I'd like to comment...on the Lewisburg Literary Festival

And, thank them for including me.

This past weekend, I found myself in the truly delightful town of Lewisburg, West Virginia. Every first weekend in August, the town sponsors a literary festival with a wide array of events and activities for the bookish set, all free of charge—unless you want to buy a book from a participating author (support an author, buy a book!). I loved that the civic and literary converged in this way.

In the square in the center of the main street through town, I was greeted by this sign, where those so inclined could write the one book they’d keep. For the record, mine would be Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking. But I also want to keep more than one book. I probably want to keep more than 100, or maybe 1000 books.

I also enjoyed the water feature in front of this set up, although the water feature is permanent, where the book board isn’t. Probably water is more appreciated through this hot, hot summer, where a little splash can cool you a bit.

There were other places where Lewisburg’s literary inclinations were displayed.

At the event itself, one could take in the “literary fashion show,” which featured this amazing ball gown made of books:

The weekend is filled with many events. Along with my friend Diane Tarantini, I presented on memoir. Others on poetry, cozy mysteries, and so on. The famous West Virginia Porch Poets read from their collaborative book, which was loads of fun, and educational. For instance, Cheryl Denise read a poem about how to behave at a reading that had the audience a) primed for the reading and b) in stitches.

While there’s no charge to attend the festival, it is strongly advised to claim your (free) tickets to the events you most want to see, because they fill fast.

If you miss out on a ticket for a session, the town itself has lots to offer. For instance, try taking in a meal at The French Goat—not the least expensive meal to be had in town, but truly delicious. Or, you might try the famous fried chicken at the General Lewis Inn.

There are also lots of lovely shops—from antiques, to fine wines, to boutique clothing, and more. I loved looking in the windows at something pretty or browsing for something fun.

So, I indulged not only in the bookish, but just let myself be charmed by Lewisburg’s offerings. And, when I started feeling a little sluggish, I even found a place to get a little caffiene fix.

News and Notes

August 6, 2024 is pub day for Postscripts. Presales have been amazing—I’m truly blown away, and thank everyone for those orders.

Stay tuned for What We Do In The Hollows, as that book will be available soon, and at a hometown Monster Mash.

The shop and community The Village Green has a Summer & The Sea playlist at Spotify that’s super chill.

I’m reading my WVU Press-mate Matthew Ferrance’s new book, I Hate It Here, Please Vote For Me, described as “In essays focused on showing goats at the county fair, planting native grasses in the front lawn, the political power of poetry, and getting wiped out in an election, Ferrence offers a counter-narrative to stereotypes of monolithic rural American voters and emphasizes the way stories told about rural America are a source for the bitter divide between Red America and Blue America.”