Literary Friday, Edition 175

Interview with The Gates of Evangeline Author Hester Young 

Even if you missed our live Twitter chat with Hester Young last night, you can still read our interview with her about her spooky debut The Gates of Evangeline. Possibly one of the most anticipated Southern reads of the fall, the book combines a mother’s grief with eerie premonitions, a historic plantation and long-buried secrets of love, money, betrayal and murder. And even more good news: It’s just the start of a trilogy about character Charlie Cates. Young tells us the novel’s setting in the Louisiana swamp came to her in a dream one night where a little boy asked to tell her how he died. It doesn’t get much more Southern Gothic than that.

Read the chat feed for more inside details here!

Literary News 

M.O. Walsh’s My Sunshine Away made Booklist’s list of Top 10 First Novels for 2015.

Head to West Virginia for some literary tourism with Homer Hickam and James McBride over at Bookriot.

The lineup for the 30th annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival has been announced, with Megan Abbott, Dorothy Allison (pictured) and Dick Cavett on deck March 30-April 3.

Mary Louise Parker’s Dear Mr. You makes Flavorwire’s 10 Must-Read Books for November. We have the actress’s debut novel on our Fall/Winter Reading List as well.

Literary Events

The New Orleans Museum of Art will display Los Angeles-based artist Tim Youd’s latest installment of his “100 Novels Project,” as he retypes live a series of novels set in Louisiana, through February 21.

The Festival of Words in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, will take place through November 7 with literary readings, creative writing workshops, drive-by poetry, open mics and more.

Milton, Georgia, is holding a Literary Festival November 13-14 with native author Karen White, plus Kimberly Brock, Raymond Atkins and Renea Winchester.

Save the date for the first annual Dave Robicheaux Literary Festival coming to Iberia Parish, Louisiana, April 8-10, 2016.

New in Southern Voice 

A Mean Heart, a story about childish innocence set after Halloween, by Aleyna Rentz.

To find out more about your favorite Southern authors’ haunts and hangouts, download the Deep South Literary Trail App, available direct from iTunes and for Android and perfect for those summer road trips.