Decatur Book Festival Plans??
Decatur Metro | August 30, 2011 | 3:29 pmSo, a little thing known as the “Decatur Book Festival” is taking over downtown Decatur this weekend.
What is it? It’s just the largest independent book festival in the daggum country! Let me hit you with the logo for asking such a ridiculous question. Kablamo!
Anyway, the author list and event schedule has been up for a while now, so I’m wondering which events DM readers are excited about this year. I can’t ask Daren because, well, he’s always running around the city sweating these babies off…
BTW, did you see Terra’s Q&A in the AJC yesterday? You did? Great. Now back to work!
Feet (and bare legs) photo courtesy of the Asian Cajuns
George Pelecanos is high up on my list, as I’ve read at least half a dozen of his crime novels and loved his work on The Wire. Melissa Fay Greene’s interview on Bob Edwards’ Weekend on NPR was so good a couple of weeks ago that I’ll probably go back to hear her again; she’s always funny and inspiring. It would be nice to get some biscuits from Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart at Cook’s Warehouse. And wow. A chance to hear a Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Natasha Tretheway, at Java Monkey.
Looking forward to seeing my old friend Brian Eames on the Children’s stage. Nice to se a local writer with a chance at a big break. Parents – definitely check out “The Dagger Quick” for your 10-16 yr olds.
Amanda’s hanging with Louise Penny (author of the Gamache mystery cozies). Can’t wait to see my neighbor–and upcoming star!!– and one of my favorite mystery writers together.
I recently read her book “A Fatal Grace” (an earlier one) An easy read and I couldn’t put it down! Very funny in places for a book of that nature. Not the forced Stephen King kind of humor in a contrived attempt to lighten things up, but just genuinely funny. I recently bought another one of her books, and am looking forward to reading the rest of them!
For anyone that knows, do authors sign books at their events?
Also, are the events recorded if there’s something you’re interested in that you can’t make it to?
All authors sign after their events. No recordings, as of yet. Maybe 2012.
Recordings are a great idea. When there’s kids involved, there’s child care and schedule conflicts. Plus one can get pretty pooped bopping around all the venues especially if it’s hot or rainy. Maybe recordings could have some advertising attached–like a lot of videos on commercial websites–and that would make up the cost.
The Decatur Education Foundation will be selling gently used childrens’ books on the upper plaza near the children’s stage.
Also, on Sat. from 9a-3p there will be a book sale on the front lawn of the Decatur Library.
We’ll be there with Inca Kids, our fair trade little venture with hand knitted toys and accessories in organic cotton (stuffed llamas, anyone?) It is our first time participating so I am super excited and a little bit nervous. We’ll be by the food š That is always good, right?
Clyde Edgerton, love his writing. Karen Russell, havenāt read her but Iām intrigued by Swamplandia. Tom Perottaās books always feel like Decatur to me. An interesting booth at the Street Fair, the Lou Walker Senior Center Writing Group: forget reading The Help, these old-timers are capturing their first hand experiences in their memoirs. Iāll be at the festival early, I plan to have a funnel cake with my coffee. Most of all, I look forward to hearing the drum corps on Sunday at six oāclock on the childrenās stage.
And Hal Needham, the father of movie stunt performance. Talking about the real thing, not cgi. A career of setting himself on fire, crazy car-flippig-over stuff, thatās going to be great for any movie lover, like me.
Edgerton is good. Have you read The Floatplane Notebooks?
My wife loooooves The Floatplane Notebooks.
I once recorded Clyde Edgerton for an interview, and the format of the interview was such that I needed to keep myself out of the recording. It is very, very difficult to laugh that hard, silently.
Tom Perotta and Decatur? Never thought of him that way. Then again, we did have the molester at the pool this summer.
Want to hear Caroline Henning’s Little House songs. That story was a favorite of my mother, then of mine, and then my children loved it. Maybe she can be persuaded to do Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel and Katy and the Big Snow next! Just love Virginia Lee Burton!
Nice Legs!
I’ll be moderating a panel Saturday morning at Decatur High between Blake Butler, Adam Ross and Jesse Ball, fine experimental authors all. And I’m really excited about WRITE CLUB. That’ll be a lot of fun–that’s going on at DHS as well, 5pm Saturday.
Going to the Americapedia signing at Eddie’s, going to Carapace’s 9/11 storytelling event as well. Oh, and I’ve got tickets to the keynote! That’ll be good.