We're delighted to announce the finalists and the grand prize winner of our 2nd Annual Poetry Contest, selected by Louisiana Poet Laureate Julie Kane! From more than 350 funny, sad, and above-all, thought-provoking submissions, we've narrowed it down to these ten. These poets have all earned a 2012 Festival panel pass, which admits them to more than two dozen events.

The top ten finalists (in alphabetical order) are:

• Christopher Hannan (Louisiana): The Nephilim
• Sue Howell (Illinois): Plate Tectonics
• Whitney Mackman (Louisiana): Change on the Horizon
• Sarah Kortemeier (Arizona): [ganbatte]
• Sara Parrell (Wisconsin): Psalms of New Orleans
• Laura Richardson (Florida): Landscape with Blue
• Henry I. Schvey (Missouri): Burial at Calvary and Other Poems
• Tara Skurtu (Massachusetts): Confinement
• Lucy Tiven (Tennessee): Welcome Back
• Stefanie Wortman (Missouri): Nostrum

And the winning entry is:

	Poetry Contest Winner Christopher Hannan (He's the one wearing the cap ...)

Christopher Hannan: The Nephilim

Congratulations to Christopher and to all of our finalists!

Christopher's poems will appear in the March issue of Louisiana Cultural Vistas. Visit www.leh.org for more info on the magazine. He will also receive $1,000, a VIP All Access Pass for the 26th annual Festival, and a public reading at the 2012 Festival.

We'd like thank all the poets who submitted work for consideration. We hope you will continue writing and look forward to reading your future work!

	Peggy Scott Laborde

Calling all nostalgic foodies!

Join Peggy Scott Laborde and Tom Fitzmorris as they discuss Lost Restaurants of Orleans at the final Coffee and Conversation session of the season at 7 p.m., Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at the Jefferson Parish Library.

The book takes a nostalgic look at eateries from Café de Réfugiés, the city's first eatery that later became Antoine's, to Gluck’s, the French Quarter restaurant where Tennessee Williams worked as a waiter. Period photographs and favorite recipes provide a sensory feast of New Orleans’ famous, and old-time culinary scene.

We chatted with Peggy Scott Laborde for a taste of what’s to come.

What inspired you to write Lost Restaurants of New Orleans?

More than a decade ago, I produced a WYES-TV documentary called Lost Restaurants of New Orleans. The program covered 37 restaurants, but in collaboration with longtime restaurant reviewer and publisher of New Orleans Menu Tom Fitzmorris we expanded to 122. His almost 40-year knowledge of local restaurants was invaluable.

	Ace Atkins
	Julie Kane
	Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts

Below are just some of the confirmed Festival panelists and presenters:

Literary Programming

• Ace Atkins, Pulitzer-nominated reporter and crime novelist (The Ranger, White Shadow)
• Amy Dickinson, memoirist, syndicated advice columnist, and wit on NPR’s "Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me"
• Nigel Hamilton, award-winning biographer of American presidents (JFK: Reckless Youth, American Caesars: Franklin D. Roosevelt to George W. Bush
• Amy Hempel, master of minimalist short fiction and judge of our ongoing Fiction Contest
• Julie Kane, Louisiana poet laureate and judge of our poetry contest
• Zachary Lazar, author of the novel Sway, and haunting non-fiction work on his father’s murder Evening’s Empire
• Laura Lippman, creator of the Tess Monaghan mystery series, and “one of the best novelists around, period,” according to The Washington Post
• Victor Navasky, legendary journalist, former editor, and current publisher emeritus of The Nation
• Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts, author of Harlem is Nowhere, a non-fiction exploration of the historic, African-American neighborhood
• Nick Spitzer, folklorist and producer/host of American Routes, the syndicated radio show on music and cultures of the Gulf South
• David Henry Sterry, performer, educator, activist, and author of Chicken: Self-Portrait of a Young Man for Rent, a memoir of his life as a teenage hustler in 1970s Hollywood
• Jesmyn Ward, author of the critically-acclaimed Salvage the Bones, a novel which follows a Mississippi Gulf Coast family on the eve of Hurricane Katrina

