WELCOME
TO:
FAULKNER HOUSE
624 Pirate's Alley in New Orleans, where Nobel Laureate
William Faulkner lived in 1925 while writing his first novel, Soldiers' Pay. Photo by Josephine Sacabo. The Faulkner House has been declared
a nional literary landmark since its renovation by owners Joseph
J. DeSalvo, Jr. and Rosemary James, Co-founders with W. Kenneth
Holditch of The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, Inc. For more
information on Faulkner in New Orleans, highlight: Faulkner.
THE
PIRATE'S ALLEY FAULKNER SOCIETY, INC.
The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society is a nationally recognized
non-profit arts organization sponsoring the renowned
Words & Music arts festival;
a prestigious writing competition; a literary journal; outreach
programs for high school and college students; continuing education
programming; and a year-round calendar of Meet
the Author and other events honoring and assisting
writers. The Society is an all volunteer organization operated
by professional men and women who love literature. It is recognized
by the Internal Revenue Service as a (501) (c) (3) literary and education institution and all contributions are tax
deductible. For membership details, click here on Membership.
The primary mission of the Faulkner Society is two-fold:
--To provide realistic assistance and continuing education
for writers of all ages in improving their work, getting manuscripts
published, and helping in the promotion of debut works by writers
we work with in our programs;
--To provide high quality literary programming combined with
the unique cuisine and music of
New Orleans for the general public of our region and our visitors.
Secondary goals are to help preserve the storytelling heritage
of the region and call positive national attention to New Orleans
as an intellectually and culturally stimulating destination.
For additional background on the Society, its founders, and mission,
click here on pirate.
Projects of the Faulkner Society are fully described in
various sections of this web site. The details for each project
may be reached by highlighting the multi-word titles such as Words & Music as well as clicking on blue, underlined
words, such as guidelines.
Events You Won't Want to Miss...
Save the Dates
April 15, 2008: Meet the Authors: Allan Gurganus & James Nolan
May 1, 2008: Postmark Deadline for Entries, Faulkner - Wisdom Competition
June 13, 2008: Juleps in June
June 29, 2008: My New Orleans Loves Good Girls and Bad Girls, featuring authors Nicole Kelby and Pamela Lott, both of whom have been finalists in the William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition and are now having their books published.
September 25, 2008: Happy Birthday, Mr. Faulkner!
November 20-24: Words & Music, A Literary Feast in New Orleans
Allan Gurganus, bestselling author of The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, will speak at Meet the Author on April 15, 2008. Gurganus, considered one of the very best of contemporary American writers, is also one of the wittiest men in America.
Originally scheduled for The Cabildo, because of staffing difficulties, the Louisiana State Museum cannot accommodate us. However, Monsignor Crosby Kern, Rector of St. Louis Cathdral, has kindly offered to co-sponsor this event at Our Lady of Victory Church on Chartres St. adjacent to the Ursuline Convent, 6 to 8:30 p.m. Normally our events begin with a social hour. For this venue, the program of speakers will begin at 6 p. m., followed by a signing reception in the Ursuline Convent Garden. (In the event of inclement weather, the reception will be in the church hall.) Gurganus will be introduced at 7:30 p. m. by Faulkner Society patron Michael Sartisky, CEO of The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Sartisky and Gurganus were at Sarah Lawrence together during their college days, along with Stephanie Durant, film maven and longtime supporter of The Faulkner Society. The author will speak and read from his work beginning at 7:45, followed by questions and answers. The event is open to the public. Reservations are required. To reserve, e-mail us at Faulkhouse@aol.com. Copies of his various books will be available at the event and Gurganus will sign.
A regular feature of the Faulkner Society's programming designed to provide both support for writers and literary programming for the general public is its annual calendar of Meet the Author signing parties featuring readings by such important authors as Allan Gurganus, whose blockbuster novel The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All sold more than two million copies and was adapted as a film. To learn more about the author and his work, click here on Gurganus.
Joining Gurganus on April 15th will be James Nolan, a member of the Faulkner Society, frequent contributor to The Double Dealer, and regular member of the faculty of Words & Music. His first book of fiction, Perpetual Care, will be published on April 1 and this event will be his first formal signing for the book. Tom Franklin, author of Hell at the Breech and Smonk, says he expects to hear a lot more about Nolan's fiction in the future and describes this debut collection of short stories like this:
"These are big stories, not afraid to venture into ruined cities and ruined hearts, stories where jazz music plays from crypts, stories bold to tackle big themes with perfect detail."
For more on Jimmy and Perpetual Care and his noir sense of humor, click here on: Nolan.html.
