Introducing Literary Fridays
In celebration of the Deep South Literary Trail App and Southern lit in general, we’re excited to kick off “Literary Fridays” every week here at Deep South. We’ll be sharing glimpses into the locations featured in our app, plus literary news, websites and blogs, reading material and more that pertains to the South. We hope you’ll all join in the conversation as well by commenting on posts, sharing your own literary jaunts and joining us in special, upcoming Twitter chats.
The Last of the Belles
Montgomery, Alabama’s famous belle, Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, lived at 919 Felder Ave. with her husband and “Great Gatsby” author F. Scott from 1931-1932. The Fitzgeralds’ former residence – and only museum in their honor – celebrates the first couple of the Jazz Age each year with a costume gala in March. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, March 3, at 7 p.m. The theme, The Last of the Belles, pays homage to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic 1928 short story of his unlikely courtship and marriage to hometown belle and flapper Zelda Sayre. Costumes, whether flapper or belle, or encouraged and necessary for dancing all night to hot jazz by the Lo-Fi Loungers. Admission is only $25 per person or $45 for a couple.
Activities continue March 4 when the Fitzgerald Museum partners with the Southern Literary Trail (not affiliated with our app) to bring “The Last of the Belles” to life. Led by University of Alabama professor Don Noble and his wife, the free theater production begins at 2 p.m. and stars three other University of Alabama professors and their wives.
Following the performance, Chicago actress Grace McPhillips and co-producer Bob Hudgins will talk about “Beautiful Little Fools,” a full-length feature film based on Zelda Fitzgerald set to be filmed in Montgomery later this year. And for those Gatsby fans who haven’t heard yet, a new version of the film is in the works now and set to premier on Christmas Day this year. See our “South on Screen” story for more information and images.
Museum Director Willie Thompson on Zelda Fitzgerald’s Family
The F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum is open Wednesday-Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday, from 1-5 p.m. Admission is free and includes a video. For more on visiting the museum and an insider tip that offers a peek into the mind of Zelda after her husband’s death, download the Deep SouthLiterary Trail App.
The Composites
We recently came across this website that features images of literary characters created using law enforcement composite sketch software. Ever wondered what “The Great Gatsby”‘s Daisy Buchanan or Flannery O’Connor’s criminal The Misfit would have looked like in real life? Click here to find out.
Ann Patchett Defends Bookstores on The Colbert Report
What We’re Reading
We receive lots of books for review here. Some are very good and others aren’t so good, but we seem to have hit the jackpot this month with these titles. Stay tuned for giveaways soon!
Diary of a Mad Fat Girl – Stephanie McAfee’s wildly popular e-book set in Bugtussle, Mississippi, is now available in paperback.
Helen Keller in Love – On sale April 30, this fictionalized story of Tuscumbia, Alabama’s native blind and deaf daughter’s first love by Rosie Sultan is keeping us up late into the night.
A Grown Up Kind of Pretty – Joshilyn Jackson’s latest book is out and is being called her most absorbing yet. We’ve got an interview with her by award-winning writer Joe Mayes coming up next week.
New in Southern Voice
Tammy / February 25, 2012
I recently finished Diary of a Mad Fat Girl and was soooooo surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I was still skeptical about the book after reading the first three or four pages but after that I was all in!!! The characters really grown on you. I love books like this – with a small southern town as the setting and a sassy, southern girl as the main character. The supporting characters are just as enjoyable. Truly a fun book to read.