WORDS & MUSIC 2010!
2009's Words & Music: A Literary Feast in New Orleans was all about "A Walk on the Noir Side of Literature and Life." We'll be slowly posting new information on 2010's event, including NEW pricing, schedules and more, as themes, events and faculty are negotiated and confirmed.
Meanwhile, to get an idea of what you can expect in the way of presenters, take a look at the all-star lineup for Words & Music,2009. Click on: FACULTY!
Among the 2010 faculty stars were international bestselling fiction writer Dennis Lehane and noted mystery author, editor, and publisher Otto Penzler during "A Conversation With Dennis Lehane and Otto Penzler" saluting The Maltese Falcon BIG READ project of the Faulkner Society. Lehane, Penzler and other mystery authors discussed Dashiell Hammett's classic noir novel and how his pioneering work paved the way for contemporary authors of noir fiction. Lehane's blockbuster novel Mystic River was made into a box office hit film by the same name. His novel Shutter Island, also a hit, has been made into new film by the same name by Martin Scorcese, to be in theatres everywhere on February 19th. During his appearances at Words & Music, Lehane described Scorcese's adaptation of his novel as nothing short of "brilliant." Lehane said, "I'm not tooting my own horn. I sold the rights to Scorcese and then stood back in awe of his power to remain faithful to the story while creating something entirely and brilliantly original for the big screen."
Otto Penzler, left, interviews Dennis Lehane during Words & Music, 2010
Otto Penzler's new anthologies are The Vampire Archives, Vintage, The Best American Mystery Stories, 2009, Houghton Mifflin, and The Lineup, Little, Brown. Lehane's most recent book, The Given Day, is being touted by major reviewers as the new "Great American novel." You can order their books with a credit card by calling Faulkner House Books, (504) 524-2940 or by emailing faulkhouse@aol.com. Paid Faulkner Society members receive a 10 per cent discunt on all books purchased through Faulkner House Books, owned by Faulkner Society co-founder Joseph DeSalvo.
Joe and I went on a Dennis Lehane reading orgy over the holidays, re-reading books of his we'd already read and reading those we had not read. If you have not discovered this talented man's work, don't waste anymore time. I am starting on Otto's new anthologies now!
—Rosemary James, Co-Founder, Faulkner Society and Words & Music.
Otto Penzler and Dennis Lehane were asked to tell us why they read...and both are voracious readers. Here is what they said:
I read because I can't physically be everywhere in the world, nor can I meet and come to know every interesting person on the planet. Books by good writers immerse me in new cities, new fields of specialization and expertise, and always with brilliant, fascinating and talented characters. The world opens to those fortunate enough to be able to read. If you need more reason than that to read, you must be very content in a dull, shallow and repetitive life.
—Otto Penzler
I read to travel--time travel, country travel, consciousness travel. This year, I've been to Iraq & Afghanistan (The Forever War), the dust bowl during the Depression (The Worst Hard Time), Sweden in the 1970s (The Terrorists), and North Carolina, again during the Depression (Serena.) So I've gotten around, met some people, lived some lives. And I didn't have to pay for checked baggage. A great book is dangerous--it makes everything else in your life vanish.
—Dennis Lehane
A perennial star of Words & Music, Roy Blount, Jr., took part in two of the festival's BIG READ events—The Tall Tales Competition, Wanted: Sam Spade Dead or Alive, and The Light Side of Noir: Dark Humor. He is shown below leading the Tall Tales Competition and, like Penzler and Lehane, he gives us his insight into why he reads.
Roy, whose new book is Alphabet Juice, has had 21 books published, including If Only You Knew How Much I Smell You: True Portraits of Dogs and Be Sweet, a memoir. And he has another in the hopper ready for publication this year. Recent books include two collections of essays, Feet on the Street: Rambles Around New Orleans and Long Time Leaving: Dispatches from Up South. Blount wrote the epilogue for the recent collection of essays, My New Orleans: Ballads to the Big Easy by her Sons, Daughters, and Lovers.
