Humorist Delights Houston audience
David Sedaris: Petty and judgmental — in the best possible way
Tarra Gaines
Apr 29, 2010 | 5:57 am
Wednesday night, Society for the Performing Arts once again brought author and humorist David Sedaris to town. And once again, Jones Hall was filled with Houstonians paying to see a casually-dressed man, alone on stage, reading a bunch of essays and entries from his diary.
I was there too, loving every minute of it, because David Sedaris takes the minutia and annoyances of daily life and human interaction and makes them both utterly depressing and hilarious.
His upcoming book Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary is a departure from his previous collections of essays, but the audience was quite willing to get a peek in the form of two stories. Sedaris said the book was originally going to be defined as fables, "but fables have morals." The first story, "Mouse and Snake," tells how far a loving mouse is willing to go in order to nurture her "reptile companion." The second story, "Faithful Setter," allowed us a view into the troubled marriage between two Irish Setters. While these stories sounded like contemporary fables, they also harken back to the way classic fairy and folk tales were told before they were cleaned up for movie animation. Those tales could be dark, horrid and extremely funny.
Sedaris also read from an untitled essay on airports he is currently writing and then observations from his diary. The biggest laugh of the night came during the airport essay in which he readily admits he is petty and judgmental. Yes he is, in the best possible way.
Part of the fun of a David Sedaris reading is knowing he's using the audience to help him edit his essays, to see what works and what gets the most laughs, before they appear in The New Yorker or Esquire.
After the reading and Q&A, my friends and I stayed to get our books signed. The signing line tends to move slow for Sedaris fans because he wants to talk to each person and doodle a picture in their books. For my little gang, my friend Karen received a requested drawing of Jesus, while David got an octopus. So much better than a general greeting, a hedgehog now resides on the title page of my copy of When You Are Engulfed in Flames.
3 innovative Houston food and drink pioneers score crucial grants from the Texas Food & Wine Alliance
Jan 27, 2023 | 3:16 pm
F.D.'s Express Burgers and Wings/Instagram
F.D. Express Burgers and Wings is a lucky Houston-area winner.
Texas' skyrocketing culinary scene is about to get a huge boost.The Texas Food & Wine Alliance's grant program has awarded $107,500 to 19 culinary innovators around the state. This marks the Alliance's 11th year providing funding to support culinary projects contributing to local communities.
The award winners were recently announced in a ceremony at Austin's Holdsworth Center. A private panel of distinguished culinary experts chose the winners out of 40 grant applications this year.
Three winners from Houston received a total of $12,750. Meanwhile, nine winners hail from Austin, three from Dallas-Fort Worth, and four from San Antonio. The awards range from $1,500 to $10,000, with a special $25,000 grant investment from Austin favorite Tito's Handmade Vodka in honor of the company's 25th anniversary. Grant funding will support chefs, farms, and culinary education groups, among others.
Here are Houston's winners:
A winner of the Tito's Handmade Vodka Entrepreneur Grant, Royal Caliber Ranch is woman-led ranch raising diverse breeds of goats for nearly 20 years in Waller. Grant funds will help the business secure the dairy parlor's infrastructure, including labor and materials for a pole barn, concrete, and utilities needed per U.S.D.A. requirements, according to press materials.
J.I.V.E Juice Company– $4,000
The juice company specializing in cold-pressed fruit juices and smoothies using organic, non-pasteurized ingredients is the winner of the Houston Food & Wine Alliance Grant. Funds will facilitate product testing and a shelf-life study and assist in product branding and marketing.
This popular spot partnering with the Booker T. Washington Empowerment Center to launch a culinary training institute specializing in Soul Food received $1,500 from Truffle Masters Grant for Community Heroes and is also a Houston Food & Wine Alliance Grant recipient. Grant funds will supplement the cost of training those who require financial assistance.
Elsewhere in Texas
Austin-area winners received the most funding from the grant program, totaling $53,750, while San Antonio winners received $21,250. Dallas/Fort Worth winners were awarded $19,750. All of the 2022 winners reflect just how diverse the state's trailblazing culinary scene continues to expand.
In Austin, organic farm Trosi Farms was awarded the most funding, totaling $10,000 from Tito's and the Austin Food & Wine Alliance. The wild crop-breeding operation will be able to use the funds to construct a germination shed for more stable plant start production. Locavore pioneer Boggy Creek Farm won $7,500 in grants to provide ADA-compliant accessibility to their new climate-controlled Tomato House. Texas' first organic feed mill, Coyote Creek Organic Feed Mill & Farm, received $6,250 to help purchase a building to be used as a store for the local community.
The winners in the Dallas-Fort Worth include: