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Enter to win a signed copy of Geoff Dyer’s “The Missing of the Somme”

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The Ransom Center’s current exhibition The World at War, 1914–1918 marks the centenary of the start of World War I. Triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by a Bosnian-Serb student, open conflict began the following month when Austria-Hungary invaded the Kingdom of Serbia in retaliation. Within weeks, nearly all of the nation-states of Europe were drawn into a war that lasted four long years and killed ten million servicemen.

 

Tomorrow, June 28, marks the 100th anniversary of the assassination that sparked outbreak of the First World War.

 

Enter to win a signed copy of Geoff Dyer’s book The Missing of the Somme, a book that is part travelogue and part meditation on the remembrance of the First World War. To enter, tweet a link to this blog post with the tag @ransomcenter.

 

Not on Twitter? Email hrcgiveaway(at)gmail.com with “Somme” in the subject line. By entering via email, you are also opting-in to receive the Ransom Center’s monthly email newsletter.

 

All tweets and emails must be sent by Monday, July 1, at midnight CST. A winner will be drawn and notified on Tuesday.

Enter to win tickets to “Love & War” exhibition opening celebration

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Today the galleries open for the Ransom Center’s spring exhibition, The World at War, 1914­–1918. Join us for “Love & War,” the opening celebration for the exhibition from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, February 14.

 

Drawing on the Ransom Center’s extensive collections, this exhibition illuminates the experience of the war from the point of view of its participants and observers, preserved through letters, drafts, and diaries; memoirs and novels; and photographs and propaganda posters.

 

Listen to hand-cranked phonographs in the lobby and keep warm with coffee and doughnuts as Wright Bros. Brew & Brew provides a modern take on the popular “Doughnuts for Doughboys” wartime campaign. Enjoy internationally-inspired light bites as you sip on wine courtesy of The Austin Wine Merchant, a “Flying Ace” whiskey cocktail from Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling, and “Victory Punch,” featuring Dripping Springs Vodka. Enter to win an exclusive prize package that includes a stay at Hotel Havana, a gift certificate to Uncommon Objects, handcrafted chocolates from the Chocolate Makers Studio and more.

 

Ransom Center members receive complimentary entry and valet parking at this celebration. If you are not yet a member, you may order tickets to the opening for $20 through Thursday, February 13 by calling (512)232-3669 (valet parking is not included for non-members). Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door.

 

The Ransom Center is giving away a pair of tickets to “Love & War.” Email hrcgiveaway@gmail.com with “Love & War Giveaway” in the subject line by midnight CST on Tuesday, February 11 to be entered in a drawing for complimentary admission for two. The winner will be notified by email.

 

Special thanks to these sponsors: Austin Wine Merchant, The Chocolate Makers Studio, Dripping Springs Vodka, Henri’s, Hotel Havana, Inn Above Onion Creek, Lexus Broadway at Texas Performing Arts, Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling, Uncommon Objects, and Wright Bros. Brew & Brew.

Enter to win tickets to “Boundless”

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Enter to win two tickets to "Boundless," the opening party for "Radical Transformation: Magnum Photos into the Digital Age."
Enter to win two tickets to "Boundless," the opening celebration for "Radical Transformation: Magnum Photos into the Digital Age."

The galleries are being prepared for the Ransom Center’s upcoming exhibition, Radical Transformation: Magnum Photos into the Digital Age. Join us for “Boundless,” the opening celebration for the exhibition from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, September 20.

Enjoy a signature champagne cocktail and hors d’oeuvres at this reception and pose in our photo booth inspired by the golden age of travel. Guests will also have the opportunity to enter to win an exclusive prize package that includes a dinner for two at Uchi, a two-night stay at Hotel San Jose, a handcrafted vintage suitcase, and more. DeeJay jLa will be playing records from the ‘50s and ‘60s, the era of Magnum Photo’s founding, on the plaza.

Be among the first to explore the exhibition, which chronicles the evolution of Magnum Photos, the iconic photography cooperative.  Magnum photographers have produced some of the most memorable images of the last century, shaping history and revolutionizing photography’s influence on modern culture.

Ransom Center members receive complimentary entry and valet parking at this celebration. If you are not yet a member, tickets to the opening will be available for $20 at the door (valet parking is not included for non-members).

The Ransom Center is giving away a pair of tickets to “Boundless.” Email hrcgiveaway@gmail.com with your favorite travel destination in the subject line by midnight CST tonight to be entered in a drawing for complimentary admission for two. The winner will be notified by email.

Special thanks to these sponsors: Austin Wine Merchant, Blanton Museum of Art, BookPeople, Dripping Springs Vodka, Hotel San Jose, Shuford Alexander Cases, and Uchi

Win a signed copy of a T. C. Boyle book

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"The Tortilla Curtain" by T. C. Boyle.
"The Tortilla Curtain" by T. C. Boyle.

The University of Texas at Austin’s Michener Center for Writers hosts a reading by novelist and short-story writer T. C. Boyle this Thursday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the University’s Avaya Auditorium (ACES 2.302).

Boyle is the author of more than 23 novels and short story collections and a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California.

The Ransom Center recently acquired Boyle’s archive, which covers the breadth of his prolific career. In honor of the event, the Ransom Center will give away two signed copies of Boyle’s novel The Tortilla Curtain (1995). Email hrcgiveaway@gmail.com with “Boyle” in the subject line by midnight CST Wednesday to be entered in a drawing for the book. [Update: The winner has been drawn an notified.]

Related content:

“Boxing Up,” an essay by T. C. Boyle about his archive

T. C. Boyle’s recommended books

Enter to win a signed copy of a T. C. Boyle book

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Cover of "San Miguel" by T. C. Boyle.
Cover of "San Miguel" by T. C. Boyle.

Novelist and short story writer T. C. Boyle, whose archive resides at the Ransom Center, has a new novel out today.

San Miguel (Viking, 2012) is a historical novel about three women’s lives on a windswept island off the California coast. Boyle is the author of 23 books of fiction, and his short stories have appeared in The Atlantic, Esquire, Harper’s, McSweeney’s, and The New Yorker.

The Ransom Center acquired Boyle’s papers in 2012, and Boyle wrote about packing up his archive for The New Yorker.

On the Ransom Center’s Facebook page, share which of these three T. C. Boyle books you like most: The Tortilla Curtain, World’s End, or Stories. By doing so, you will be entered into our drawing for a signed copy of your selection.

James Salter wins 2012 PEN/Malamud Award

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Photo of James Salter by Linda Gervin.
Photo of James Salter by Linda Gervin.

James Salter, whose archive is housed at the Ransom Center, will receive the 2012 PEN/Malamud Award, which honors excellence in the art of the short story.

Salter is the author of more than a dozen books, including novels Light Years (1975), A Sport and a Pastime (1967), The Arm of Flesh (1961), and The Hunters (1957); the memoirs Gods of Tin (2004) and Burning the Days (1997); and the short story collection Dusk and Other Stories (1988), which won the 1989 PEN/Faulkner Award.

His latest novel, All That Is, will be published in October.

Other Ransom Center authors who have received the PEN/Malamud Award include T. C. Boyle and Andre Dubus.

Salter will be presented the award on December 7. The award was established by the family of Bernard Malamud, whose archive also resides at the Ransom Center.

To celebrate the news, the Ransom Center is giving away two signed copies of James Salter books. Email hrcgiveaway@gmail.com with “Salter” in the subject line by midnight CST tonight to be entered in a drawing for the books. [Update: Winners have been drawn and notified by email.]