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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Texas Commission on the Arts has named David |
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Mercier Parsons of Conroe a finalist in the competition for state |
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poet laureate; and |
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WHEREAS, After graduating from Austin High School, Dave |
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Parsons went on to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps and to earn a |
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bachelor's degree from Texas State University; he worked in |
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advertising and marketing until he left the corporate world behind |
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to explore his passion for poetry; in 1985, he went abroad to study |
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with the writer and National Book Award finalist Stanley Plumly |
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through the University of Houston's London program, and he later |
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received the National Endowment for the Humanities Dante Fellowship |
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to the State University of New York; on returning to Texas, he began |
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teaching for the Willis Independent School District, and he resumed |
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his studies at the University of Houston, earning a master's degree |
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in creative writing and literature in 1991; and |
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WHEREAS, Since making the decision to pursue the arts as a |
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profession, Mr. Parsons has published four books of poetry, The |
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Retail Representative; Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness; |
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Editing Sky; and Color of Mourning; his poems have also been |
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featured in various journals and magazines, including the Texas |
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Review, the Touchstone Literary Review, the New Review Poetry |
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Digest, and Louisiana Literature; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to receiving favorable reviews from |
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scholarly journals and local newspapers, Mr. Parsons has earned |
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numerous accolades for his writing; in 1989, he won the |
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French/American Legation poetry prize for a piece published in |
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Standpoints: The Journal for Teachers of English in France, and in |
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1998 he was a finalist for the X. J. Kennedy Book Prize; the |
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following year, his book Editing Sky was the winner of the Texas |
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Review Poetry Prize and a finalist for the Violet Crown Book Award; |
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Mr. Parsons has also been invited to appear at the Texas Book |
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Festival, the Writers League of Texas Author's Gala, the Rice |
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University/University of Houston Reading Series, the Houston and |
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Austin Poetry Festivals, and many other events across the state; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed poet has further contributed to the |
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arts by encouraging his fellow citizens to embrace and appreciate |
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literature; as a creative writing professor, he has cultivated the |
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talents of his students at Lone Star College-Montgomery for the |
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past 17 years; in 1993, he created the Montgomery County Literary |
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Arts Council Writers In Performance Series, through which he has |
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helped bring more than 100 distinguished authors to the area for |
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free readings and lectures, and he has sponsored events honoring |
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the poets Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman; he has also served on |
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the Conroe Commission on the Arts and Culture and the Houston Arts |
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Alliance Panel, and he was selected to teach the poetry workshop for |
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Inprint Inc.; moreover, he was named the Montgomery County poet |
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laureate for 2005 through 2010, a role that enables him to continue |
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advancing literary arts in his community; and |
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WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Mr. Parsons enjoys the love |
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and support of his wife, Nancy, and his four children, Robert, |
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Laura, Brandy, and Allison; and |
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WHEREAS, Through his poetry, teaching, and community |
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outreach, Dave Parsons has touched the lives of countless |
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individuals, and he may indeed reflect with great pride on the |
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positive impact he has had on the arts in Texas; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate David Mercier Parsons on his |
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nomination for Texas poet laureate and commend him on his |
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accomplished literary career; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Parsons as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Creighton |
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| Alvarado |
Gonzales |
Miller of Comal |
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| Anchia |
Gonzalez Toureilles |
Miller of Erath |
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| Aycock |
Gutierrez |
Morrison |
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| Branch |
Harper-Brown |
Ortiz, Jr. |
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| Brown of Kaufman |
Hartnett |
Otto |
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| Brown of Brazos |
Heflin |
Parker |
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| Callegari |
Hilderbran |
Peña |
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| Cohen |
Howard of Fort Bend |
Quintanilla |
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| Coleman |
Howard of Travis |
Raymond |
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| Craddick |
Jackson |
Rodriguez |
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| Crownover |
Keffer |
Sheffield |
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| Davis of Harris |
King of Parker |
Smith of Tarrant |
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| Davis of Dallas |
King of Taylor |
Smith of Harris |
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| Deshotel |
King of Zavala |
Smithee |
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| Driver |
Kleinschmidt |
Solomons |
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| Eiland |
Leibowitz |
Thompson |
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| Elkins |
Lucio III |
Turner of Tarrant |
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| England |
Madden |
Turner of Harris |
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| Farias |
Mallory Caraway |
Veasey |
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| Farrar |
Marquez |
Villarreal |
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| Flores |
Martinez Fischer |
Walle |
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| Gallego |
McReynolds |
Zerwas |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 509 was adopted by the House on |
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February 26, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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