance. Some well-known authors attending this year include: Martín Espada, a MacArthur "Genius" recipient and National Book Award winner Laila Lalami, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and National Book Award finalist Linda Holmes, author and pop culture correspondent at NPR Stephen Harrigan, bestselling Texas author and journalist Zoom in: Lupe Ruiz-Flores will present her book " The Pecan Sheller," out in April. It's a middle grade story set in 1930s San Antonio about a teenager who wants to be a writer, but has to drop out of school to shell pecans and eventually joins the famous strike. What they're saying:"There are all sorts of books to fall in love with at the book festival, from picture books to thrillers and horror to nonfiction focusing on history, climate change and our cultural landscape," the festival's literary director Anna Dobben said in a statement. If you go: The festival runs 9am-5pm. Session seating is first-come, first-serve. What's next: A more detailed schedule will be released later this month.
