Texas Institute of Letters Inductee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 4, 2016
STEPHENVILLE, Texas—Tarleton State University’s Kathryn Jones, instructor of Communications Studies, will be inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters (TIL) as part of the organization’s annual awards event April 15 and 16 in Austin.
TIL recognizes outstanding writers with a Texas connection. Members include such distinguished authors as Larry McMurtry, Cormac McCarthy and Dagoberto Gilb.
“I’m honored to be chosen as a member of this prestigious group,” Jones said. “I grew up reading many of the writers who are part of TIL. This encourages me even more to keep writing and never to lose sight of my goal to write to the highest standards.”
TIL recognizes writers with membership; awards annual prizes for distinguished literature by Texans or about Texas; sponsors the Dobie Paisano Literary Fellowships in conjunction with the University of Texas; and fosters fellowship among TIL members while promoting books and literature in the state.
“Tarleton State should be very proud of Professor Jones,” said Dr. Charlie Howard, head of the Department of Communication Studies. “She has added a great dimension to our program. Students are learning and publishing because of her guidance.”
In addition to teaching news writing, feature writing, photojournalism and editing, Jones is faculty adviser for the student-produced Cross Timbers Trails magazine. She is a longtime journalist, having worked as a reporter for The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Times Herald, as well as a writer-at-large and contributing editor for Texas Monthly and a freelance writer for many other publications.
New TIL inductees will present a sample of their work on Saturday, April 16, at the AT&T Executive Conference Center at the University of Texas. Jones plans to read a selection from one of the chapters she wrote for Pickers and Poets: The Ruthlessly Poetic Singer-Songwriters of Texas, edited by Dr. Craig Clifford, professor of philosophy and director of the Honors Degree Program and the Presidential Honors Program at Tarleton.
Tarleton, a member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven educational experience marked by academic innovation and exemplary service, and dedicated to transforming students into tomorrow’s professional leaders. With campuses in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian and online, Tarleton engages with its communities to provide real-world learning experiences and to address societal needs while maintaining its core values of integrity, leadership, tradition, civility, excellence and service.
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Contact: Kurt Mogonye
254-968-9460
mogonye@tarleton.edu