JULEPS IN JUNE, 2008
The side garden of the Strachan family's magnificent Greek Revival mansion at 1134 First Street
Juleps in June, 2008, will take place on Friday, June 13, beginning at 7:00 p. m. at the historic Jefferson Davis house at 1134 First Street, corner of Camp Street. The house, which has been the residence of the Strachan family for generations, was the New Orleans residence of the President of the Confederacy after the Civil War. Today, it is the residence of Patricia Strachan, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Frank Strachan. Ms. Strachan will be an Honorary Chair for Juleps in June, 08. This historic landmark is a magnificent example of Greek Revival architecture and contains some of the finest examples of plaster work in the South. For more on the Strachan mansion and gardens and your reservations form, click here on Juleps, 08. We urge you to make your reservations early as the number of guests will be limited by the owner.
The Greek Revival Tea House at the Strachan Residence
THE
WILLIAM FAULKNER - WILLIAM WISDOM
CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION
William Faulkner
William
B. Wisdom
A national competition open to all writing in English; for previously unpublished work, entries are accepted in seven categories: Novel, Novella, Novel-in-Progress, Short Story, Essay, Poetry, and Short Story by a High School Student. For details and rules, click here on guidelines. For entry form, click here on Form.
The 2007 Competition Closed on May 1, 2007.
The judging for all categories is now complete. Winners will be formally presented at the annual meeting of the Faulkner Society and gala, November 17, 2007, during Words & Music, a Literary Feast in New Orleans. Their work will be published in a special on-line editition of The Double Dealer, which will appear in December.
The 2008 Competition opened on January 15. The Postmark Deadline for
2008 is May 1, 2008.
SUCCESS STORIES
An important part of the Faulkner Society's mission is helping talented writers get their work published...and we've done it again. The 2007 Novella category of the competition was judged by Society member and well known literary agent Michael Murphy, who selected Peter Neofotis as the winner for his manuscript Concord, Virginia. Michael signed Peter as a client at
Words & Music, 2007 in November. He had Peter rework the manuscript as a novel and Michale sold the book in February, 2008 to St. Martin's Press. Peter, who also is an actor, has been doing monologues from the book in off Broadway venues in Manhattan to rave reviews. He is shown performing above. Congratulations, Michael and Peter. We will be posting an excerpt from the book shortly in a new on-line version of The Double Dealer.
For more about the Faulkner Society's success stories, click here on
Perfect Words. We received a message from Michael recently containing the text of an interview with him which contains some great advice for writers. To read, click here on: Murphy Interview. For more on Michael Murphy, visit his company web site, www.maxliterary.org.
Bibi Gaston, a recent finalist in the Faulkner-Wisdom Competition has sold her book, The Lovliest Woman in America,
a memoir of Bibi's grandmother Rosamond, shown above, based on Rosamond's diaries and letters. It will be published by
William Morrow, an imprint now of Harper-Collin Publishers, in June. We hope to feature Bibi and her fascinating book later this year at a Faulkner Society event. For more on the book, click here on Loveliest Woman .
WORDS
& MUSIC:
A LITERARY FEAST IN NEW ORLEANS
Confirmed Dates for Words & Music, 2008 are November 20-23. The 2008 theme is The American Dream, reflecting the current national debate on the validity of The American Dream today and who can buy into it. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald will bea focal point of theme discussions and the keynote speech, The Literature of The American Dream. will be delivered by the world's leading authority on Fitzgerald and his contemporaries, Dr. Matthew Bruccoli, who has written the definitive works on the author. Other important appearances will include American entrepreneur Ted Turner, who has revolutionized broadcast news and other aspects of communication and who is the contemporary embodiment of the American Dream. For additional information on Words & Music, 08, scroll down and click on various sections of the web site highlighted below.
The Hotel Monteleone, a National Literary Landmark and the favorite inn for generations of writers, including William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tennessee Williams, and Richard Ford, is a co-sponsor of Words & Music, 2008 and is among important venues for the festival.
The Society currently is finalizing venues for 2008's festival events. We will be posting more information about our exciting plans for Words & Music shortly.
For general information about Words & Music, 2008, click here on Words.
For general background on the conference and New Orleans, click on WordsandMusic and PerfectWords.
For 2008 pricing, click here on Pricing.
For 2008 Schedule of events, click here on Schedule. (Note: not yet available but will be comparable to 2007 in types and numbers of events.)
For faculty information, click here on Faculty. (Note: not yet available but will be comparable to 2007 in numbers and category of faculty authors, peformers, editors, and agents.)
For application, click here on Application.
For special event reservations, click here on Reservations.
For information about manuscript submissions, click here on Info for Writers.