I read because I like it. I get kicks from reading. If reading were bad for me, I would read. If reading were illegal, I would read. If the only way to get at any reading material were to lift one end of a big concrete slab up off it and hold the slab there with my hip while I was reading, I would read. And reading isn't bad for me, it isn't illegal, and it doesn't require heavy lifting. What a deal!
—Roy Blount, Jr.
All of the very best and most successsful writers read a lot. Here's a tip. If you are trying to improve your writing and sense you are not getting anywhere,
try reading more!
Words and Music, 2009 featured diverse musical presentations and other special events.
The 20th annual meeting of The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, preceding Faulkner for All, on November 21 featured a joint venture with the New Orleans Opera Association in celebration of the first national Opera Week, November 13-22.
Celebrating Opera in New Orleans, America's First City of Opera
Opera has become such a vital part of the American musical fabric that over 90 companies and organizations nationwide participated in the celebration of the first ever National Opera Week. This celebration was a natural for the Faulkner Society and, of course, Words & Music, as opera is all about telling stories with words and music. In concert with the New Orleans Opera Association, the Faulkner Society presented a mini performance of noir passages from opera, including Roméo et Juliette as the opening entertainment. The cocktail hour performance was staged in the Queen Anne Ballroom of our famous Hotel Monteleone, which was celebrating its tenth year as the city's only hotel designated as a national literary landmark. The performers were singers of the LSU Opera and actors of Tulane's Shakespeare Festival. The Faulkner Society and the New Orleans Opera Association plan to collaborate for Opera Week again this year.
Cabinet of Wonders
An exciting new event in 2009 was a special performance of
Wes and Eugene's Cabinet of Wonders, featuring accomplished writers, Wesley Stace, right, Eugene Mirman, Laura Lippman, Laurie Lindeen, Rick Moody, and Tom Piazza, who also are all first class musicians. The performance took place during Faulkner for All. Readings, humor, and music focused on the mysteries of literature and life. Appearing with them was Soul Asylum Star Dave Pirner, the internationally popular drummer, singer, recording star, and songwriter.
Dave Pirner, Co-Creator of the famous rock group Soul Asylum, appeared at Words & Music, 2009
WORDS & MUSIC SPECIAL EVENTS
Each year, the Faulkner Society zeroes in on topics of special interest to the general public related to faith and philosophy, the media, or issues critical to the general welfare of people everywhere. This year, our final Literature & Lunch session on Sunday, November 22 was devoted to understanding GREEN and what this color means to the future of our planet. The issues of global warming and saving the planet were addressed within the framework of how writers and the media conceive them and communicate them to the general public. A special guest for this discussion, appearing at Words & Music for the first time was:
Ben Hirschman, 
Publisher of GOOD, the journal of the philanthropic foundation GOOD. The foundation has as its mission nothing less than saving the world by communicating GREEN issues and addressing them with ingenious solutions for the wise use of our resources. The program was introduced by well known New York literary agent and author Howard Yoon and featured free lance writer Claire Hoffman, who is a contributor to Rolling Stone and other magazines and teaches journalism at the University of California, Riverside.
For more on Words & Music, 2009 and the talented men and women who performed and discussed the mysteries of literature and life, check out the links below.
Conference Quick Links!
PROGRAM SCHEDULE | FACULTY: AUTHORS, EDITORS & AGENTS
SPECIAL EVENT PRICING | BOOK LIST | RESERVATION FORM
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION | TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATIONS INFO
NOTE: Faulkner finalists enjoy 50% discount off tuition! If you plan to attend this year's Words & Music, you MUST print a registration form and mail it to us with your fees. If you are a scholarship or competition WINNER, your basic tuition fee (including manuscript critique) is waived, but we must still have a registration form in our office ASAP so we have a clear idea of how many will be attending. This event IS expected to sell-out!
Faculty Sneak Peek
Click on FACULTY to see bios and photos of the new authors, agents and editors who will be joining us this year!
Dates & Details
Confirmed Dates for Words & Music, 2010 are November 18-21.To get an idea of the type of programming you can exect, take a look at 2009's schedule (we'll post the 2010 schedule of events as soon as possible). CLICK HERE. The programming for 2010 will have a comparable mix of sessions designed especially for writers and sessions for
the general reading public.
