Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: Oct. 11

We writers are sensitive folk. I’d argue that very few actually believe that his or her work is any good and that he or she is universally well-liked, though of course a certain perspective on criticism is both necessary and healthy. But you can’t just freak out on every person who doesn’t think every word that drips from your pen (er, keyboard) is some sort of magic juice that will feed the world’s hungry and eliminate the need for Botox. It’s not. Which is why this evening’s big event sort of puts me at a crossroads.

On one hand, Alice Hoffman, tonight’s Arts & Letters Live guest author, is a nice reminder of the fantasy novels I loved in middle and high school. I enjoyed Practical Magic; Hoffman has been prolific since then. She’s had a very successful career, and she’s managed to do it without sparkling vampires and vapid Mary Sue-style protagonists. But back in 2009, she turned me off with an incredibly obnoxious, quickly deleted Twitter rant about a critic, in which she went so far as to encourage her fans to harass the reviewer by publishing the reviewer’s home phone number (she got it wrong, funnily enough) and email address. She wasn’t exactly sorry about it, either, which is her prerogative. I suppose it’s then mine to allow an author’s personal issues cloud my feelings about her work. But of course, you do as you like. And if you like Alice Hoffman, you’ll want to visit the Arts District tonight.

Otherwise, there are other intellectual pursuits happening across town. TEDxSMU holds live auditions for a “audience choice” speaker tonight at the Kessler in Oak Cliff, where the winner gets a spot on the main stage at the conference in December. Thirteen people will give two to three minute speeches on a variety of topics. You and a panel of guest judges (which just so happens to include Zac Crain) vote on a favorite. Zac gave some extra insight into the whole thing here. If you’re hungry before or after, I’ve been wanting try Jonathan’s, though it looks like it might be better saved for breakfast or brunch. BEE is also tasty and open until 10 p.m.

For more to do this evening, head this way.