Ancillary Event
Friday, November 21, 2008 at 1 p. m. at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Riverfront
2008 Annual Master Class for High School Students and Their Teachers
Featured speaker will be Dr. Matthew Bruccoli, the leading auhority on F. Scott Fitzgerald, who explore the relevance of Fitzgerald's work in contemporary life and Why The Great Gatsby is the Perfect American Novel.
The 2007 Master Class for High School Students was sponsored by Judith "Jude" Swenson in memory of her late husband, James Warren Swenson. Mr. Swenson was a generous philanthropist and successful businessman, who was Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Louisiana General Services, Inc.—with its largest subsidiary, Louisiana Gas Service Company, serving much of Louisiana. Louisiana General Services, Inc. also encompassed ten various additional subsidiaries throughout Louisiana, Florida, and Minnesota. He was Professor of Finance at the University of New Orleans and the Tulane University MBA Program. A gifted teacher, he read history voraciously and was an astute chronicler of his own time and life. A master of wit and wisdom, he valued teaching as the most precious and meaningful gift to give. Ms. Swenson also sponsored sessions of Words & Music in memory of Mr. Swenson.
MY NEW ORLEANS IS...
My New Orleans is the name of a new series sponsored by the
Faulkner Society, designed like the anthology My New Orleans to highlight the various aspects of
the special persona of our city. Each event, zeroes
in on a facet of the city's unique character. For more information
about the series, including information about the last three
events of the year and previous events, click here on: MyNewOrleans. Co-presenter of the series is The Louisiana State Museum, David Kahn Director.
Among recent programs in the series was My New Orleans is Her Afro-American Heritage, a February 28th event celebrating Black History Month, which attracted more than 300 people for a screening of the new documentary, Faubourg Treme by Dawn Logsdon, producer and director, Lucy Faulknor, producer, and Lolis Elie, screenwriter and narrator. As a result of the high level of interest, the Society screened the film twice, once at 6 p. m. and once at 7:15 p. m.
All events of the My New Orleans series are open to the public.
Reservations are requested, as the venue is limited and for purposes of planning food and beverages. Reservations may be made by e-mail: Faulkhouse@aol.com. For information about previous and future events, click here on:
My New Orleans.
Many authors appearing at events of the My New Orleans series were among contributors to the anthology My New Orleans: Ballads to the Big Easy by her Sons, Daughters, and Lovers. To order a copy, e-mail us or call Faulkner House Books,
(504) 524-2940.
Edited by Rosemary James and published by Simon & Schuster/Touchstone, these love letters to New Orleans benefit the Faulkner Society. For an order blank and more information about the author and book, click here on: Ballads.
LIVE music for the My New Orleans series is supported by a grant from the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic, co-founded in 1998 by the clinic's director, Bethany Bultman and her husband, Johann Bultman. Generous funding is provided to the New Orleans Music Clinic by Jazz Aspen (www.wwoz.org/clinic). The music clinic offers health services to New Orleans musicians as well as assistance in finding paying gigs. One of the goals of the My New Orleans series is to provide additional gigs for New Orleans musicians struggling to remain in New Orleans now. For more information on the plight of our musicians, click here on NOMC. Help keep our music alive! Hire a musician today.
Another sponsor of live music for various Faulkner Society
events is The New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund.
The Hotel Monteleone, a principal venue of Faulkner Society projects, including Words & Music: A Literary Feast In New Orleans. It was William Faulkner's favorite hotel in
New Orleans and is a National Literary Landmark. Many authors
have used it as as setting in teir work, including Faulkner and
Tennessee Williams. The Arts Council of New Orleans regularly
underwrites programming of the Faulkner Society with Community Arts Grants and the Decentralized Arts Funding program. The Louisiana
State Museum regularly is a joint venture partner for literary events sponsored by the Faulkner Society in museum facilities. The Society also regularly presents programs in concert with The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, The Spanish and French Consuls, Louisiana State University's Creative Writing Program, Tulane University's Departments of English, Latin American Library, and Music, The Edgar Monroe Library of Loyola Uniersity, and New Orleans Center for Creative Writing, Riverfront.
THE
DOUBLE DEALER
The literary journal of the Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, The Double Dealer,
is published annually and traditionally initial release has been concurrent with Words & Music. The journal, established in 1993, is
created by high school and college interns working under the
supervision of adult writers in the Society. A group of unusually
talented creative writing interns were working with us on production
of the most recent edition. Their work and the work of other contributors
is found in the 2005-2006 double issue of The
Double Dealer issued in November, 2006. Memberships and private underwriting
help offset the cost of the journal.
The next edition of the journal will be published on line at this web site in early 2008. We anticipate issuing another double issue in print in November, 2008.
