SHELF LIFE

Jeff Hiller and Jenna Bush Hager join 2026 San Antonio Book Festival

"Lost And Found In Cleveland" Tribeca Membership Screening

Jeff Hiller, an Emmy winner for Somebody Somewhere, is a featured guest of the San Antonio Book Festival,

Photo by Dominik Bindl/Getty Images

National Book Award-honored novelists, James Beard Award nominees, and even an Emmy Award-winning actor will be headed into town to be part of the 14th annual San Antonio Book Festival (SABF). Organizers have announced the all-star author lineup for the annual celebration of reading, held April 12.

The free book festival, scheduled to take place at the Central Library and University of Texas at San Antonio Southwest Campus, features dozens of notable authors in presentations, panel discussions, and book signings, alongside activities designed to help children discover the joy of reading.

“Our lineup this year features a wonderful mix of local, regional, national, and international authors across many genres,” says Lisa Ayres, executive director of the San Antonio Book Festival, via a release. “There truly is something for everyone from creative memoirs to serious history, from poetry to cooking.”

Celebrities Attend 2024 US Open Jenna Bush Hager will present a new book from her publishing imprint. Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images

For the first time this year, SABF is kicking off the festival with a special ticketed event featuring Today host Jenna Bush Hager. The former first daughter will be highlighting her new publishing imprint, Thousand Voices, and its latest book, Liar's Dice, by debut novelist Juliet Faithfull. Tickets to the event, held April 9 at the Central Christian Church, are $42.56 and include a signed copy.

The festival will also be welcoming back cookbook authors for the first time since 2019. Some of the more notable names include popular YouTuber Arnie “ArnieTex” Segovia, TikTok forager Gabrielle Cerberville, and Andrew Ho, Andrew Samia, and Sean Wen, the James Beard–nominated chefs from San Antonio’s Curry Boys.

Arnie Segovia Arnie “ArnieTex” Segovia is one of the featured chefs during the book fest.Photo courtesy of the San Antonio Book Festival

Some of the other prominent guests include:

Booker Prize winner George Saunders
National Book Award finalist Megha Majumdar
Emmy Award–winning actor and San Antonio native Jeff Hiller
Beloved novelist and poet Julia Alvarez
MacArthur “Genius” Fellow Reginald Dwayne Betts
InvestiGators creator John Patrick Green
Keeper of the Lost Cities scribe Shannon Messenger
New York Times bestselling author Dustin Thao
Horror novelist Xan Kaur
Local children’s author Tiffany Hammond
Author-illustrator Zeke Peña
Pulitzer Prize–winner Lawrence Wright
Former Texas Poet Laureate Amanda Johnston
Former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros
Former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg
Nowhere Bookshop owner and popular blogger Jenny Lawson

In addition to all of the author presentations, kids will be entertained by appearances from costumed children’s book characters, a free performance by Magik Theatre, interactive activities by local nonprofits, and complimentary snacks provided by H-E-B.

For a full list of appearances, click here. SABF will be releasing the full schedule in mid-March.

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THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS

San Antonio Botanical Garden blooms with new spring installation

Enchanted Trees San Antonio Botanical Garden

Photo courtesy of the San Antonio Botanical Garden

An "Enchanted Tree" at the San Antonio Botanical Garden.

This spring, the blooms won’t be the only reason to stroll through the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Otherwild, a new exhibition from acclaimed Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics, is taking root, transforming the park into a vibrant swirl of colors beginning March 7.

Photo courtesy of the San Antonio Botanical Garden

An "Enchanted Tree" at the San Antonio Botanical Garden.

The installation is divided into two distinct parts. Flora Borealis uses Skynet, not to be confused with the artificial superintelligence from the Terminator franchise. Instead, Hearn’s technique trades menace for whimsy — using an ultra-lightweight mesh supporting thousands of ribbons that undulate like the flightpath of birds.

The 10 Enchanted Trees integrate ethereal sculptures into the garden’s existing species. Reflective materials, mimicking leaves, respond to movement, sunlight, and wind, creating kinetic sculptures from nature.

Patrick Shearn stands in front of a Skynet installation.Photo courtesy of San Antonio Botanical Garden

“These trees are characters,” Shearn says in a statement. “They have life in them, responding to light, air, and the people moving among them. My goal is for visitors to feel part of the story, to step into a fantastical yet familiar space and discover all the magic hiding in the details.”

Shearn began making his installations in 2016, creating awe-inspiring works for festivals like Coachella and Burning Man, and the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In many ways, his studio’s style owes a debt to Christo and Jeanne Claude, relying on the specifics of a site.

Otherwild will be on view at the San Antonio Botanical Garden (555 Funston Pl.) between March 7 and June 7. Access is included with standard admission to the park, which ranges from $3 through the Museums for All pass to $18-$22 for standard adult admission.

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