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   Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:55 JST Roy

   The Texas Book Festival is today 11/08 and tomorrow 11/09 in Austin, Texas, USA.
   The first is open and free to all.
   Lots of great authors, poets and artistd for the whole family.
   https://texasbookfestival.org/
   #Bookstodon #AustinTexas

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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:39 JST Roy

     in reply to

     Thanks to all the staff and volunteers at the 2025 Texas Book Festival for a wonderful weekend. Thanks to all the folks in Austin for having a great city to visit.

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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:41 JST Roy

     in reply to

     Some of Dr. Kendri's previous books are:
     Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
     How to Be an Antiracist
     I'm slowly reading this one but taking my time to absorb all the good lessons.
     How to Raise an Antiracist
     2/

     Steve's Place repeated this.
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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:42 JST Roy

     in reply to

     (edit to add a picture)
     Last session for me for this year's festival is:
     Ibram X. Kendi in Conversation about Malcolm Lives!
     Dr. Kendi discusses his latest book Malcolm Lives! The Official Biography of Malcolm X for Young Readers with moderator Amanda Moore. Drawing on previously unpublished documents and research, Dr. Kendi delivers a groundbreaking narrative biography of one of the most influential American activists of all time.

     1/

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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:43 JST Roy

     in reply to

     University of Texas Print has a spot in Exhibitor Tent #1. Everything is 40% of today!

     If you can't make it there is a 40% discount code
     UTXGIFTS
     for website purchases too.
     https://utpress.utexas.edu/

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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:44 JST Roy

     in reply to

     of them buying into the "gen AI could happen any moment!" hype from the companies selling LLMs as AI. Yes, we should be regulating the crap out of all the tech companies (not just the "AI" companies) to reduce economic inequality and other actual harms. Part of that should be safeguards around "gen AI".
     3/3

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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:45 JST Roy

     in reply to

     (edit on past paragraph)
     Focus of the talk:
     Technology experts Tim Wu and James Barrat invite us to think critically about our heavily programmed future. They range from current actual harms, likelihood of it being a tech bubble which will burst "soon", and possible future actual AI risks.

     It was good to see them acknowledge possible future AI risks but primarily stress that the current actual harms and possible economic risks are what we should watch and guard against. But a bit too much
     2/

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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:46 JST Roy

     in reply to

     Starting Day 2 of the Texas Book Festival.
     Things kicked off at 11 AM but I'm having a relaxed day today.
     My first session was at noon for
     Tech Takeover: Artificial Intelligence and the Fate of Humanity
     Books:
     The Age of Extraction: How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity
     The Intelligence Explosion: When AI Beats Humans at Everything
     Book Type: Non Fiction
     Authors: Tim Wu, James Barrat
     Moderator: Chris Hyams
     1/
     #Bookstodon

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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:47 JST Roy

     in reply to

     • Katrina Adams

     (edit to correct alt text for message John's shirt)
     Late final post for 11/08:
     @u2katrina and i did the Lit Crawl last night. After the session which John Scalzi closed out she boldly walked over to chat with John. Then waved me over (and immediately abandoned us!). John noticed after a minute and called her back over. 🙂 We had a great chat with him for a few minutes.

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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:48 JST Roy

     in reply to

     It is so nice to walk around and see folks of all ages sitting all over and reading books in Austin right by the Capitol.
     We are often a backwards state but it isn't hopeless.
     ♥️

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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:49 JST Roy

     in reply to

     Done with scheduled sessions for the day and we're relaxing on the Capitol lawn. Everyone is enjoying their new books. 🙂

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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:50 JST Roy

     in reply to

     The Book Burrow folks are in Exhibitor Tent #2 on Congress.
     They are a wonderful bookshop in Pflugerville, Texas who are welcoming to all.
     https://maps.app.goo.gl/FmYcjrmRgxX5YGuL8

     They also have a storefront on BookShop.org that we always check first when buying physical books and even ebooks now.
     https://bookshop.org/shop/thebookburrow

     I picked up a "blind date with a genre" set of 4 SciFi books (see alt text). Their Blind Date bundles are a great way to discover new authors.

     #BookBurrow #Bookstore #Bookstodon

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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:51 JST Roy

     in reply to

     Lunch break. I highly recommend The Hideout for breakfast or lunch. Excellent coffee (including" plain old drip") and food.
     I had a banana bread for breakfast and over of their turkey, provo & basil "to go" sandwiches for lunch.
     https://maps.app.goo.gl/iZSD7EEH3ey4L1LY6

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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:52 JST Roy

     in reply to

     An ~awesome~ session with great authors and moderator!
     Best quote to me was from Marths:
     SciFi fight scenes are very different from fantasy:
     With automatic weapons you need A LOT more people in the scenes.

     Spellbinding Speculative Fiction: Witches, Demons and Interstellar Intrigue
     Moderator:
     Daniel Oppenheimer
     Authors: Martha Wells and John Scalzi
     https://texasbookfestival.org/schedule/spellbinding-speculative-fiction-witches-demons-and-interstellar-intrigue/
     #MarthWells #JohnScalzi

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     Roy (roytoo@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 10-Nov-2025 08:22:54 JST Roy

     in reply to

     Sobering but excellent poetry and discussion at
     Poetry at the Intersection of Body, Race and Identity
     Moderated by Zell Miller III
     With Authors: C. Prudence Arceneaux and Iain Haley Pollock

     I had already picked up Arceneaux's book and will be picking up Pollock's book too.
     https://texasbookfestival.org/schedule/poetry-at-the-intersection-of-body-race-and-identity/