Robert Earl Keen To Be Inducted Into Texas Institute Of Letters

Nineteen Distinguished Writers Honored for their Literary Achievements

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January 30, 2020... For the 84th year, members of the Texas Institute of Letters (TIL) have decided on the induction of new members to join the ranks of the distinguished honor society founded in 1936 to celebrate Texas literature and to recognize distinctive literary achievement.

Robert Earl Keen is to be inducted in the 2020 class, which includes poets, playwrights, novelists, journalists/editors/publishers, scholars, and fellow songwriters, for the literary excellence of his song lyrics. Previous songwriter inductees include Willie Nelson, the first songwriter inducted for his lyrics, in 2018, and Tish Hinojosa, in 2019. Keen expressed his gratitude, "Thanks to the Texas Institute of Letters for my and James McMurtry’s future induction. What an honor to be included in a fraternity of great writers like Dan Jenkins, Richard Linklater, Billy Porterfield, and Cormac McCarthy."

The TIL’s membership consists of the state’s most respected writers – including winners of the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, PEN/Faulkner Award, Academy Award, Americas Award, International Latino Book Award, and the MacArthur “Genius” grant. Membership is based on ongoing and exceptional literary accomplishment.  Members of the Texas Institute of Letters have overwhelmingly approved nineteen writers to join the ranks of the TIL. 

Dr. Carmen Tafolla, President of the Texas Institute of Letters states, “The move to diversify and include a wide variety of literary genres in our analysis of literary accomplishment has continued to bring us a rich base of outstanding word-crafters. We are extremely proud of the exceptional work these individuals represent. These nineteen literary masters and innovators span the creative gamut from stage plays to song lyrics and from novels to poetry, journalism, short stories, publishing, children’s works, and scholarly books.”  

New members will be inducted at the upcoming TIL annual meeting, to be held in Georgetown, Texas March 27-29.  The Annual TIL Literary Awards will also be presented at the weekend’s events.

For more information, please visit the TIL website: www.texasinstituteofletters.org or email Carmen Tafolla, president@texasinstituteofletters.org.

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About Robert Earl Keen:

Singer, songwriter, and entertainer, Robert Earl Keen, has recorded 19 albums and performed thousands of shows. Keen is also the host and creator of the Americana Podcast: the 51st State (AmericanaPodcast.com). His music ranges from country to bluegrass to rock, and his songs have been recorded by artists including George Strait, Lyle Lovett, Joe Ely, Montgomery Gentry, Dixie Chicks, The Highwaymen, Gillian Welch, Todd Snider, and Shawn Colvin. In 2012, he was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame along with the late Townes Van Zandt. In March 2015, BMI honored him as the first recipient of the Troubadour Award. Keen’s philanthropic and charity work led him to be presented with the Distinguished Alumni award from Texas A&M University in the fall of 2018. The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame inducted Robert Earl Keen into their 2019 class presenting him with the Spirit of Texas Award. Keen’s signature song is “The Road Goes On Forever.”
(RobertEarlKeen.com) 

For Press Inquiries Contact:

Kate Richardson | kate@richlynngroup.com

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