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Alabama Book Festival

On April 17, Hub and I went to Montgomery to the Alabama Book Festival.

It was as close to perfect as one can get in this life.

Even the weather cooperated; a sweet breeze that blew away the humidity, leaving us with an ideal spring day.

There were several stages, and since we can't be in more than one place at once, we had to choose which speakers we wanted to hear.

First was Carolyn Haines.

A southern writer who can make you feel like you are sitting on the porch of an antebellum mansion in Mississippi, sipping iced tea and talking to ghosts of the past. She has been on my "favorites" list for many years. She's a friend on Facebook, but it was wonderful getting to meet her face to face at last!
Ms. Haines was the 2010 recipient of the Harper Lee award. Look for her Bones series.

Rick Bragg, who wrote my life, was the next speaker. Even with his 2009 Harper Lee award and his Pulitzer, he has not forgotten his roots, and takes time to tell stories and talk UNA football with Hub.



Rick Bragg's books include All Over but The Shoutin', Ava's Man, Prince of Frogtown, The Most They Ever Had, and more.

Rheta Grimsley Johnson has been a syndicated columnist for about thirty years, and makes us think about serious things, even while we are laughing.


While at the Book Festival, she was promoting her newest book, Enchanted Evening Barbie and the Second Coming: A Memoir. She came to the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library recently, and I was fortunate to hear her again. A good Southern girl, if there ever was one!

We heard lots of others, but a favorite was Kathy Louise Patrick. You can meet her here. http://www.beautyandthebook.com/

We spent the night in Montgomery. The next day, while we were in LA, we drove to Thomasville to visit another good friend, Linda Vice. Linda, The Front Porch Philosopher, made us a wonderful lunch, then gave us a tour of her 100+ year old home and the gardens that surround her house. You can meet her here. http://www.alabamasfrontporches.com/

Can't wait for next year!
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Comments

  1. UnknownMay 26, 2010 at 8:40 AM

    Thanks Wanda for the nice mention in your blog! I shared your take on the Alabama Book Festival with the Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy kingdom. Just think Carolyn Haines, Rick Bragg, Pat Conroy, Fannie Flagg and more will all be here for my 11th Anniversary Girlfriend Weekend Author Extravaganza, January 13 - 16, 2011! Packages are going fast so email me at kathy@beautyandthebook.com if anybody wants to join this bookloving book club convention party! www.girlfriendweekend.blogspot.com or www.beautyandthebook.com for more on The Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Clubs. You are the best, I crown you Queen for a Day WANDA!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Amy @ Hope Is the WordMay 26, 2010 at 9:49 AM

    Great post, Wanda! I especially love the picture of y'all with Rick Bragg! :-)

    I want to go next year!

    Still waiting. . . .:-)

    ReplyDelete

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