Home > The Book Page > Archives > 2007 > September > 03 > Entry
Did you go to Decatur Book Fest?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So who went to the Decatur Book Fest? Who did you see? Anybody really good? Any scandalous tales of drunken authors late at night at Twain’s?
I went both days, and thought it came off pretty great, even if I do get a paycheck from a sponsor. I heard unofficially that crowds ran more than 70,000 over the two days, and sometimes it seemed like all of them had just shown up at the venue I wanted to go to.
Friday night I got stuck in traffic in front of Agnes Scott College and by the time I got to Kinky Friedman, the place was full and the “overflow room” (video feed) was about to overflow. So I missed Kinky.
But I got to see Roy Blount Jr., who packed the auditorium at the Decatur Library. When I got there the staff told me the room was full. “But I’m a blogger!” I explained. And once again those words worked their magic and got me standing room in the very back.
Roy was great and had the room in stitches. He’s been up North for 40 years now, and the longer he stays away from the South, the more Southern he sounds.
Kathy Hogan Trocheck (a close personal friend of this blog) also packed the place and was fantastic. She writes Southern chick lit under her pen name Mary Kay Andrews, and explained why she deserves the Nobel Peace Prize at least as much as Jimmy Carter:
“I make a lot of hormonal women happy; I think that’s a blow for peace!” The room, which was probably 80 percent female and over 40, was rockin’.
Diana Gabaldon pleased her fans by telling them she not only is writing the seventh installment of “Outlander,” but has decided there will be an eighth as well.
I caught Alan Weisman reading terrific stuff from his best-seller “The World Without Us,” which I now have to go buy, and got to introduce Melissa Fay Greene, a singular treat.
Come on, I know it’s Labor Day, but take a second to tell us what you saw, liked, and didn’t like at the Decatur Book Fesitval.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Atlanta Events
Phil Kloer has been reviewing books at the AJC for 22 years while doing various other jobs. He's currently an editor at ajc.com. E-mail Phil
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Comments
By Anthony Harris
September 3, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this
I really went to see Chuck Klosterman yesterday. He’s just as genial as his writing is. Although, I couldn’t get to see Natasha Tretheway on Saturday.
It was a very good weekend, especially for one in which I paid very little money.
By Robin
September 3, 2007 1:39 PM | Link to this
I got to hang out with fellow New Orleanians Chris Rose and Michael Tisserand. That was the high point of the whole weekend. Unfortunately, I’m now in full Katrina-funk mode, which I’d not been in for a while.
The poetry was really fine and sorely underpromoted (even if I was one of the poets in question). Those who missed the rolling reading at Java Monkey, or who ducked out at a rare less-than-stellar moment missed the heart and soul of literary Decatur. Thanks to Dan Veach and the usual JM crew of poetry-Svengali suspects (Kodac, Collin) who made it possible.
By FM Fats
September 3, 2007 1:47 PM | Link to this
I think 70,000 is a bit of an overestimation, unless there were 50,000 people hanging out in the Holiday Inn. Chuck Klosterman filled the library with east side hipsters and was great fun, but he can’t hold a candle to Sherman Alexie entertainment wise. The Peter Case in-store covers set at Decatur CD was aces, too, and the beer was very cold. Something needs to be done to punch up the scene on the square. There were less tents than last year, half of them are filled with vanity press semi-wackos, and the “food court” was pitiful (which no doubt keeps the restaurant owners on the Square pleased). We need to steal a few ideas from the 5th Avenue New York Is Book Country bash.
By Phil Kloer
September 3, 2007 5:32 PM | Link to this
I hear you on doubting the 70,000 figure; I have no idea how many were there. It’s good to hear some suggestions on how to make it better, and also good to hear about events I couldn’t get to.
Even though I was frustrated getting in to some of the events, I really dont want to see it leave Decatur for “more room.” It’s a good fit where it is.
By Laurie
September 9, 2007 1:35 AM | Link to this
Did anyone see the book krewes and post photos of them somewhere? We only went Saturday and missed them. What did people dress as and were they any good?