First Ever Author Talk Feat. Jay Brakefield

On June 15, SEAD Library and Bookshop will be hosting an event where local author, Jay Brakefield, will be sharing stories about his life experiences and accomplishments as a writer.

This is the first in a series of bi-monthly author talks that will be held in the SEAD Library and Bookshop. Jay is the co-author of Deep Ellum, The Other Side Of Dallas, and will be signing copies after the talk. The event will take place on June 15th from 6:30-8:00 pm, and the talk will begin at 7:00.

Jay Brakefield acquired an English degree from University of Houston in 1968 and continued to pursue his passion for writing for decades. He worked as a copy editor and writer for Dallas Morning News for almost 18 years, calling it his “longest stint”. He wrote numerous features for the Dallas Morning News, many of them about music.

Deep Ellum is located in downtown Dallas and is notorious for its music and art scene. His novel Deep Ellum, The Other Side Of Dallas challenges the cultural myths of the Deep Ellum area in previous decades. The novel dives into several sectors of the Deep Ellum community, such as music, architecture, and merchants. He offers stories about specific musicians such as Alex Moore and Buster Smith. He explores the integration of racially diverse musicians during an era of aggressive segregation.

Jay also occasionally writes essays for Old Art Guy, a website that features local authors and artists. In these stories, you get an insight into hilarious, movie-like road trips, his relationship with his father, and the real process of aging. His insightful, personal, and comical writing style has us excited to soak in his personal anecdotes next Thursday.

We are looking forward to hearing Mr. Brakesfield talk about his inspirations and literary pursuits and hope to see you there! Copies of his novel will be available for purchase, and he will be signing them after his talk. If you would like to read more of Jay’s work before Thursday, check out his work on Old Art Guy.