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—was a co-sponsor of Words & Music, 2009 and is always among important venues for the festival, with a special conference rate.
Come to The Big Easy and Find
Your Literary Voice...
Like Faulkner and Hemingway and Other Famous Writers Have!
Words & Music: A Literary Feast in New Orleans is the result of our American dream. It includes sessions for writers conducted by literary masters, who also hold forth on timely theme material of interest to the general reading public. Words & Music is a feast for the ears, the eyes, the soul with its examination of fiction, non fiction, and new phenomena within the literary and communications arena and its photographic art exhibitions, film sessions, drama, poetry readings at the cocktail hour, great music, dancing, and the renowned cuisine of New Orleans. For a guide to the Big Easy CLICK HERE!
2009 Pricing
In addition to the discussion events of Words & Music you may also choose from a variety of luncheon and evening events, all of which feature music, food and wine. We have package prices if you want to take in all of the events of Words & Music. Submit your credit card reservations by fax, phone, or mail. Check and money orders also accepted by mail. For more info on conference pricing, CLICK HERE. To print your easy reservation form: CLICK HERE
Scholarships
A limited number of scholarships are available for Louisiana high school and college students and older writers currently in a creative writing program.To print your scholarship application, CLICK HEREIMPORTANT! NEW Manuscript Critique Guidelines
If you wish to submit work for critiques by an agent and editor, please note that the rules have changed! This year we are requiring that everything be submitted electronically, with one hard copy of all documents MAILED TO OUR OFFICE. Review the guidelines below and then submit the required documents in a single attachment; contact sheet first, then synopsis if applicable, then writing example:
1. Write a cover letter in the body of your email to Words & Music stating that you are attending the conference and wish to have manuscript critiques and consultations. You may name the editor and agent you wish to speak with, but please note, these are on a first-come first-served basis. (This will be the first page of your mailed copy.)
2. With the email letter you will need to include the following as a single attachment in MS Word or RTF document: (Regardless of Category, one copy of entire submission).
A. For Novel, novella, or novel in progress, memoir, history, biography: Contact sheet (your name and all contact info, name of work, type of work, word count); synopsis (not more than one page) and the first few chapters but not more than 50 pages or 12,000 words, double spaced, one inch margins.
B. For Short Story, Essay, Journalistic Feature (such as travel writing), or Criticism: Contact sheet, and entire manuscript.
C. For Poetry: Contact sheet, and selection of three poems.
3. All submissions must be in our hands not later than October 1, 2009, drop dead deadline. Send your electronic submission to: info@wordsandmusic.org and put "Manuscript Critiques" in your message header and your cover letter in the body of the email. Or, if you have problems with the web site, use Faulkhouse@aol.com as a fallback e-mail address. In the subject box of any manuscripts sent this way, put "Manuscript Critiques." For the hard copy, mail your cover letter and all applicable documents to: Manuscript Critiques, Faulkner Society, 624 Pirate's Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116
4. You must register with tuition fee before or simultaneously with this electronic submission. Only competition finalists, winners, and Louisiana writers approved for scholarship participation may submit for manuscript critiques without paying a tuition fee. See Pricing for details.
When you come to the conference, bring several hard copies of your submission, in case you meet agents other than those to whom you are assigned and would like to request that they review your work. Also bring several copies of complete manuscripts being critiqued in the event the editor or agent wants to see the entire work. Agents are very relaxed about looking at submissions not assigned to them, as a rule, and are willing to be approached, as, of course, they all hope to sign new clients from the conference.
Please do not hesitate to e-mail us at info@wordsandmusic.org with any questions. Fall back e-mail, Faulkhouse@aol.com.
History of Words & Music
The Society created Words & Music in honor of the 100th birthday of its namesake, Nobel Laureate William Faulkner. For an inside look at the event's exciting history, CLICK HERE!
| Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society 624 Pirate’s Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116 phone: (504) 586-1609 or (504) 525-5615 fax: (504) 522-9725 info@wordsandmusic.org |
||