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