Literary Friday, Edition 101

National Poetry Month may be over, but that just means it’s almost time for summer reading. We’re hard at work on our list over here and will debut it later this month. Until then, enjoy the warmer weather and consider a literary jaunt as part of your vacation this summer. The Deep South Literary Trail App can help!

Literary News 

Harper Lee’s birthday on Monday brought the news that To Kill a Mockingbird will finally become an e-book. Lee admitted she’s still old-fashioned and loves dusty libraries but called the digital release “‘Mockingbird‘ for a new generation.”

Mental Floss has 4 Awesome Things Harper Lee Did After ‘Mockingbird.’

As part of the 75th anniversary of the movie version of “Gone With the Wind,” Road to Tara Museum in Jonesboro, Georgia, is dropping its admission price to just 75 cents next week.

Speaking of Margaret Mitchell’s plantation drama, the 2014 Harris Poll of America’s Favorite Books reveals that Gone With the Wind ranks second only to The Bible. And we’re sure you can guess what other Southern favorite made the list.

The Kentucky Derby is tomorrow, and writer Zachary Lundgren takes a lesson from Hunter S. Thompson to explain why we still run for the roses after 140 years.

Greg Iles’ Natchez Burning is one of Amazon’s Best Books of the Month for May.

#Southernlit Social

See more pics from World Book Night 2014 in our Facebook album, including those of kids in Acadiana who are enjoying reading Zora and Me. And find out more about this year’s event by searching the hashtag #WBN14.

Literary Events 

The Mockingbird Players will perform their annual version of “To Kill A Mockingbird” in Harper Lee’s hometown of Monroeville through May 17.

TurnRow Book Co. in Greenwood, Mississippi, has a full lineup of author events coming up, including Greg Iles today at 5:30 p.m. and the Belles on Wheels Tour May 13.

The 20th Fitzgerald Gala will be held at the F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, tomorrow. Attire is flapper of course, and R. Clifton Spargo, author of Beautiful Fools, will serve as special guest.

Saints And Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans takes place May 15-18 with a focus on LGBT publishers, writers and readers.

See Garrison Keillor May 15 at the Atlanta History Center, where he will take the stage to share stories, poems and essays from The Keillor Reader.

Ellen Gilchrist also appears at the center’s Margaret Mitchell House May 21, where she will speak about her new short story collection Acts of God.

The inaugural Walker Percy Weekend will be held June 6-8 in St. Francisville, Louisiana, with panel discussions, themed dinners and a progressive Front Porch Bourbon Tour.

Registration is open for the Virginia Writers Club Symposium to be held August 2 in Charlottesville with keynote speaker Kathryn Erskine, author of Mockingbird.

New in Southern Voice  

Snake, a short story about a dad who likes having his yard raked, by Allison Williams.

To find out more about Southern authors’ haunts and hangouts, download the Deep South Literary Trail App, available direct from iTunes and for Android. The app has recently been updated with several new sites and lots of new photos just in time for those summer road trips!