Supporting local businesses is important. But what about local authors?
The 10th annual Tucson Festival of Books will flood the city with hundreds of traveling authors on March 10 and 11.
But for some authors, the festival is just a few miles away.
We sought out 10 Tucson authors and asked them some questions.
LARRY DANE BRIMNER
Originally from Florida and San Diego, Brimner moved to Tucson in 2001.
Brimner, a recent recipient of the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for his book, “Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961,” has written a number of children’s and young-adult books. Growing up, he always wanted to be a teacher and a writer. He was fortunate enough to become both.
“While in college, one of my professors discovered I wrote poetry,” he says. “He encouraged me to submit some of my poems for publication and I said ‘no way.’
He submitted some of my work for me and when it was published, he called me into his office. That was the first time I saw my name in print and I was hooked.”
With the exception of one year, Brimner has been to every festival.
What’s your favorite part about Tucson? “I came to Tucson in the ’90s to do a school visit in Rio Rico. I fell in love with it and kept thinking that maybe one day I might live in Tucson.”
What’s your favorite part of the Tucson Festival of Books? “The idea of the festival itself and all the people who have an interest in books and literacy are really quite amazing. And to watch it grow from that first year to what it is now. I enjoy listening to the other authors and because I write for children, I enjoy the children’s tent.”
What does the future hold for you as an author? “I have several books under contract. I’ll be sitting at my desk for some years in the future. My editor joked that we’re going to grow old together.”
See Brimner at the Tucson Festival of Books at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 11.
JILLIAN CANTOR
Cantor has lived in Tucson since 2000. She is a fiction writer and is the author of seven books. Her most recent is “The Lost Letter,” which tells the story of a love letter intertwining generations of Jewish families during World War II.
For the most part, Cantor knew she wanted to be a writer since fourth grade.
“I had a teacher who had us write a short story every week,” she says. “That was the point when I told everyone I was going to be a writer.”
Cantor has attended every festival.
What is your favorite part about Tucson? “I grew up on the East Coast, so I love the landscape of Tucson. The hiking, the sunshine. It’s a great place to write.”
What is your favorite part about the Tucson Festival of Books? “I love meeting other authors. And seeing how many readers there are is great.”
What does the future hold for you as an author? “I just finished my next book. It will be out in 2019. It’s another historical novel, similar to ‘The Lost Letter.’”
See Cantor at the Tucson Festival of Books at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 10, and 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 11.
H. ALAN DAY
Day has lived in Oro Valley since 1993. He’s the author of cowboy books, including “Lazy B,” which he co-wrote with his sister, Sandra Day O’Connor, about their experience growing up on a cattle ranch.
He’s attended the festival in the past, both as a visitor and an author.
What’s your favorite part about Tucson? “I like the outdoors — the trails, bike paths, all that.”
What’s your favorite part of the Tucson Festival of Books? “I just like how varied it is. It’s got all kinds of entertainment, things to do, people to talk to. It’s a really nice festival.”
What does the future hold for you as an author? “I just completed a novel. I’m now seeing where that will go.”
See Day at the Tucson Festival of Books at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 11.
CHRIS GALL
Gall moved to Tucson 38 years ago to attend the University of Arizona. He’s an award-winning author and illustrator of several children’s books, in addition to illustrations for local publications such as Edible Baja Arizona and Arizona Highways.
Gall has been to the festival every year. He says he’s presented around eight times.
What’s your favorite part about Tucson? “It’s gotta be the climate, the environment.”
What’s your favorite part about the Tucson Festival of Books? “As an author, it’s meeting all the other authors. There are so many authors that they bring in, and the ability for the festival to bring in top names—they’re one of the best festivals. It’s even better that it’s in my own backyard.”
What does the future hold for you as an author? “I’m finishing up my first nonfiction book for children about Apollo 11, as seen through the eyes of me as a child.”
See Gall at the Tucson Festival of Books at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 10.
REED KARAIM
Karaim moved to Tucson in 2000 when his wife was offered a job at the University of Arizona. Karaim is a writer of fiction literature, with his books “If Men Were Angels” and “The Winter in Anna.”
Karaim always knew he wanted to be a writer. Actually, he wanted to be both a writer and a professional basketball player.
He has been to the festival several times, both as a visitor and a member of panels.
What’s your favorite part about Tucson? “The mountains. I never get tired of looking at them. And the fantastic food.”
What’s your favorite part about the Tucson Festival of Books? “When I was on a panel, I loved the questions I got from the audience. I love how curious they were and how they wanted to talk about writing in a very genuine way. The people who come to listen are the best part of the festival.”
What does the future hold for you as an author? “I’m working on another book, but I’m not sure when it’ll be finished. I also write for magazines and online organizations. Hopefully, I’ll keep publishing and doing what I love!”
See Karaim at the Tucson Festival of Books at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 10.
OSCAR MARTINEZ
Martinez has lived in Tucson for 30 years, but he’s currently on sabbatical in El Paso, Texas. His books live in the history genre, with his newest being “Ciudad Juarez: Saga of a Legendary Border,” with a release date of late March. Other work includes “Border Boom Town: Ciudad Juarez Since 1848” and “Border People: Life and Society in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands.”
