Inprint invites you to join us for one of the most festive and elegant celebrations of the literary arts--the 2012 Inprint Poets & Writers Ball--chaired by Susie and Sanford Criner.  The featured speaker for this year’s Ball is best-selling author and PEN/Hemingway winner Justin Cronin. A Houston resident, Cronin made an international literary splash with his novel The Passage. Click here to learn more about Justin Cronin.

The evening begins with cocktails and touring the ballroom. All of the tables in the ballroom are decorated in a literary theme by gala committee members and guests, featuring books and items from personal collections. At 7 pm, in intimate reading rooms, guests will enjoy short salon style readings by three wonderful fiction writers: Robert Boswell, ZZ Packer, and Ann Weisgarber. Click here to learn more about these writers.

As in years past, guest will enjoy a delightful dinner, with the menu designed by Elouise “Ouisie” Jones, accompanied by the live music of the Brazilian band Latin Carnival. Dinner will be followed by a talk by Mr. Cronin over coffee and dessert. It promises to be a great night. As a thank you gift, guests will receive a handcrafted limited edition chapbook, with a piece by Justin Cronin. This chapbook will only be available to Ball supporters and attendees.

We invite you to become an underwriter of the 2012 Inprint Poets & Writers Ball. Your gift supports vital Inprint programs: fellowships and prizes for some of the nation’s top emerging writers at the UH Creative Writing Program (more than $2 million to date); the Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series (now in its 31st season); community workshops for aspiring writers, K-12 teachers, at-risk youth, and senior citizens; Cool Brains! Inprint Readings for Young People; and much more. Click here to learn about underwriting opportunities.

For more information about the Ball or to receive an invitation by mail, contact Inprint's Development Director Lee Herrick at lee@inprinthouston.org or call 713.521.2026.