For more information, click
here on: Dealer.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR WRITERS
CALL FOR FICTION ENTRIES
Country Roads Magazine’s Seventh Annual Summer Fiction Issue will be published this June. If you would like a chance to have an original, unpublished work of fiction appear in Country Roads magazine, please submit it by Wednesday, April 30, 2008 for a chance at publication. To be eligible for consideration, all entries must be original, unpublished works of fiction, fewer than 2,500 words in length, and must be submitted by the author.Country Roads Magazine must receive your entry no later than Wednesday, April 30 by e-mail to: literature@countryroadsmag.com, or by mail to:
Country Roads Fiction Issue
728 France Street
Baton Rouge LA 70802.
THE PARIS WRITERS WORKSHOP
New Orleans author Carol Allen, a member of the Faulkner Society, founded the Paris Writers Workshop, reports that the workshop will be offered again this year. Details of how to participate and to compete for the Paris Writers Workshop Prize for Fiction, click here on Paris Writers.
THE WORDS AND MUSIC WRITERS ALLIANCE
Many New Orleans area writers have asked for information about a writers’ group, a regular monthly program for writers who want to discuss their work with other writers to get feedback, advice, morale boosts, and inspiration. Well, the Faulkner Society is by popular demand going to form such a group. New Orleans has a vibrant and talented new resident. Formerly of Miami, she is here because she wants to be part of dreaming a new New Orleans.
She is Amy Serrano, a Cuban-American, documentary film-maker, who both writes and produces her documentaries. She also is a poet. The Faulkner Society screened her highly provocative new documentary, The Sugar Babies (about child slavery in the sugar trade of the Caribbean) on November 16 during the Faulkner Society’s annual festival, Words & Music. The film, narrated by the award winning author Edwidge Danticat, was enthusiastically received at Words & Music and at previous screenings in Miami and Montreal and in Europe. Amy has joined the Faulkner Society’s Advisory Council and has organized under auspices of the Faulkner Society, The Words & Music Writers Alliance, a group of writers of all kinds, who are now meeting monthly. The first formal meeting took place as part of Words & Music on November 16, allowing writers and poets from out of town to participate. The Alliance is open to all types of writers: poets, essayists, historians, romance writers, Mystery writers, literary fiction writers, and songwriters, too. The concept is an exchange of work, ideas, readings, and music, to inspire each of the participating writers in their own work.
Writers interested in joining the alliance should contact Amy by e-mail. Her address is: AmySerrano5@aol.com.
OPPORTUNITY FOR COLLECTORS
Photographers Tom Neff and David Spielman Publish Katrina Books
Tom Neff, left, self portrait, and David Spielman by Tom Neff
Eyes of the Hurricane:
Hurricane Images and Stories By Two Photographers
SAME STORM...DIFFERENT VIEWS
These two talented Louisiana Photographers have documented the devastating Katrina and her aftermath, each from his unique perspective. The books—Holding Out and Hanging On by Neff and Katrinaville Chronicles by Spielman are collectors items. To add them to your Katrina collection, call Joanne Sealy at Faulkner House Books, (504) 524-2940. For more on their work, their new books, and the event, click here on Photographers.
THE KREWE OF LIBRIS: MOURNING MARTI
Thalia, the Original with Libris I and their admirers at the second annual meeting of the Krewe of Libris on St. Valentine's Day, 2007
The Pirate ’s Alley Faulker Society is mourning the loss of our beloved Marti Speights, who died February 22, 2008. Marti had been a member of the Society’s Advisory Council for five years and was the creator of the Society’s Rooms for Writers program. Marti and her husband, David Speights were the first honorary chairs of Juleps in June, the Society’s annual fundraiser, hosting the party in their beautiful Royal Street courtyard. Marti and David were also the first monarchs of the Society’s Krewe of Libris, Libris I and his muse, Thalia I. She was a loyal patron and volunteer of the Faulkner Society and many other important New Orleans organizations, including French Quarter Citizens and the Vieux Carre Property Owners and Associates.
We shall miss her style, her charm, her generosity, her vivacious and playful ways, her enjoyment of life and her bravery in the face of cancer. We extend our deepest sympathy to her husband David and to all members of her family and to her coterie of special friends. We know that her passing will leave a large hole in their lives, as in ours. Please join us in saying special prayers for Marti and her family.
—Rosemary James, Joseph DeSalvo,and Kenneth Holditch
Co-founders, Faulkner Society
—Anne Simms Pincus
Chairman, Faulkner Society
HOW TO CONTACT US
E-Mail: Faulkhouse@AOL.Com or WordsandMusicNO@AOL.com
Mail: 624 Pirate's Alley, New Orleans, La. 70116-3254
Phone: (504) 586-1609 or (504) 525-5615
Fax: (504) 522-9725
