There are a lot of moving parts with the 2016 Arkansas Literary Festival. Visit www.arkansasliteraryfestival.org for a complete schedule of events, but here are some more highlights. (All events are in Little Rock.)
MUST-CATCH PANELS
KATHRYN BUDIG
11:30 a.m. Saturday at Main Library Darragh Center
A contributing writer for Women's Health, Budig is the author of Aim True.
HARRISON SCOTT KEY
and CHRIS OFFUTT
2:30 p.m. Saturday at Main Library Darragh Center
Key writes about his upbringing in his amusing The World's Largest Man. And seriously, who doesn't want to read a memoir titled My Father, the Pornographer by Offutt, a Kentucky author?
ALEX MAR
4 p.m. Saturday at Cox Creative Center
Called a Notable Book of 2015 by The New York Times, Mar's Witches of America "surveys the history and modern practice of various forms of witchcraft in America."
RASHOD D. OLLISON
and ROB SPILLMAN
4 p.m. Saturday at Arkansas Studies Institute Room 124
Ollison is a Hot Springs native whose memoir is titled Soul Serenade: Rhythm, Blues & Coming of Age Through Vinyl. Spillman is editor of Tin House magazine; his memoir is All Tomorrow's Parties.
GARTH GREENWELL and KARAN MAHAJAN
5:30 p.m. Saturday at Main Library Darragh Center
Publishers Weekly calls Greenwell's debut novel What Belongs to You the "first great novel of 2016." "Wonderful," "brilliant," "unpredictable" and "ambitious" are some of the adjectives critics are using to praise Mahajan's newest novel, The Association of Small Bombs.
PETER GURALNICK
5:30 p.m. Saturday at Oxford American Annex
The legendary -- yes, legendary -- music writer's newest work is Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll. Guralnick also is the author of the stunning two-volume Elvis Presley biography Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love.
MUST-ATTEND EVENTS
A READERS' MAP OF ARKANSAS LAUNCH PARTY
6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Oxford American Annex
The Arkansas Literary Festival unofficially commences with a public unveiling of an updated and revised version of poet C.D. Wright's literary map of Arkansas. The map's creators will be in attendance along with featured authors reading favorite passages from Arkansas literature. Copies of the map (suitable for framing) will be on sale for $10.
TWILIGHT AT THE MANSION
5 p.m. Thursday at Governor's Mansion
Guests are invited to tour the gardens at the Governor's Mansion, enjoy wine and cheese, and meet Tom Wilhite, senior editor for The New Southern Living Garden Book. Tickets are $25 and available at lrgardenclubs.wordpress.com.
AUTHOR! AUTHOR!
7 p.m. Friday at Main Library
The festival's official cocktail reception opening for adults includes hors d'oeuvres, drinks and authors, along with books for sale. Tickets are $25 in advance and $40 at the door. Order tickets online at www.arkansasliteraryfestival.org.
POETRY POWERHOUSES
1 p.m. Saturday at Christ Episcopal Church
Poetry lovers, take notice of this panel featuring Pulitzer Prize winner Gregory Pardlo (for 2014's Digest) and National Book Award finalist Kevin Young.
-- Shea Stewart
Style on 04/10/2016