In a video tribute made for Inprint’s 2011 Poets & Writers Ball, three of the nonprofit’s founders gather to discuss the growth of their organization over the years. As they recall the early days of Inprint, Karl Kilian brings up “Literary Lunches,” where they would eat together with the first group of board members and “talk about what we would do if we ever figured out how to make some money for the organization” (“The Little Inprint That Could”). Kilian’s statement is accompanied by light laughter from the group: both in recognition of the challenges of starting a nonprofit and in appreciation for how far they have come since. Indeed, in the years following their founding in 1983, Inprint has steadily grown in influence and prominence in Houston’s literary scene. Although the organization’s financial resources have grown considerably since the days of Literary Lunches, the leaders of Inprint have not lost their aspirational approach, continuing to seek new avenues for growth and improvement. As a key leader now in Houston’s literary infrastructure, Inprint has achieved great success. At this point it is a mature and established organization. How might Inprint continue to adapt to new challenges and reach new, broader audiences? How can they extend their mission to advocate for an ever-more diverse community of Houston readers and writers?
In its early years, Inprint focused on one goal: helping young, local writers get their start. They primarily provided fellowships to students in the University of Houston’s creative writing MFA program (UH CWP), which is recognized as one of the nation’s best (Esquer). Now-celebrated writers, including Tony Diaz of Nuestra Palabra, Cait Weiss Orcutt, and Ashley Wurzbacher, received the fellowship in these years, planting the seeds of a relational infrastructure of Inprint writers in Houston and beyond. But in 1991, an anonymous member of this community changed the course of the young nonprofit’s future; an alumnus of the UH CWP donated $1 million to Inprint. This money started a writers’ scholarship fund at Inprint. Rich Levy, the organization’s Executive Director, told us in February 2020 when meeting with our class that since then, nearly $4 million have been awarded to young writers (Literary Houston). Alums from the UH CWP, supported by Inprint, have published over 150 books.
An increase in the monetary support for writing students has not been the only change that Inprint has seen in the past 20 years. Their programming has expanded very substantially to not only provide support for current writers, but also educate and inspire all Houstonians to engage with literature, writing, and reading. In Inprint’s mission statement, they affirm their role as a “vital wellspring of literary life,” maintaining Houston as “a vibrant community of creative writers and readers” (“About Us”). To achieve this mission, Inprint boasts numerous programs and events throughout the city, targeting readers and writers of diverse ages, interests, and backgrounds.
The Margarett Root Brown Reading Series is perhaps Inprint’s most well-known offering. Since 1980, the reading series has hosted more than 370 writers who come from around the world to read from their new books and engage in a brief dialogue with an interviewer. Around 14,000 people attend the readings each year (Howard), most of which occur in large venues, such as Houston’s Alley Theatre, the Wortham Theater Center, or Stude Concert Hall at Rice University. Since the founding of the series, ticket prices have been maintained at $5, with free entry provided to students and senior citizens, to ensure the events are more accessible to all who wish to attend. Their website also hosts an archive of recordings of selected readings from years past.
Beyond the Margarett Root Brown Reading Series, Inprint sponsors several less formal and ongoing events that aim to fuel Houston’s community of readers and inspire a greater interest in the literary arts. The First Friday Reading Series features local poets, followed by an open mic, in the Inprint House located in the Menil Museum District on the first Friday of every month. On their website, they claim that it is Houston’s “oldest poetry series” (“About Us”). They also host the Inprint Book Club; led by a local writer, the Club discusses the works of authors featured in the Margarett Root Brown reading series, as well as other writers of broad community interest (“About Us”). Finally, Inprint Writing Café is what the organization calls a “literary coffee house” popup in Inprint House (“About Us”). Once a week, it provides local writers with a free space to work in a community of other writers.
