A Texas native and tribal gypsy dancer caught the eye of the Mayor's Book Club in Austin with her memoir.
Stephanie Griest, a 1997 UT journalism and post-Soviet studies graduate, published "Around the Bloc," in March 2004. In the book, Griest describes her journey through 12 nations, including Russia, China and Cuba. Griest's tale takes readers through her transformation as she experiences the cultures she grew up idealizing. Griest learns to embrace the realities of those cultures through the people she meets along the way and learns to love.
Griest gave an enormous amount of credit to UT for her ability to travel and for her current literary successes. She studied in Russia while she was attending the University and received scholarships from UT for her trip to China.
"Austin is intrinsically linked to this book. I am deeply indebted to UT. It really got me started," she said.
The selection of "Around the Bloc" marks the first time the club has chosen a piece written by a woman. The Keep Austin Reading Committee chooses candidates from a list compiled over the course of three months. The committee searches for books under 300 pages that are affordable, contain a regional theme and relate to a wide audience. The committee narrows the list down to three, and the mayor's office makes the final selection.
The Austin Public Library announced the book's addition to the club in a press conference on Tuesday. Patricia Fraga, marketing program manager at the library, said the committee tries to select books that are of particular interest to teens.
"She definitely has a youthful voice," said Fraga.
In October, Griest was notified that "Around the Bloc" would be the book club's sixth addition. The committee hopes that the memoir will stir interest about the club in more Austin communities because of its vast potential audience, said Darlene Berghammer, administrative assistant to Mayor Will Wynn.
Griest recalled the moment when she read that her book was being considered.
"I just got the most random, beautiful e-mail," she said.
The Austin Public Library will host various events in honor of the book this spring including discussion groups at local branches and a moderated discussion on April 17 with Griest. Films about the various countries mentioned in the memoir will be screened.
Griest's new book, "100 Places Every Woman Should Go," includes Austin as one of the recommended destinations and will be released in late February
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