The Tennessee Williams/ New Orleans Literary Festival

March 26-30, 2008

This exciting event brings together dozens of national and regional writers, journalists, scholars, performers, directors, agents, editors, chefs, young unpublished talents, and seasoned pros to take part in hundreds of events, including Literary Panels, Master Classes, theatrical performances, readings, a One-Act Play Contest, literary walking tours, musical performances, cooking events, a book fair, and more.

Celebrities are part of the Festival, and this year’s presenters will include California Poet Laureate (2005-2007) Al Young, Tony Award-winning director Gregory Mosher, Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally, Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Tift Merritt, bestsellers Claire Cook, Hal Crowther, and Lee Smith, critically acclaimed writers Betsy Carter, Alison Pelegrin, and James Wilcox, literary agents Mitch Douglas and Lisa Bankhoff, and actors Marian Seldes and Stephanie Zimbalist.

Literary Panels form the cultural "heart" of the Festival and this year’s schedule offers panels on an expansive array of topics, including the late plays of Tennessee Williams, literary couples, advice from heavy hitters in the publishing industry, Mardi Gras, Eudora Welty, Thomas Pynchon, Caribbean writers, Southern humorists, songwriting, poetry writing, historical fiction, travel writing, memoir writing, agent and author relationships, suspense and thriller writing, short story writing, political writing, and the "I Remember Tennessee," panel, which will bring together individuals who knew the playwright personally.

Master Classes are offered for those who'd like to learn the tools of the trade from an expert in writing or the arts. This year's Master Classes offer instruction in the art of memoir, the art of songwriting, the art of writing instruction, how to form writers' groups and readers' clubs, strategies for getting attention for your book, tips from editors and agents, and writing with audience awareness.

A full schedule of theater performances at Le Petit, includes two plays about Williams' life, “Bent to the Flame: A Night with Tennessee Williams” and “Everyone Expects Me to Write Another Streetcar: Another Evening with the Playwright”. Brooklyn on Foot will perform an innovative version “Camino Real” by Tennessee Williams. Returning by popular demand is “Ignatius On Stage”, staged readings from the classic New Orleans novel, A Confederacy of Dunces. New this year is “Tennessee's Got Talent”, a theatrical talent competition in the style of American Idol where contestants perform duets from Williams' work and vie for the title "Tennessee Williams Idol" before a panel of celebrity judges.

There will be a special emphasis on songwriting this year for musicians, songwriters, and music lovers. In addition to a panel and a Master Class on songwriting, featured will be "Songs for Sunday Afternoon: A Day of Music and Performances," which includes a songwriter-in-the-round performance followed by concerts and discussions at The Palm Court Jazz Café.

Yearly favorites and Special Events are also in full swing this year. The hallmark event, the Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest, held in world famous Jackson Square, is a playful homage to the bellowing couple from “A Streetcar Named Desire”. Literary walking tours expose attendees to the playwrights' former haunts in the French Quarter. Other recurring events include the Breakfast Book Club with continental breakfast and a reading-circle discussion of stories by Kate Chopin, the Tennessee Williams Scholars' Conference, and sessions with master chefs. A book fair, autograph sessions with the authors, and an enriching sense of community with like-minded individuals round out this amazing Festival.

The Festival is looking for a few good stories. If you are a major collector of "Tennessee-belia", please write to the festival at the e-mail address below, and tell them what you collect and how vast and all consuming your collection has become.

Tickets are needed for the hundreds of events, and are available in many combinations. Groups are encouraged to call the number below, Monday through Friday, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, CT, to discuss the special group rates. Space is limited, so call soon.

www.tennesseewilliams.net | info@tennesseewilliams.net | Phone: 504-581-1144

courtesy of The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival

Edited by Ellen Schofield