Philipp Meyer’s novel, The Son, was a Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Fiction in 2014. His prose has drawn comparisons to iconic American authors such as Faulkner and Hemingway. A riveting account of three generations of a Texas family, The Son has been described by NPR as “. . .one of the most solid, unsparing pieces of American historical fiction to come out this century.” A New York Times Notable Book of 2013, Meyer estimates that he read hundreds of books on Texas history while researching and writing The Son, a process that took five years.
Grace Pettis has earned a reputation as a respected songwriter and performer. A co-winner of NPR’s 2009 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, selected from over 800 entries, Pettis has been praised for her songwriting prowess and her clear, emotive vocals. She won the Wildflower! Performing Songwriter Contest Grand Prize, as well as the People’s Choice Award later that year. Pettis also won the 2011 Kerrville New Folk Contest, an honor that she shares with Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, and her father, Pierce Pettis. The Museum is commissioning Pettis to write a new song, inspired by a work of art in the DMA’s collection, that will debut at this performance.