Conference on Southern Literature

The 16th biennial Conference on Southern Literature, organized in conjunction with the Fellowship of Southern Writers, takes place April 14-16 in Chattanooga, TN, and I will be there.

Being able to count one’s self as a Southern writer, puts one among impressive company: William Faulkner, Harper Lee, Flannery O’Connor, Mark Twain, Dorothy Allison, Tennessee Williams, Eudora Welty, and Zora Neale Hurston, just to name a few.

I’ll have the pleasure of hearing Dorothy Allison speak twice on Friday. On Thursday morning, they’re showing Landscapes of the Heart: The Elizabeth Spencer Story, a documentary film, named after Spencer’s own memoir. Spencer lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and will speak before the film.

I’m also interested to hear Clyde Edgerton speak, and I must admit it’s because I am friends with his daughter, Catherine, who is one-half of the Durham duo Midtown Dickens.

This weekend, I’ll be sure to report on what an amazing time I had.