Philipp Meyer’s novel The Son was a Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Fiction in 2014. A riveting account of a multigenerational Texas family, The Son was described by NPR as “one of the most solid, unsparing pieces of American historical fiction to come out this century.” Meyer read hundreds of books on Texas history while researching and writing The Son, a process that took five years. He taught himself how to hunt with a bow and learned how to tan deer hides. Meyer has been a Guggenheim Fellow and a Michener Center Fellow, and was named as one of the New Yorker’s “20 Under 40.”
Grace Pettis has earned a reputation as a respected songwriter and performer. A co-winner of NPR’s 2009 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, Pettis has been praised for her songwriting prowess and clear, emotive vocals. She also won the 2011 Kerrville New Folk Contest, an honor she shares with Lyle Lovett, Nancy Griffith, and her father, Pierce. Pettis will debut an original song at this performance, inspired by a work of art in the DMA’s collection.
Dirje Childs, freelance cellist, has spent the last sixteen years supporting traveling artists at festivals and listening rooms, crafting and playing string arrangements in the recording studio. and playing with a variety of groups. Childs has toured in Texas and played festivals supporting Pierce Pettis, Amy Speace, Grace Pettis, Billy Crockett, and many more. "Dirje Childs' sound is rich and moving, from sweeping low lines to funky rhythms, and all sorts of other voices that only Dirje can conjure from her instrument. The only downside of playing with an incredibly versatile, skillful artist is that you end up not being able to hear your songs without her." —Grace Pettis
6:30 p.m. Enjoy a tour of Texas art featured in the DMA’s collection.