The Festival of Words, an annual celebration of the spoken and written word, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year on Friday and Saturday in Grand Coteau. This year includes nationally recognized authors Darrell Bourque, Allison Joseph and Patricia Smith along with workshops on creative writing, a community stage for open mics, “Drive-by Poetry” in grocery stores, boutiques and restaurants and many more opportunities for people to interact with featured authors.Schedule:
Thursday - Teaching Artists Showcase and Potluck, 6:30 p.m. Nunu's in Arnaudville. Featuring Bruce Coen, Alex "Poetic Soul" Johnson, Frank "Authello" Andrus. There will be poetry spoken word and a book/CD signing.
Friday - The event takes place at Chicory’s Café in Grand Coteau featuring a poetry performance by Bourque, Joseph and Smith.
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| Drive-by Poetry |
Event: Author Book Sale hosted by Writer’s Guild of Acadiana
Time: 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Presenters: Bruce Coen and Friends
Event: “Drive-by Poetry”
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Throughout Grand Coteau, Sunset
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| Alex Johnson |
Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Host: Alex “PoeticSoul” Johnson
Event: Community Stage showcasing literary and spoken word groups of Acadiana
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Event: Awards Ceremony for Youth of Creative Writing Contest
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
SATURDAY WORKSHOPS
Artist: Patricia Smith
Event: Poetry Writing Workshop: Exploring Ritual, Discovering Family
Time: 9:30-11:20 a.m.
Artist: Dr. Charles “Chas” Womelsdorf, Jr.
Event: “Mystory Workshop” performance art, oral histories, and the self as text.
Time: 9:30-11:20 a.m.
Artist: Chere Coen
Event: Show Don’t Tell: Using five senses to make your writing come alive.
Time: 1-2:50 p.m.
Artist: Allison Joseph
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| Darrell Bourque |
Time: 1-2:50 p.m.
Artist: Darrell Bourque
Event: "How Did I Get Here-Where Do I Go From Here"
Time: 2-3:50 p.m.
MINI-WORKSHOPS by WRITERS GUILD OF ACADIANA
Artist: Jeanette Poole
Event: Writing your Family Cookbook
Time: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Artist: Dana Judice
Event: Publishing Children’s books
For more information, check out festivalofwords.org or contact Patrice Melnick at (337) 254-9695 or festivalwords@gmail.com.
Author Night
The Friends of the Lafayette Parish Library host a night with an author every fall and the next Author Dinner features Dianne Dempsey-Legnon Thursday at the Petroleum Club of Lafayette. Dempsey-Legnon will speak about her two books, “Belair Cove: A Novel of Life, Love, and Loss in a Prairie Cajun Village” and the tribute to her father, “A Louisiana Soldier: Willis A. Fontenot.” After her presentation, Diane will sell and autograph her books. Cost is $25. For reservations and information, call Bobbie at (337) 984-8661 or visit the Friends on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LafayetteFriends.
At the library
Dr. William Robinson, professor of history at Southeastern, presents a discussion of Frankenstein from Mary Shelley to Mel Brooks at 7 p.m. Monday at the South Regional Library of Lafayette.
Award-winning children’s book author Leslie Helakoski, originally of South Louisiana, will visit at 1 p.m. Saturday at the South Regional Library in Lafayette. She is the author and sometimes illustrator of 11 pictures books including “Doggone Feet!”, a best math choice by Scholastic Magazine. Two books, “Ready or Not, Woolbur Goes to School” and “Are Your Stars Like My Stars,” will be published next year. Helakoski will discuss “Rating Your Story,” analyzing and rating one’s work in 18 categories to see how it measures up. The event is free and open to the public.
The Livingston Parish Book Festival presents its annual book festival to celebrate books, promote literacy and music from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Main Branch in Livingston. The festival will include music and activities for kids, a Makers Tent and local food vendors. Local authors will be on hand at the Author Alley, including a special presentation by retired police officer, narcotics agent and federal prosecutor Charlie Spillers as he discusses exploits from his book “Confessions of an Undercover Agent: Adventures, Close Calls, and the Toll of a Double Life.” Graphic novelist Kody Chamberlain will discuss his take on creativity and how creative professionals like graphic novelists produce work every day.
For more information, visit mylpl.info/bookfestival.
Ed Branley will discuss his new book, “Krauss, The New Orleans Value Store,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the East Bank Regional Library, Metairie. Also at the library is Richard Campanella discussing his new book “Cityscapes of New Orleans” at 7 p.m. Thursday and Whitney Stewart, author of “Feldpost, The War Letters of Friedrich Reiner Niemann,” discussing and signing the book at 7 p.m. Thursday. Books will be available for sale through the Friends of the Jefferson Public Library.
Book events
Louisiana Book News is written by journalist Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and paranormal mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. The first books in her award-winning series are FREE as ebooks! For more information and to sign up for her newsletter visit www.cherieclaire.net.