For those who wish to dive deeper, workshops hosted by Inprint encourage Houstonians from diverse backgrounds to develop their writing abilities in order to express themselves, preserve their history, and empower their own voices. Inprint hosts General Writers Workshops, which constitute classes in fiction, poetry, and/or the personal essay led by the city’s leading writers. They also provide a host of specialized workshops that cater to specific groups. Teachers-as-Writers Workshops, for example, offer free writing classes to around 45 K-12 teachers from Houston-area schools each year. Other programs work specifically with groups that often feel voiceless. Inprint’s Senior Memoir Workshops operate out of 9 different community centers around Houston, including Finnegan Park in the Fifth Ward, the Jewish Community Center, Amazing Place, and BakerRipley (which offers a bilingual workshop). Incarcerated Workshops, conducted at Harris County Jail, serve incarcerated men and women and conclude with a reading in the jail and the publication of an anthology of the participants’ work. Writing Workshops for Veterans are taught by a fiction writer/veteran and offered free of charge for veterans, their families, Gold Star families, and active military. Finally, bridging the gap between sciences and humanities, Life Writing Workshops are offered for employees of Ben Taub and Methodist Hospitals and are open to employees from all parts of the hospital, from doctors and nurses to clerks. Although they vary widely in their audiences and focuses, each of these workshops is united by a common goal: to unlock the potential and power of the inner writer.
Although these programs primarily serve adults, Inprint has also worked to excite and inspire young people around the literary arts. Cool Brains! is Inprint’s program for young readers, bringing middle-grade authors to Houston for free readings and book signings for Houston youth since 2004. Additionally, Inprint’s Poetry Buskers are popular with children: they write free poems on-the-go for recipients based on topics of their choice. Toting typewriters to public events across the city, they represent Inprint’s mobile attempt to “bring the joy of poetry” to the broader Houston community (“About Us”). Now, Inprint’s team of Buskers also includes a bilingual and Spanish-speaking troupe.
More recently, Inprint has worked on programming for groups that are often marginalized in the literary arts. Collaborating with Tintero Projects, Inprint created the Ink Well podcast, featuring “Latinx and other writers” as well as honest discussions about writing, the literary world, and more (“About Us”). Furthermore, Escritores en la casa is Inprint’s reading series in Spanish. The reading, followed by a Q&A and book signing, is free.
In the nearly forty years since Inprint’s founding, the literary landscape has been changed by all its long standing efforts. Thanks to widely ranging programming, the organization now represents one of Houston’s most respected and well-supported literary groups, a backbone of the city’s literary culture and infrastructure. Their achievements speak to the commitment of their board and staff, as well as to the Houston community’s own desires for literary content. As for all nonprofits, however, the key to longevity and success is financial stability. Inprint responds to this imperative with the Poets & Writers Ball, an annual fundraiser event known throughout Houston for its engaging live readings and intricate literary table decor. Admission prices to the black-tie event range from $500, the cost of a Patron Seat,” to $30,00 for a “Visionary Table” complete with special perks and seats for 10-12 (“Inprint Poets & Writers Ball”). The 2020 Ball featured a gourmet, three-course meal from James Beard Award-winning chef Robert Del Grande of The Annie Café, accompanied by readings from three published authors who have benefited from Inprint’s support over the years. As the event continued, guests heard from the featured speaker Terrance Hayes, an award-winning poet and MacArthur Foundation Fellow who engaged the room in an interactive discussion of poetry, creativity, and writing (Ledoux). Around 380 guests attended the event (Ledoux), including New York Times Bestselling Author and Rice professor Justin Cronin, Project Row Houses Executive Director Eureka Gilkey, and the City of Houston’s Attorney Ron Lewis (Gaines). When he visited our class, it was clear that Levy was proud of the event’s success, and for good reason: the Gala raised over $340,000 for Inprint’s next year of programming (Ledoux). Especially compared with some other Houston literary groups, this is a very impressive amount, which will help to ensure that Inprint continues to deliver high-quality programming to the people of Houston in the year to come.
