Literary Friday, Edition 214
Literary News
Ethan Brown’s new book Murder in the Bayou was released Sept. 13 and delves into the unsolved South Louisiana murders surrounding the prostitutes known as the “Jeff Davis 8.” U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany responded earlier this week to allegations made in the book that he was a client of several of the women.
Brown’s book has been said to piggyback on HBO’s hit “True Detective,” and that show’s star Matthew McConaughey was recently announced as Wild Turkey’s new creative director. In addition to appearing on camera for ads, McConaughey will write, write, direct, contribute music and advise on print photo shoots.
We also celebrate the pub dates of several other books we’re considering for our Fall/Winter Reading List this week, including Darktown by Thomas Mullen, The Curse of the Bridal Chamber by Hunter Murphy and Ann Patchett’s Commonwealth.
Louisiana slave Solomon Northup will be memorialized in exhibits included in the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., September 24. In addition, his descendants will converge upon the city and retrace his steps leading up to the opening.
And congrats to Brad Watson for Miss Jane and Colson Whitehead for The Underground Railroad on being longlisted for the National Book Awards!
Literary Events, Workshops & Contests
The Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home will kick off its lineup of fall lectures Sept. 18 in Savannah, Georgia, with Michael Freeman on “Savannah: The City that Defines Southern Gothic.” Lectures continue Sundays through December 11.
University of Tennessee at Knoxville continues its fall series of Writers in the Library on September 19 with Leah Stewart.
TurnRow Books in Greenwood, Mississippi, will celebrate the release of Mississippi Noir September 21 with a reception, reading and signing by several of the book’s contributors and some surprise guests.
Tinderbox Writers Retreat is scheduled for September 23-27 in Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, with Kimberly Brock and Kristy Woodson Harvey.
And Ossabaw Island Writers’ Retreat will be October 28-30 in Ossabaw Island, Georgia.
Save the dates for upcoming book festivals, including Decatur Book Festival September 2-4, Southern Festival of Books in Nashville October 14-16 and Louisiana Book Festival October 29 in Baton Rouge.
Latest in Southern Voice
We have two pieces of original fiction for September: Spark Plugs by Scott Blackburn and The Tattler by Steve Lambert.
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 winter road trips.
Have a piece of news, event, video or something else related to Southern lit that you’d like us to consider for Literary Friday? Send an e-mail to [email protected].
