Gulf Coast's 2011 Gala

Ian Stansel

Jul 03, 2011

Dear Gulf Coast Supporters, Gulf Coast's 2011 Gala is just around the corner. This annual event is the cornerstone of our fundraising efforts and a night that the Houston literary and arts communities look forward to all year. The event will take place in the beautiful River Oaks neighborhood of Houston on Thursday, October 13th at 6:30 pm. We are very happy to have as our special guest Nick Flynn, who will provide a reading from his award-winning work. Nick, who is taking a break from post-production work on a film adaptation of his bestselling memoir, will be in Houston for just this one night. (Filmmaker magazine has a great video of Nick on set here.) If you haven't had a chance to purchase your tickets yet, we've made it easier for you to do so now. Just visit the Gulf Coast donation page and click on Donate for a Gala Ticket. Tickets are $175 and all proceeds go to supporting the journal. In addition to Nick's reading, the evening will include dinner and copies of the latest issue of Gulf Coast (featuring the work of art world luminary Cy Twombly). In addition, you'll have the chance to participate in the always-popular Gulf Coast silent auction, this year featuring items from the Menil Collection, Mercury Baroque, Da Camera, as well as the editorial staff of Gulf Coast. Discounted tickets for students are available. For more information, email editors@gulfcoastmag.org. Gulf Coast, established in 1986 by Donald Barthelme and Phillip Lopate, has grown to be one of the nation's foremost outlets for emerging and established writers and artists. It is also one of the few nationally distributed journals that is completely student run. That means that in addition to creating two beautiful and thought-provoking issues each year, the journal also provides graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Houston with invaluable experience in the publishing industry. Your support of the journal helps us continue its mission. With arts funding being cut throughout the state and the nation, and with independent arts organizations feeling the pinch of a struggling economy, it is more important than ever that we come directly to our supporters. Gulf Coast has grown incredibly in its twenty-five years, from a 44-page, staple-bound volume to the latest 287-page issue. Recently, work from our pages has been selected for inclusion in the Best American Poetry, Best American Essays, and New Stories from the Midwest anthologies. Pieces from recent issues have been reprinted in Harper's Magazine, and one story from our pages was the impetus for a wonderful article in the Washington Post by bestselling author Dave Eggers. Houston is a great city known for its ardent support of the visual and literary arts. Come out on October 13th for a wonderful night of literature, conversation, food, and drink, and help Houston's biggest and most loved literary and arts journal continue its momentum into the future. We're looking forward to seeing you on the 13th! Watch for more Gulf Coast announcements and updates on Facebook and Twitter.