Literary Friday, Edition 57

Last week, we took Literary Friday on the road to Milledgeville, Georgia, the home of writer Flannery O’Connor. Read our recap of the trip here and see video of one of O’Connor’s peacocks giving us a big welcome.

Time for Summer Reading! 

If you’re a subscriber to our newsletter, you got it in your inbox first, but yesterday we leaked a preview of our Summer Reading List. The full list isn’t quite ready yet, but we didn’t want any of you to be without fun reading for Memorial Day weekend. Stay tuned for the rest of the list at the beginning of June and Twitter chats with the authors to go with it.

A Message From Yazoo City: Yazoo Library Association Turns 175

A few weeks ago, we told you a bit about the B. S. Ricks Memorial Library, a Mississippi Literary Landmark in recognition of its association with author Willie Morris. This is far from the only thing that makes this magical place so special. The Yazoo Library Association is celebrating its 175th year in 2013, making it the second-oldest library association in the state of Mississippi.  Founded in 1838 and originally started as a membership library, the YLA was chartered by the Mississippi Legislature to provide public library service to Yazoo County. The members of the original association were mostly professionals who held book swaps and debates by candlelight.

For over 60 years, the Yazoo Library was housed in many different buildings. On November 14, 1900, Fannie Ricks adopted the library as her cause and funded the construction of the B. S. Ricks Memorial Library. She named it in honor of her beloved late husband, General B.S. Ricks. This is the same building the YLA uses today, and is the oldest public library building still in use as such in the state of Mississippi.

But, don’t let her age fool you. Despite being one of the oldest library associations and buildings in the state, the YLA is always hard at work updating their resources and striving to offer the best in modern technologies and conveniences to its patrons. You can keep up with their events and rotating historical displays on their Facebook page – or better yet, stop by and soak up some of the sights and sounds that have made an impact on countless lives for over a century. You won’t regret the visit.

For more information about visiting Yazoo, and to stay informed on events honoring the 175th anniversary of the YLA, check out www.visityazoo.org.

Literary News & Blogs

Creative Nonfiction recently launched its special Southern Sin issue. From deception in the Delta to excess in the Big Easy and shacking up in South Carolina, CFN sins its way through the South in the nine wickedly good new stories including in the issue.

Pat Conroy has been named editor-at-large for University of South Carolina Press. He’ll oversee Story River Books, USC’s new South Carolina-based original fiction series.

Libraries in Jefferson County, Alabama, are reading The Four Corners of the Sky by Michael Malone through June 1 as part of the first-ever Big Library read of an e-book.

Spineless Classics, which prints the full text of classic books on posters is now available in the U.S. Check out their poster for The Great Gatsby.

While we’re talking about Gatsby, our friend Cerith Mathias in the UK has an article on the reinvention of Zelda in The Wales Review.

Jeffrey Colvin writes about an emotional visit to the Alabama birthplace of Zora Neale Hurston in The Millions.

Author Charlaine Harris is being threatened by fans over her final “Sookie Stackhouse” series novel. She’s received death and suicide threats over the romantic ending she chose for the book and has decided not to go on tour.

(Non)Required Viewing

Watch a clip from a rare 1952 film of William Faulkner at home in Oxford, Mississippi. Created in five parts and funded by the Ford Foundation, the documentary was broadcast on the CBS program “Omnibus.” See the rest of the film’s parts here.

Literary Events

The 10th annual Saints and Sinners Literary Festival will be held in New Orleans through May 26. Bringing together a who’s who of LGBT publishers, writers and readers, this year’s festival presents speakers Dorothy Allison, Ayana Mathis and Ellen Hart. For those in the New Orleans area, the festival is offering a 50 percent discount on tickets by using the code SINNERS. Tickets can be purchased through the festival website or by calling 504-581-1144.

Piccolo Spoleto’s Literary Festival in Charleston is taking place through June 9. Special guests include Dorothea Benton Frank, Terry Helwig and J. Grahame Long. Piccolo also offers a poetry series and poetry walks in the city.

Meet Erika Robuck, author of “Call Me Zelda,” May 28 at FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, Georgia, for a booksigning and free roaring twenties party.

See David Sedaris at Parnassus Books in Nashville May 31 at 6 p.m. He’ll be reading from his new book “Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls” and signing.

A party for the launch of Mary Kay Andrews’ “Ladies’ Night” will be held June 3 at Kudzu & Company in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

New in Southern Voice 

Gaston Street, a story about cleaning houses in Savannah by Heather Adams, and Trimming Texas Cacti, a poem by Floyd County Moonshine Editor Aaron Moore.

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.