Free program to explore the craft of writing with Forget the Alamo authors

JUNE 24, 2021 (AUSTIN, TX) — The Bullock Texas State History Museum and Writers' League of Texas (WLT) will host a virtual event on July 1 at 8 pm to explore the craft of writing using the book Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth. The event will feature two of the book's authors, Bryan Burrough and Chris Tomlinson, and Writers' League of Texas Executive Director Becka Oliver.

Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth, written by Burrough, Tomlinson and Jason Stanford, reexamines one of the most enduring icons of Texas history, dispelling common misconceptions and exploring why these ideas have endured for so long. The book tells the story of the Battle of the Alamo and Texas’s struggle for independence, then delves into the development of the Alamo's mythos during the Jim Crow era. 

“Our understanding of history changes over time as the historical record is revealed through new research and insight, but our relationship to history remains complex and often very personal," said Bullock Museum Director Margaret Koch. "This program explores the world of writing about our past through the eyes of Texas authors wishing to reveal that complexity.”

The program, WLT On the Craft of Writing: ReWriting History, will provide behind-the-scenes details about how the authors approached crafting a book that reexamines a story so indelibly imprinted on our collective consciousness. The discussion will touch on the reportage involved in such an undertaking and the ways the authors struck a balance while working together on a single project. 

"Each of these authors could easily teach a master class on the craft of writing," said Oliver. "The opportunity to spend some time in conversation with them about this remarkable new book and its revisionist approach to the myth and legend of the Alamo is exactly what the WLT is all about."

The virtual program will take place on Thursday, July 1 from 8 to 9 pm and is free to the public. Those wishing to attend can RSVP on the Bullock Museum’s website or at writersleague.org. For more information, visit thestoryoftexas.com.

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ReWriting History is co-presented with the Writers' League of Texas.

About the Writers' League of Texas
The Writers’ League of Texas (WLT) is the largest literary arts organization in Texas, a statewide nonprofit offering programs and services to writers at all stages of their writing careers, from just getting started to publication and beyond. Founded in 1981, the organization’s mission is to provide a forum for information, support, and sharing among writers; to help writers improve their craft and understand the business of publishing; to promote the interests of writers from diverse cultural, economic, sexual identity and orientation, ethnic, and religious backgrounds; and to elevate the art and enterprise of writing, including supporting and growing the Texas literary community at large. 

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​​The Bullock Texas State History Museum, a division of the State Preservation Board and an accredited institution of the American Alliance of Museums, creates experiences that educate, engage, and encourage a deeper understanding of Texas. With dynamic, award-winning exhibitions that illuminate Texas history, people, and culture, educational programming for all ages, and an IMAX® theater with a screen the size of Texas, the Museum collaborates with more than 700 museums, libraries, archives, organizations, and individuals across the world to bring the Story of Texas to life. For more information, visit www.TheStoryofTexas.com or call (866)369-7108.

Additional support for educational programming provided by the Texas State History Museum Foundation.