On October 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Blanco Book Bunch reading group will sponsor an Author Day at the Blanco Library. The event is free and open to the public. Bring a brown-bag lunch; beverages and dessert will be provided. Four authors of varying genres will discuss their work and sign books.

Naturalists Brian and Shirley Loflin will discuss their experiences studying and photographing native Texas plants, resulting in two beautifully illustrated field guides—Grasses of the Texas Hill Country, Texas Cacti— and their recently-completed coffee table book, Texas Wildflower Vistas and Hidden Treasures, published by Texas A&M University Press. In addition to writing, the Loflins lead nature photography workshops, traveling to Mexico and Latin America as well as various sites in the United States.

Brian calls himself a “seasoned biologist, natural science photographer, and writer.” He has traveled on various photo assignments, including airplanes and zoological specimens. He has been published in more than 70 international magazines¸ books, and a variety of technical literature. He lives in Austin with his wife Shirley, where he teaches photography in the Informal Classes program at the University of Texas.

Shirley Loflin is an accomplished artist and photographer, who has completed many specialized courses in natural science, including the Cornell Bird Biology curriculum. She credits a lifelong love of the outdoors to her maternal grandmother, who encouraged her as a child to identify birds and flowers. She is involved in graphic and communication arts and has managed a printing company for more than ten years. She manages their joint stock library of photography, which includes more than 100,000 images. Their posters and calendars are available for sale at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.