Susan Rubino loves her volunteer job.

As the Coordinator of Author Transportation at the Texas Book Festival, Rubino monitors a team of around 25 volunteers each year who are responsible for picking up and dropping off the visiting authors who fly into Austin Bergstrom International Airport for the Texas Book Festival.

The Festival, which runs Oct 22-23, features approximately 225 authors each year, and a third of those authors fly in from outside of Texas.

“My volunteer team is the first face of the Festival,” says Rubino. “So we really emphasize giving these authors a big Texas welcome. A lot of authors tell us this is what makes us stand out from other book festivals they’ve been to.”

Not surprisingly, most of the volunteers on Rubino’s team are “bookies,” so meeting some of the names they see on jacket covers can be a huge mix of excitement and nerves.

“It really is the best volunteer committee,” laughs Rubino,“because we get to meet the authors up close and personal in a casual environment.”

After ten years of volunteering, Rubino has of course had her fair share of brushes with literary fame.

“Back when I was still driving authors, I drove Adam Gopnick from the New Yorker back to the airport after the Festival,” recalls Rubino. “He’s a New Yorker like I am originally, so we made a very warm connection. By the time we got to the airport—just 20 or so minutes later—he gave me a big hug and thanked me profusely.”

When asked about who’s she’s the most excited about seeing at the Festival this year, Rubino says, “I’m excited about Susan Orlean coming to the Gala. And I just learned about a local author named Rhonda Lashley Lopez who wrote a book about women ranchers. And I know Jeffrey Eugenides just wrote a book, so I really hope he’s coming.”

Since her first year volunteering in 2000, Rubino has taken over as the chair of Author Transportation. As the “traffic control” hub of the Festival, Rubino maintains immaculate schedules and near constant communication.

“I don’t get to see the author panels as much any more,” mentions Rubino. “But I do get to see all the visiting authors in person. So that’s a definite upside.”

Rubino’s team is so popular that all but two members of her staff from last year are returning again this year.

“I remember one brother and sister author pair came to Austin and wanted to see the city from an expert,” recalls Rubino. “So they invited their Transport volunteer to go out drinking with them after he finished his shift. They all had a great time.”

And if that’s not Texas hospitality, we don’t know what is.

The volunteer call is now available on the TBF website for all shifts. According to the TBF staff, there are still spots available on all of the volunteer teams, including the Author Escort and Book Signing teams, which also feature interaction with authors.