Louisiana Book Festival Recap

The photos I took during the festival all bore a patina of ennui which is in direct contrast to the event - as action packed as a literary event should be. Both the discussion panels I served on were well-attended despite the fourteen other ones happening at the same time. Lots of great conversations with editors and writers and cards were exchanged and ideas were sprouted and opportunities revealed at a rate quicker than I could gather. I sold a couple books, enough to cover the ones I bought.

Really I want to write a new book every year if for no other reason that to weasel an invite to the authors party where, between stuffed mushrooms, I observed that William Joyce looks like a character from one of his own children's stories, heard a great story about being an exterminator and talked the relative merits of modern blues records with some new friends, all without dribbling gourmet gumbo on myself or the computers in the state library. I do plan on one day patenting my idea of an hors d'oeuvre plate with a pistol grip underneath and a notch to hold your wine glass, so none of you mf's to whom I told this idea better steal it.

Thanks to Jim Davis and Robert Wilson for organizing such a great event, my wife for supporting this writing habit, Marc and Carol Ann from Oxford American and the Fox-Smiths from Country Roads for making me feel like a big shot, Scott for doing the blogging panel with me, Ian for letting me lay the splendor of Teddy's Juke Joint on him, and Baton Rouge for being cool enough to maintain this thing.