Theater

• John Biguenet’s new play, Broomstick, in which a witch confesses all — her first love affair, how she discovered her powers, and how she has used them all. This staged reading features Cristine McMurdo-Wallis.
• John Guare, playwright (Six Degrees of Separation, The House of Blue Leaves), discusses his latest work, the 2011 Pulitzer finalist A Free Man of Color — a grand, rollicking romp through the history of New Orleans and America
• Piper Laurie, Oscar-nominated stage and screen luminary (The Hustler, Carrie, and Children of a Lesser God), star of the 1965 Broadway revival of William’s The Glass Menagerie, and author of memoir Learning to Live Out Loud
• A screening of The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, a 2009 film directed by Jodie Markell based on a 1957 Tennessee Williams original screenplay. Markell will be in attendance to discuss the making of the film.
• Win Riley’s Walker Percy: A Documentary Film, narrates Percy’s story with archival film, excerpts from Percy’s work, and interviews with family, friends, and scholars.
• A multimedia, theatrical adaptation of Tom Sancton’s childhood memoir Song for My Fathers: A New Orleans Story in Black and White, featuring Sancton on clarinet and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
• Southern Rep Theatre presents a full production of Williams' classic, A Streetcar Named Desire, as part of our Festival weekend. Directed by Jason Kirkpatrick, and featuring Mike Harkins, Aimee Hayes, Ashley Ricord, and Michael Aaron Santos.
  

Additional Highlights

• Master classes featuring sessions with authors, agents, and editors who share literary tips, techniques, and current industry trends. The 2012 line-up includes interactive discussions on e-publishing, social media, and what to expect from an agent along with sessions on writing memoirs, children’s books, and biographies.
• Panel discussions on topics that include: New Orleans’ Free People of Color; Books Everyone Should Read; Listen Up: The Voices of NPR; and The Courage to Write: Remembering the Blacklist.
• Pitch a book in one minute for a chance to win representation by literary agents Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry during Pitch-a-Palooza.
• A Breakfast Book Club group discussion of Tennessee Williams' collection of short stories, Tales of Desire, over a light breakfast of coffee and pastries. Facilitated by Gary Richards.
• Readings featuring the winning entries from our one-act play, short fiction, and poetry contests.
• The Festival’s riotous closing ceremony, the Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest, a playful homage to the bellowing mates in A Streetcar Named Desire.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 2011
» Download the Press Release (PDF)
» Download the Press Release (DOC)

“We are still in the midst of Tennessee Williams’ Centennial year, which we celebrated on his actual birthday, March 26, during a record-breaking Festival,” said Executive Director Paul Willis. “It’s easy to keep the momentum going as we map out our 2012 program.”

Already on tap to share their diverse talents at myriad events are illustrious participants:

Piper Laurie, stage and screen luminary who played Laura Wingfield in the 1965 Broadway revival of William’s iconic play The Glass Menagerie; was an Academy Award nominee for her roles in The Hustler, Carrie and Children of a Lesser God; and who now adds author to her list of accomplishments with her new memoir Learning to Live Out Loud;

John Guare, 2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist for his play A Free Man of Color and author of Six Degrees of Separation, The House of Blue Leaves and many other celebrated works;

Nigel Hamilton, award-winning biographer known for his work JFK: Reckless Youth, which was made into an ABC mini-series;

Victor Navasky, former editor and current publisher emeritus of The Nation, whose 1980 book Naming Names is considered a definitive take on the Hollywood blacklist;

Laura Lippman, masterful and prolific mystery writer, whom The Washington Post dubbed “one of the best novelists around, period”;

Amy Dickinson, syndicated advice columnist and author of The New York Times bestselling memoir The Mighty Queens of Freeville, who delighted audiences at the 2011 Festival;

Amy Hempel (Collected Stories) and Julie Kane, Louisiana’s 2012 poet laureate, who will judge the Festival’s annual short fiction and poetry contests, respectively;

Ace Atkins, mystery writer and former crime reporter, who was recently deemed the new author for the continued installments of the late Robert B. Parker’s famed Spenser series;

Nick Spitzer, folklorist and producer/host of American Routes, a syndicated radio program specializing in music and cultures of the Gulf South: and

Jesmyn Ward, whose Salvage the Bones won the 2011 National Book Award for fiction.

Literary highlights comprise more than two dozen literary panel discussions on topics ranging from the political oppression of the 1950s and the ensuing Hollywood blacklist to New Orleans Free People of Color; from crafting memoirs to penning presidential biographies; from writing the American city in fact and fiction to writing for the radio. Win Riley’s documentary on celebrated Southern writer Walker Percy will also captivate.

The Festival’s eight lively Master Classes feature sessions with authors, agents and editors who share literary tips, techniques, and current industry trends with aspiring writers and interested bibliophiles. The 2012 line-up includes interactive discussions on e-publishing; social media; what to expect from an agent; along with sessions on writing memoirs, children’s books, and biography.

Williams-related programs include a full production of A Streetcar Named Desire; the Festival’s annual Scholars Conference; a screening of The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, a 2009 film directed by Jodie Markell and based on a rediscovered 1957 original screenplay written by Williams; and a video presentation by Williams biographer John DiLeo showing clips of actors that inspired Tennessee and films that shamelessly copied his work. The popular Breakfast Book Club will focus on Tales of Desire, Williams’ collection of short stories and an evening special event will feature celebrity readings and tributes to the Festival’s namesake.

