If you’ve ever been to St. Francisville and headed down to the river’s edge, you’ll notice the road dips down to what used to be the ferry landing. The Mississippi River bank was once home to Bayou Sara, a vibrant port town in the 19th century that served the region’s businesses and plantations. Anne Butler and Helen Williams examine the history of this town that once sported numerous cotton warehouses, businesses and the homes of hard-working immigrants who gravitated to Bayou Sara for work and to become entrepreneurs in “Bayou Sara: Used to Be,” published by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press. The book includes the town’s history, its residents, river travel to and from the region and the town’s many floods and fires, the latter documented in several photos and one of the reasons for the town’s demise.
Butler is the author of more than 20 books and owner of a West Feliciana plantation home. Williams is the director of the West Feliciana Historical Society.
Butler will speak about the book and the history of Bayou Sara at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Lafayette downtown public library, part of the Bayou State Book Talks sponsored by the Center for Louisiana Studies. The authors will also speak at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the United Methodist Church in Clinton and the Yellow Leaf Arts Festival Oct. 28 and 29 in St. Francisville.
Lafayette Library Book Sale
The Friends of the Lafayette Library will host its semi-annual book sale Wednesday through Saturday at the Heymann Convention Center Ballroom, 1373 S. College Road in Lafayette. Gently used hardcover and paperback books are sold by the inch. The sale will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. A special Friends Night for Friends of the Library members will be 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday. But don’t feel left out. You can join Friends the night of the event and it’s only $5 for individuals, $10 for families, with all proceeds benefitting the library. For information, visit http://lafayettepubliclibrary.org.
New Orleans Storycon
New Orleans Storycon, what organizers call a “Mardi Gras for readers,” will be Sept. 15-17 and feature best-selling authors Jeaniene Frost, Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong as keynoters, plus special guests Charlaine Harris, author of the Southern Vampire Mysteries and the Midnight in Texas series and Christine Feehan, author of numerous best-sellers. There will be a Mardi Gras party, panels, book signings and more. For a list of participating authors, tickets and other information, visit http://nolastorycon.com/
Comic Con
The Terrebonne Comic Con will be from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, at the Main Library in Houma. The event includes a Wonder Woman drawing demo, fandom trivia, comic book swap, games, anime artists and more. For more information, visit mytpl.org/comiccon or call Naomi at (985) 876-5861, Option 3.
Book Fest needs volunteers
The 2017 Louisiana Book Festival, to be Saturday, Oct. 28 in Baton Rouge, is seeking volunteers in a variety of capacities, including welcoming presenters, escorting authors, monitoring rooms in the State Capitol, manning festival information booths and more. Festival volunteers who register by Oct. 6 will receive a free 2017 Louisiana Book Fest t-shirt. Those interested in volunteering should visit http://www.louisianabookfestival.org/volunteer.html and can sign up at http://www.louisianabookfestival.org/volunteer_IWantToVolunteer2017.html.
Write and Publish
Book publicists, authors and literary agents will descend on the Ole Miss campus Sept. 22-23 for the “Write & Publish Your Book” conference in Oxford, Miss. The event, sponsored by the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics, will discuss writing a book with authors Susan Cushman and Karen Bryant on day one and publishing the book with book designer Wil Oakes and agent Gillian MacKenzie on day two. Workshop leader is newspaper editor and magazine publisher Neil White, author of the award-winning “In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir,” about White’s year in Carville, La. White is owner of Nautilus Publishing. The cost is $250 for both days and $150 for one. For information, visit www.NeilWhiteWorkshop.com.
Book events
Stacey Wilson signs copies of “She Stands” from 2-4 p.m. today at The Conundrum bookstore in St. Francisville.
Ronnie Virgets signs “Saints and Lesser Souls: The New Orleans Views of Ronnie Virgets” at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Garden District Book Shop of New Orleans.
David Plater, author of “The Butlers of Iberville Parish,” will speak about his book at noon Wednesday at the Capital Park Museum in Baton Rouge. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch.
Preserve Louisiana presents its Heritage Lecture on “Mike the Tiger: The Tradition Continues” with author, professor and director of the Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine David G. Baker at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Old Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge. Baker will discuss the Civil War origins of LSU’s mascot and “fighting tiger” tradition, as well as behind-the-scenes anecdotes chronicling each of the six Mikes to the present age of social media. Refreshments from Calandro’s Fine Wines and Spirits will be served at 6 p.m. and the lecture begins at 6:30 p.m.
Four local authors who have written children’s books will discuss them and talk about the unique process of creating children’s literature at 7 p.m. Thursday at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. The authors are: Dalt Wonk, “The Laughing Lady;” Bob Bruce and David Cuthbert, “Cinderella Battistella;” and Cornell Landry, “Goodnight New Orleans.”
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Cheré Coen is the author of the “Viola Valentine” Louisiana paranormal mystery series under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.
