It’s Literally Wednesday: Only 169 Days To Go!
Dave | March 13, 2013The 8th Annual AJC Decatur Book Festival begins in a mere 5 1/2 months. Any endeavor of this size involves year-round planning and, at this particular point in time, programming is kicking into high gear. A group of people, under Program Director Philip Rafshoon, will be meeting again in the next week to discuss potential tracks and authors.
In planning for future events the discussion inevitably goes back to what has worked well in the past and why. The purpose isn’t to replicate, but to roll with the essence of what makes the festival so great.
Looking back, what are some of the highlights you have experienced at the Decatur Book Festival? — particularly the unexpected ones, like unknown authors whose works you were introduced to and loved, unusual events that clicked, author panels that surprised. Was there a keynote speaker that particularly stood out?
This Week:
Michael Sheldon, author of Young Titan: The Making of Winston Churchill, Wednesday, March 13th at 7:15pm, Decatur Library, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.
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Clyde Edgerton’s musical clips from his laptop were a big favorite of mine a couple of festivals ago. The DBF associated show by Marshall Chapman and Rodney Crowell at Eddie’s Attic was a blast. I’ve really loved Janisse Ray the several times I’ve seen her at the festival.
I love the Children’s Stage. I always find a new fabulous author/book just by sitting and listening. I loved Adam Gidwitz year before last. Last year, we discovered Mac Barnett and the Brixton Brothers. My son has loved meeting Skippyjon Jones and Bad Kitty, two all time favorites. As an elementary school teacher and future school media specialist, it is the highlight of my year!
Call me a philistine if you like but I really enjoy the street fair.
The collegiate presses have great stuff and the legions of small press and self-published fascinate me.
I met Annette Laing through the street fair. Annette lives in Oakhurst and has a series of kids’ time travel stories which are packed with accurate history: The Snipesville Chronicles. (She’s an historian with a great sense of humor and I’m a sucker for time travel.)
Last year I enjoyed meeting Conor McCreery and looking at his graphic novels: Kill Shakespeare. The bard’s bad guys (Richard III, Iago, Lady Mac) vs. the good guys (Hamlet, Juliet, Falstaff) in an epic adventure to find a mysterious wizard named William Shakespeare. Gorgeous work and fun.
And it just feels great walking around among all those book lovers. My peeps!
Also last year my book club convened to attend Erin Morgenstern’s session dressed in The Night Circus’s theme colors. Then convened at the bar at Parker’s to discuss the book in lieu of our regular meeting. That was fun.