Other program highlights include a multimedia, theatrical adaptation of Tom Sancton’s award winning childhood memoir SONG FOR MY FATHERS: A New Orleans Story in Black and White, featuring Sancton on clarinet and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The multi-talented Sancton who also worked for TIME magazine for 22 years, has been a regular Festival participant since returning to his native New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

A staged reading of award-winning author/playwright John Biguenet’s new work Broomstick is scheduled. In addition, the University of New Orleans will mount a production of Justin Kuritzkes’ An Autobiography about My Brother, the Festival’s 2011 One-Act Play Competition winner; the 2012 prize-winner will receive a staged reading.

Festival-goers won’t want to miss the Festival’s riotous closing ceremony, the Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest, a playful homage to the bellowing mates in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Most of the events take place in New Orleans' historic French Quarter. Sites hosting events include Hotel Monteleone, the Festival’s host hotel, which has garnered a rich literary history throughout its 125 years; The Historic New Orleans Collection; Williams Research Center; Southern Rep Theatre; Muriel's Jackson Square; the Palm Court Jazz Café; the Windsor Court Hotel; Café Istanbul/New Orleans Healing Center, and others to be determined.

A Festival Panel Pass is $75 ($60 for students); a One-Day Pass is $30; theater/special events range from $5-$100; master classes are $25; the Scholars Conference is $20; walking tours are $25. Group rates on request. Group rates are 20% off for groups of five or more.

For more information, call 504-581-1144. For ticket purchase, regular updates and information on how to become a “Friend of Tennessee,” visit www.tennesseewilliams.net.

Major funding for the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival [TW/NOLF] is made possible through a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Festival is also supported in part by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council. Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, a Federal agency. In addition, the program is supported in part by a Community Arts Grant made possible by the City of New Orleans as administered by the Arts Council of New Orleans. The TW/NOLF is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts through an Access to Artistic Excellence literature grant.

Images available on request.

Media Contact: Ellen Johnson

504.283.3227 / ejjester@aol.com www.tennesseewilliams.net

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Our Coffee and Conversation series kicks off this October at the Jefferson Parish Library. This season includes local author interviews, book signings of their latest releases, Q&A sessions, and complimentary coffee.

All events are free and open to the public. They are held from 7:00-8:30 p.m. and take place in the meeting rooms of the East Bank Regional Library at 4747 W. Napoleon Ave. in Metairie.

		Wednesday, October 12, 2011 The series will debut with author Patricia Brady, who will discuss her new work, A Being So Gentle: The Frontier Love Story of Rachel and Andrew Jackson. Join Brady, who has also written a biography of Martha Washington, for an illuminating conversation about the founding couple’s controversial — and ultimately, tragic — 40-year love affair amid the tumult of the American Revolution.
		Wednesday, October 26, 2011 If you want to know where New Orleans’ music scene is at, Times-Picayune music scribe Keith Spera is the man you need to read — and hear at our second C&C evening. Spera will discuss his extensive reporting on the post-Katrina journeys of the city’s musical stalwarts, Aaron Neville, Fats Domino, Terence Blanchard, and others for his new book, Groove Interrupted: Loss, Renewal and the Music of New Orleans. Trumpeter Jeremy Davenport will provide the evening’s soundtrack with a special performance.
		Tuesday, November 8, 2011 John Travis, editor of Something in the Water: Louisiana Stories, will discuss the new short fiction anthology with contributors Dale Edmonds, Celeste Berteau Stover, and Christopher Chambers. The collection consists of 20 original stories exploring and celebrating life in the Bayou State.
		Tuesday, November 29, 2011 Calling all nostalgic foodies! Join Peggy Scott Laborde and Tom Fitzmorris as they present their culinary journey into the past, Lost Restaurants of Orleans. The book revisits much-loved but now shuttered eateries such as Buck Forty-Nine Pancake and Steak House, Chez Helene, and T. Puttari's with photographs from the restaurants’ heydays. More than 40 recipes are included for home cooks who want to recreate signature dishes from these classic establishments. Since this C&C is all about food, we expect an especially spirited discussion!

Coffee and Conversation is produced by the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival in conjunction with the Jefferson Parish Library and is sponsored by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Books by participating authors are made available by the Friends of the Library Association and are for sale during the programs.

We look forward to seeing you in the audience!

The 2nd annual Poetry Contest closed on August 18, 2011.

Our yearly quest for the next great literary talents is well underway. Aspiring writers from around the world inundated our mailbox — and inbox — with balladry, haikus, and rhythmic compositions. The top ten finalists and the grand prize winner will be announced by January 16, 2012. In the meantime, careful deliberation!

Miss the Poetry Contest deadline, but still aching to share your work (and win amazing prizes)? There’s still time to enter our Fiction and One-Act Play contests.

Thanks for entering and stay tuned.