The ground floor of the Evans Building houses an often-overlooked asset on the SHSU campus: the Texas Review Press.Dr. Paul Ruffin, who is currently editor and director of the press, founded the review in 1976. With a modest budget, the Texas Review Press published its first book in 1979.In 1997, the review was accepted as a member of the A& M Press Consortium. Being a member allowed for books from the press to be advertised in the Consortium’s catalogs and other media channels throughout the world, and its books soon were being reviewed in major newspapers and journals across the country.Today, the Texas Review Press publishes eight to 10 books a year, both a spring/summer and fall/winter edition of The Texas Review and an annual SHSU Review. The Texas Review consists of poetry, short fiction, essays and book reviews that are submitted by authors around the world. The SHSU Review is comprised of work by students and faculty members of the university.All of the books the press produces, with the exception of hardbacks, are printed on campus in the graphic arts department. Ruffin designs the majority of the covers, a saving of $1,000 to $1,200 a book. The Texas Review Press also offers an intern program.”We are able to offer the only creative writing internship program of its type in the country,” said Ruffin The interns at the TRP are responsible for logging submissions, editing and shaping pieces of writing for issues of “The Texas Review”, as well as helping to keep the press running efficiently.Titles currently available for the Texas Review Press include “Going to See the Elephant” by George Garret. Also available is Don Reid’s “Have a Seat, Please”, an in-depth look at the Texas execution process from a man who witnessed 189 electrocutions, and explains how he went from a supporter of capital punishment to an active opponent.The press’s upcoming release will be “Cabin Fever: The Roberts-Farris Cabin”
Sections