Literary Friday, Edition 74
Author Birthdays
Both F. Scott Fitzgerald and William Faulkner had birthdays this week. We dug into our archives and marked Fitzgerald’s with a Gatsby Companion Reading List and Faulkner’s with the Top 10 References to Faulkner in Pop Culture.
Flavorwire also celebrated with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Most Memorable Films.
Literary News
Banned Books Week concludes tomorrow. Some of the best links to make the rounds this week were a Literary Jukebox with Harper Lee and band Nostalgia 77, 12 Signs You’re a Banned Book Reader from Epic Reads and North Carolina’s saga to ban “The Invisible Man.”
The Billfold has an article about How Flannery O’Connor Did Money. “I do believe that she was quite savvy about the business side of being a writer, and she understood the difference between art and commerce,” Executive Director of The Flannery O’Connor-Andalusia Foundation Craig Amason is quoted as saying.
“Keowee Valley” author Katherine Scott Crawford recaps the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival and meeting Elizabeth Kostova on her blog this week.
Louisiana State University’s literary journal The Southern Review‘s reading period started September 1 and runs through December 1. Unsolicited fiction, nonfiction and poetry will be accepted by mail only.
We have a preview of the Louisiana Book Festival that includes this year’s lineup of WordShops and a few famous attendees to keep an eye out for.
(Non)Required Viewing
Franco’s keeping us on our toes with news about the release of his adaptation of Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying,” which was supposed to hit theaters today. Now it’s been reported the film will go straight to iTunes on October 22 and then VOD on November 5. The reason we won’t be able to witness Franco’s attempt at corraling dozens of narrators into one film? The answer is about as unsure as his career. Cinema Blend speculates that festival reception has been lukewarm and the book cover with Franco on it may have scared everyone away. The last scenario is likely, at least for Faulkner fans, but Franco could also just be feeling humbled after his Comedy Central Roast a few weeks ago.
Literary Events
A booksigning for the launch of “House Proud: Unique Home Design/Louisiana” by Valerie Hart will be held today from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. The book highlights some of the most fashionable homes in the state.
A major survey of Edgar Allan Poe’s career opens October 4 at Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. Comprising more than a hundred works that explore Poe’s fiction, poetry, literary criticism and influence on diverse writers, “Terror of the South” will be on display through January 26.
The Southern Festival of Books in Nashville will take place October 11-13 at War Memorial Plaza. This year’s authors include Ace Atkins, Rick Bragg, Wiley Cash, Therese Ann Fowler, Tom Franklin, Ann Hite, Jill McCorkle, Mary Alice Monroe, Susan Rebecca White and many more.
The Louisiana Book Festival is scheduled for November 2 in Baton Rouge this year, with Wally Lamb, Shirley Ann Grau (pictured), Rita Leganski and Beth Ann Fennelley attending. See our preview of authors and events here.
The Festival of Words in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, will be held November 7-9 with readings by nationally recognized authors, creative writing workshops, a community stage for open mics and drive-by poetry.
New in Southern Voice
Church Trip, a short short by previously unpublished New Orleans author E.M. Brown.
To find out more about Southern authors’ haunts and hangouts, download the Deep South Literary Trail App, available direct from iTunes and for Android.
