Past Page Turners’ reads

2002: “A Place Where the Sea Remembers” by Sandra Benítez

2003: “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien

2004: “Haunted Ground” by Erin Hart

2005: “The St. Paul Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald” edited by Patricia Hampl

2006: “Daughter of China” by Larry Engelmann and Meihong Xu

2007: The novels of Lorna Landvik

2008: “Sweet Land: New and Selected Stories” by Will Weaver

2009: The novels of Leif Enger

2010: “Thunder Bay” by William Kent Krueger

2011: “The Latehomecomer: a Hmong Family Memoir” by Kao Kalia Yang

2012: “Deadly Reunion” by Ron Handberg

2013: “Safe From the Sea” by Peter Geye

2014: “The Cartographer of No Man’s Land” by P.S. Duffy

2015: “Vacationland” by Sarah Stonich

2016: “The Life We Bury” by Peter Eskens

 Memorable quotes

“In 2002, my novel ‘A Place Where the Sea Remembers’ was honored as a selection of the Austin Page Turners, the first city-wide reading program in that city. The program was a special treat to me as an author, and a boon to readership. The culminating evening reading was a reunion and celebration. I’ll long remember the joyous time we all had.”

—Sandra Benitez, “A Place Where the Sea Remembers,” 2002

“What a thrill and honor it was to return to my hometown of Austin to celebrate books and writing. The wonderful memories will be with me always. Someday, I hope, we can all get together again!”

—Tim O’Brien, “The Things They Carried,” 2003

“I was so honored when ‘Haunted Ground’ was chosen for the Page Turners Annual Citywide Reading Event in 2004. My husband Paddy and I will never forget arriving in Austin, where the excitement about our visit had been building for weeks. As we we traveled between elementary school, library, high school, and community college, I remember being mightily impressed by the incredible hard work and organization by the Page Turners Planning committee, and all their dedicated volunteers. What a great way to inspire stimulating conversation, to engage with friends and neighbors about the importance of words and ideas!”

—Erin Hart, “Haunted Ground,” 2004

“Any town that mandates reading one of my books automatically goes to the top of my chart.  Beyond that self-regarding sentiment, the visit to Austin, so near to my home in St. Paul but a town I’d never seen before, was a revelation.  All the spirited readers (and not just of my books), the eagerness to think through a book — it was confirming…and inspiring.  And hey — let’s hear it for the Spam museum! Thanks for a visit that does not fade.”

—Patricia Hampl, editor of “The St. Paul Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald,” 2005

“I spent the first 18 years of my life in Austin and it remains alive inside me. It informs and enriches my writing and my work and my life. I have changed greatly since leaving Austin and the town itself also has changed greatly. Yet, the heart and the soul of the town as it once was make me very much what I have been and what I have become.

—Larry Engelmann, “Daughter of China,” 2006

“I wish all American cities would follow Austin in emphasizing the importance of reading and writing. I had a wonderful time meeting readers while I was there, and still drink coffee out of my Spam cup!”

—Lorna Landvik, 2007

“The great thing about Austin Page Turners is its focus on real books by real people.  Now more than ever we need to come together and listen to and talk to one another — in person.  Everybody has stories to tell and share, and that’s the fun of a Page Turners evening.”

—Will Weaver, “Sweet Land: New and Selected Stories,” 2008