Martinez is also a history professor at the University of Arizona. He has attended the book festival once—since the festival is usually over UA’s spring break, he’s typically out of town.
What is your favorite part about Tucson? “So much! But probably the university.”
What is your favorite part about the Tucson Festival of Books? “Meeting authors and learning about new books.”
What does the future hold for you as an author? “I plan to continue writing books!”
See Martinez at the Tucson Festival of Books at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 10.
GREGORY MCNAMEE
McNamee has lived in Tucson since 1975. He moved here for college and says he just “never got away.” Other than writing books, McNamee spends time as a research associate at the Southwest Center of the University of Arizona. He’s also an economics lecturer at the university.
McNamee was reading by the time he was 2½ years old. His earliest memory of himself is him reading a book. Many of his books are Southwestern-themed, including his newest, “Tortillas, Tiswin & T-Bones: A Food History of the Southwest.”
He’s attended all nine festivals.
What’s your favorite part about Tucson? “When I step out the door every morning and look at the Catalina Mountains, that’s all I need to get my day on track.”
What’s your favorite part about the Tucson Festival of Books? “I’m always very happy for readers to find writers and vice versa. When somebody comes up to me and says they read my book and that it made a difference in their life, that’s all I need to keep going as a writer.
“Getting that kind of feedback from readers is very important and you don’t often find vehicles for that — where people can talk to you in person. The festival is a wonderful community of readers and writers — one of the most effective in the entire country.”
What does the future hold for you as an author? “My favorite part of writing is wrestling ideas down to a page. I hope that I will continue to keep wrestling with those ideas. I have three books under contracts, and another 10 or so that I’d like to write.”
See McNamee at the Tucson Festival of Books at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 10.
TOM MILLER
Miller was born in Washington, D.C., but moved to Tucson in 1969. He writes books about current issues in Latin America and the Southwest, including his books “Revenge of the Saguaro” and “On the Border.”
He didn’t always know he wanted to be a writer, but after moving to Tucson, he started to read about the area, which sparked an interest for his books.
Miller has attended the festival almost every year.
What’s your favorite part about Tucson? “The highways to Mexico.”
What’s your favorite part about the Tucson Festival of Books? “Unexpectedly bumping into old friends.”
What does the future hold for you as an author? “I’m not working on anything at the moment, but my panel at the festival is in the immediate future.”
See Miller at the Tucson Festival of Books at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 11.
ADAM REX
Rex grew up in Phoenix, but went to school in Tucson in the ’90s. He moved out of Tucson after college, but moved back in 2009.
Rex is a children’s author and illustrator of several fun books, ranging from Frankenstein to cowboys and blue whales.
Growing up, he didn’t know what an illustrator was, but vaguely knew he wanted to be an artist when he was very young.
He’s attended every festival, with the exception of one.
What’s your favorite part about Tucson? “I really like my neighborhood. Before moving back to Tucson, we lived in Philadelphia where everything was walkable and bikeable, so we moved to the part of Tucson that is the most walkable and bikeable.”
What’s your favorite part of the Tucson Festival of Books? “The last few years, my favorite part has been the illustrator draw-off panel that I moderate. As an illustrator myself, I’m often in front of lots of people drawing their requests. But when moderating the draw-off, I get to inflict that on other illustrators and make snarky comments about it. It’s a fun event.”
What does the future hold for you as an author? “My next book comes out in July. It’s called ‘Are You Scared, Darth Vader?’ I wrote and illustrated that picture book and I’m working on a couple of other books.”
See Rex at the Tucson Festival of Books at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 10, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 11.
BRIAN JABAS SMITH
Smith was born and raised in the Old Pueblo. As he got older, he read books, played in bands and left Tucson. He lived in New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Detroit before returning to Tucson in 2015.
Smith’s has been an editor, journalist, songwriter and musician. But he always knew he wanted to be a writer, and he started writing songs before anything else.
His book “Spent Saints” is filled with several short stories of raw events such as abuse, drugs and sobriety. He also writes a column for the Tucson Weekly called “Tucson Salvage.”
Smith moderated a panel at the festival in 2016.
What is your favorite part about Tucson? “The haunted, end-of-the Earth feel of the desert and city. The working class-ness of the neighborhoods, the folks on the fringes, my favorite people on Earth.”
What is your favorite part about the Tucson Festival of Books? “I adore this fest, for local love of literature. Actually I am most psyched to meet Kevin Canty, the writer moderating the panel I’m on. I’ve been a fan of his work for a few decades.”
What does the future hold for you as an author? “There’s a web series coming based on my story collection, ‘Spent Saints,’ and with my partner, I am co-adapting a full-length screenplay based on it.
I’m also still co-adapting a screenplay based on the life of songwriter Doug Hopkins from the Gin Blossoms. I’m working on a novel, too.
“I have a collection of columns and essays coming out in the fall on London-based Eyewear Press called ‘Tucson Salvage: Tales and Recollections from La Frontera.’
“We’ll be doing a book launch in London in October, and one in Arizona.”
See Smith at the Tucson Festival of Books at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 10.
