Literary Friday, Edition 49

Announcements

This morning, we head over to New Orleans for the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival. Join us tonight if you’re in the city for Literary Jook Joint, a series of readings and musical performances hosted by the MelaNated Writers Collective. It starts at 8 p.m. at M. Francis Gallery. We’ll be tweeting and posting on Facebook throughout the weekend, which concludes on Sunday afternoon with the Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest.

Also in TWFest news, the media room this year is sponsored by Hendrick’s Gin, one of Williams’ favorite libations. Here’s a special cocktail recipe to try at home in case you can’t join us.

Night of the Iguana Punch
Inspired by Tennessee Williams’ 1961 play of the same name.

Hendrick’s Gin
Celery and cucumber juice
Fresh lemon juice
Simple syrup
Green chartreuse
Chilled soda water

Mix, and garnish with cucumber, lemon wheels and mint leaves.

Literary and arts magazine Floyd County Moonshine is accepting poetry, short stories, novel excerpts, literary criticism, book reviews, interviews, artwork and photography. Preference is given to works of a rural or Appalachian nature. All works should be submitted electronically to [email protected] by June 30.

On Twitter, @CindyRayHale asked about writers conferences in the Southeastern U.S. this year. Rather than just compiling a list for her, we decided to post one of book festivals, fairs and conferences for all to see.

Literary News & Blogs

BBC Radio was recently in New Orleans to find out why Confederacy of Dunces hasn’t made it to film yet. The death of four actors considered for the role of Ignatius J. Reilly certainly hasn’t helped.

Flavorwire has Former Students Recollections of Classes Taught by Famous Authors, which includes an account of one of Barry Hannah’s classes at Ole Miss.

Lit Reactor has a report about Google’s new collaboration tool that lets you work with famous and very much dead authors. Ever wonder how Poe would have finished that sentence?

A new European graphic novel based on the life of Zelda Fitzgerald called Superzelda is now out in the U.S. We’ve got a review copy coming our way, but a sample chapter can be viewed here.

While we’re on the subject of Zelda, the Italian villa once used by she and Scott as a writing retreat is on the market for $35.5 million. Here’s the listing video with a full tour:

Literary Events

The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival is this weekend! The annual festival includes authors Nevada Barr, Silas House and Ayana Mathis, along with theater performances, culinary events and the Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest.

The Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, has a special exhibit for the 170th anniversary of the “The Tell-Tale Heart” on display through March 31. The exhibit brings together a first printing of the story and 16 original drawings for comic book adaptations of the story by two acclaimed illustrators.

Author Wendy Wax will be making the Georgia rounds promoting her new book “While We Were Watching Downton Abbey,” which hits shelves April 2. She’ll be at FoxTale Bookshop in Woodstock March 30, Bookmiser April 1 and Book Exchange April 16 in Marietta, and Gwinnet County Public Library in Norcross April 25.

Oconee Community Theatre will present To Kill a Mockingbird April 12-14 and 19-21 in Seneca, South Carolina, as part of its 2012-2013 season.

The Festival of Words will hold a fundraiser April 13 at Cite Des Arts in Lafayette, Louisiana, with a showing of the new film “Ferlinghetti A Rebirth of Wonder,” beat poetry performances and a silent auction.

Harper Lee’s hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, starts its annual performances of To Kill a Mockingbird April 18 at the Old Courthouse Museum. Shows run Thursday through Sunday, ending May 18.

The Alabama Book Festival will be held April 20 in Montgomery, with a focus on books about food. So far, authors include Sonny Brewer, Michael Morris and Peggy Allen.

New in Southern Voice 

The Elusive Ramos Gin Fizz, an essay about searching for a historic New Orleans cocktail, by Robert Iulo, and a poem in honor of the first day of spring this week.

To find out more about Southern authors’ haunts and hangouts, download the Deep South Literary Trail App, now available direct from iTunes and for Android.