The gracious cover star of our inaugural issue, Ethan Hawke partied with us at our launch event at Arlyn Studios.
Austin Way has a signature feature in each issue called Spirit of Generosity, which focuses on an impressive philanthropic effort. But the phrase itself, “Spirit of Generosity,”
resonates on many levels for me and springs to my lips almost every time I talk about how supportive the community has been since we debuted Austin Way in September. That spirit of generosity
was out in full force the night of our launch party at historic Arlyn Studios. Arlyn’s Lisa and Freddy Fletcher, the Cultivate PR team, and so many others went out of their way to help
us and make us feel welcome. The energy in the studio that night, as inaugural issue cover star Ethan Hawke mingled with guests and the crowd became entranced by Bobby Patterson’s
electric performance, was something rare and special.
It’s a feeling that stayed with and inspired me as we dove deeper into this, our second issue. Our town’s openness and positive, collaborative energy are two of the main factors
in drawing such a creative community here, which is something I wanted to celebrate in many of the articles you’re about to read. You might notice a strong literary element running
throughout, and that’s no accident. Contributors and interview subjects in this issue include award-winning fiction and nonfiction writers such as Doug Dorst, Kelly Luce, Jardine
Libaire, Amanda Eyre Ward, H.W. Brands, Neal Pollack, and Robert Schenkkan, all of whom never seem to hesitate to give their time and talent to help others (or me, when I’m on
deadline).
Yes, Austin is growing. We’re more than capable of successfully hosting a largescale, international event like Formula One, which I’m even more excited about after reading
Libaire’s profile of Jenson Button. But we haven’t changed; in fact, that strong, generous spirit is making everything possible.
KATHY BLACKWELL
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GARY MILLER/GETTY IMAGES