As for many other groups in the city, current programming plans have been derailed due to the spread of COVID-19. As the pandemic continues, Inprint’s in-person programs have been halted. However, their website’s home page shows visitors that programming has not stopped all together. Online offerings, including virtual writers’ workshops and book club meetings, have been early efforts to continue to serve Houston’s audiences. In a 2015 interview with Brazos Bookstore, Levy and Inprint Marketing/Outreach Director Krupa Parikh discussed the struggles of adapting literary content to technological platforms, maintaining that “[t]he essence has to be the same… It’s just the medium of how you serve the community that has changed” (Parikh). Their comments, while coming five years earlier, speak directly to the challenges faced by literary organizations in 2020; how can literary community be maintained, let alone expanded, in the era of social distance? This dilemma has no simple answer, but as the pandemic goes on, Inprint’s responses to it may offer insight into new ways in which technology can make programming more inclusive in the long-term.
Although COVID represents a challenge for all arts organizations, Inprint is in a better position than many nonprofits to face it. The success and popularity of Inprint’s Ball demonstrate the powerful position the organization occupies among Houston’s cultural leaders. While some nonprofits struggle for any recognition on the city government’s agenda, Inprint welcomes important political figures like Ron Lewis to their fundraising events. This is not to imply that Inprint’s success is not well deserved. They have served countless Houstonians over nearly forth years and continue to work towards a thriving literary community in Houston. Obviously, however, Inprint’s privilege within the ranks of literary nonprofits does place the organization in a position of influence when it comes to shaping the future of Houston’s literary infrastructures. Now, more than ever, using that leadership platform to promote diverse programming and to push for change on that benefits fellow struggling nonprofits is essential. In their 2015 Brazos interview, Levy and Parikh voice desires to broaden their audience: to reach more people of color, more young people, more people from the suburbs. We have seen the first steps towards diversification of programming with Inprint’s renewed focus on readers/writers of color in Ink Well and Escritores en las casas. And they acknowledge: there is more work to be done. With the resources and connections at Inprint’s disposal, their aspirations are not too far out of reach.
A history of improvement and evolution shows promise for the organization’s future. In particular, how can Inprint wield its strengths to help other non-profits in their shared goals of serving the needs of Houston’s writers/readers, and fueling the growth of a robust, diverse, and inclusive literary infrastructure in the city.
Works Cited
“About Us,” Inprint, https://inprinthouston.org/about-us/.
Esquer, Nick. “How UH’s Creative Writing Program Went to the Head of the Class,” Houstonia Magazine, 5 January 2016, https://www.houstoniamag.com/arts-and-culture/2016/01/uofh-creative-writing-program-january-2016.
Gaines, Tarra. :Houston’s literati wax poetic with star wordsmith at writer’s ball,” Culturemap Houston, https://houston.culturemap.com/news/society/02-13-20-inprint-poets-and-writers-ball-2020-houston-society/#slide=3.
Howard, Aaron. “Inprint Committed to Healthy Literary Ecosystem for Houston.” Jewish Herald-Voice, 23 April 2018, https://jhvonline.com/inprint-committed-to-healthy-literary-ecosystem-for-houston-p24221-152.htm.
“Inprint Poets and Writers Ball,” Inprint, https://inprinthouston.org/support-us/inprint-poets-writers-ball/.
Ledoux, Abby. “Houston Literati Shines at 34th Annual Inprint Poets and Writers Ball,” Houstonia Magazine, 21 February 2020, https://www.houstoniamag.com/arts-and-culture/2020/02/houston-inprint-poets-and-writers-ball-2020-gala.
Levy, Rich and Krupa Parikh. Interview. Brazos Bookstore, 2015, https://www.brazosbookstore.com/articles/features/preserving-literary-life-interview-inprint-houston.
Levy, Rich. Literary Houston, 24 February 2020, Rice University, Houston, TX. Guest Lecture.
“The Little Inprint That Could.” Inprint, Produced by Rich Levy, 2011, https://inprinthouston.org/about-us/.
