On Saturday, October 26, 2019, Lit Crawl Austin is celebrating its ninth year of irreverent literary programming! Join us along East Cesar Chavez and other East Side venues for a night of performances, games, trivia matches, and storytelling sessions. Everyone is welcome, and all events are free (our event at The North Door has a suggested donation of $10).

Want to make your Crawl great? Follow these tips:

• • Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be walking around and some venues are standing-room only.
  • Support our generous venues! Purchase a beverage and tip your bartenders.
  • Parking is limited, so walk, bike, scoot, rideshare, or carpool. Travel safe!
  • Help keep Lit Crawl free for everyone! Volunteers will be accepting donations at the door of each venue.
  • Have fun, discover new favorite authors, and meet fellow some readers!

• 2018 Lit Crawl Austin Schedule:

  Prohibition Creamery, 1407 E 7th St.

  7:30pm
  Oracular Spectacular
  Does the future feel murky? Come, offer up questions on sticky notes, and our all-star panel of poet oracles will read you visionary, instructive, and surprising answers. You might need to change your life. Presented by Sorin Oak Review and emceed by Sasha West. With Laurie Filipelli, Niki Herd, Tommy Pico, and Analicia Sotelo.

  8:30pm
  Feeling and Spark: Rad Words Hosted by Chicon Street Poets
  Chicon Street Poets celebrate where dive and verse come together in this session of poetry and spoken-word performances. With Tomás Morín, Tacey Atsitty, Daniel Peña, and Jasminne Mendez. Emceed by Sam Treviño.

  9:30pm
  Letterpress Workshop
  You love books and so do we! Letterpress-print a keepsake coaster, using a vintage printing press and handset type. Learn about the Austin Book Arts Center, a nonprofit makerspace that offers workshops in the art of making books.

  Gelateria Gemelli, 1009 E 6th St.

  We’re starting on the late side at this venue—come early for a scoop of gelato and/or cocktail and grab a seat.

  9:30pm
  Texas Observer Short Story Contest Reading
  Come hear never-before published work from an up-and-coming author. The winner (or winners!) of the Texas Observer‘s annual short story contest will read from their work. Observer staff will also be on hand to chat about the magazine.

  The North Door, 501 Brushy St. // Doors at 6:30. Suggested donation: $10.

  7:00pm
  Literary Death Match
  Four authors. Three judges. Two finalists. One champion. (And all kinds of hilarity in between.) With contestants Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Tarfia Faizullah, Aja Gabel, Typewriter Rodeo; judges Alexander Chee, Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz and Kathy Blackwell; and host Adrian Todd Zuniga.

  8:30pm
  Black Poets Speak Out
  A poetic demonstration for justice led by Amanda Johnston. With Shayla Lawson, Anastacia-Renée, and others.

  9:30pm
  Story Bar
  Join Story Bar for a multi-disciplinary “story mixer” that welcomes Texas Book Festival authors and Austin Film Festival screenwriters to the stage for some spellbinding storytelling. The catch? Artists will share a story in a different medium than what they have represented at their respective festivals. With Michelle Tea, Carolyn Cohagan, Alisha Brophy, and Matt Goldich.

  Brew & Brew, 500 San Marcos St.

  7:00pm
  Reading Roulette
  Gulf Coast presents “Reading Roulette,” a night of poetry and prose structured by chance. Participants will each read from recent publications in an order determined by the hands of fate. Audience interaction! Musical guests! Impromptu writing assignments! Prizes! Come join the editors of Gulf Coast to celebrate the latest issue and see where the chips fall. With Porochista Khakpour, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Roger Reeves, and Yuki Tanaka.

  8:00pm
  Lit Crawl Against Humanity
  This party game for horrible people goes literary. Prepare to be shocked, disgusted, and amused. With Bridget Brewer, Jack Kaulfus, Donald Quist, and more. Presented by Awst Press, with emcee Andrew Hilbert.

  Lewis Carnegie, 1312 E Cesar Chavez

  7:30 pm
  StoryDepartment
  At this adults-only monthly event inspired by NYC’s The Moth, talented storytellers riff on a theme. Join us to hear Texas Book Festival authors tell true stories on the theme “Speak of the Devil.” Presented by Austin Bat Cave. With Carrie Fountain, Michael Noll, Traci Brimhall, and Laura van den Berg.

  8:30pm
  fields and Deep Vellum Present: Failure
  Authors talk about experiences where they did not succeed, ideas that did not pan out, and strategies for overcoming writer’s block, rejection, and other difficulties. With Xhenet Aliu and John Wray.

  9:30pm
  Friends of Space Squid Readings Plus
  Ready for a cultured taste of the fantastical? Join us for a program of short, punchy, and often funny sci-fi/fantasy readings interspersed with some literary games, quick contests, audience participation, and author torture. With Matthew Bey, Stina Leicht, Jessica Reisman, Patrice Sarath, and Martha Wells, and hosted by D Chang.

  Stay Gold, 1910 E Cesar Chavez

  7:00pm
  American Short Fiction Presents Ex Libris
  In this literary version of Dictionary, fiction writers have to concoct believable opening lines to novels by book fest authors and bluff the others into believing their entry is the real deal. With Jamel Brinkley, Rita Bullwinkel, Rebecca Makkai, Jennifer duBois, Owen Egerton, and Tommy Orange.

  8:00pm
  Noir at the Bar
  MysteryPeople presents a round of hip, hard-boiled, nitty-gritty noir readings with crime fiction authors. With Lou Berney, Max Booth, Meg Gardiner, Mike McCrarry, and Scott Von Doviak.

  Lit Crawl Austin is a project of the Texas Book Festival and the Litquake Foundation.

  Want to get involved for 2018? We’d love to have you! Sign up to volunteer with Lit Crawl.

  Interested in sponsoring Lit Crawl? Contact Claire Burrows at claire@texasbookfestival.org or call the office at 512-477-4055.
  

  

  Lit Crawl® Austin is a project of the Texas Book Festival and the Litquake Foundation. “Lit Crawl®” is the registered service mark of the Litquake Foundation.