Episode 494 || The Mississippi Book Festival Turns 10!
This week on From the Front Porch, Annie celebrates 10 years of The Mississippi Book Festival with its executive director, Ellen Rodgers Daniels! They talk about the festival’s history, what’s on the agenda for this year, and why you should plan to attend if you can.
The Mississippi Book Festival begins on September 14, 2024. Learn more and make your plan to attend here.
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.
A full transcript of today’s episode can be found below.
Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
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Our Executive Producers are...Jennifer Bannerton, Stephanie Dean, Linda Lee Drozt, Ashley Ferrell, Susan Hulings, Wendi Jenkins, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Gene Queens, Cammy Tidwell, and Amanda Whigham.
Transcript:
Annie Jones [00:00:01] Welcome to from the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business and life in the South.
[music plays out] [00:00:24] Welcome to this episode of From the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business and life in the South. I'm Annie Jones, owner of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia. And today I'm back with the executive director of the Mississippi Book Festival, Ellen Rogers Daniels, to discuss what's on the agenda for this year's festival scheduled for September 14th and why you should make plans to attend. Hi, Ellen. Welcome back.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:00:54] Hi, Annie thank you so much for having me back.
Annie Jones [00:00:56] It's so nice to see you again. I had the privilege and pleasure of actually-- you convinced me last year of the podcast. You did your job and I came to the Mississippi Book Festival and it was one of the highlights of my year last year. I had such a great time. Thank you so much for being back.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:01:13] Well, thank you for having me back. And it was the hottest day of the year, last year on festival. And hopefully, if you come back this year, it won't be like that.
Annie Jones [00:01:24] Okay. So that's one of the things I'm so curious to talk to you. This is the 10 year anniversary of the festival. Before I launch into some questions about maybe some things that have changed, I notice a date change. I'm so curious about the impetus behind that. But before we do that, if people did not happen to hear your episode last year, Ellen came on the show last year. We talked about the Mississippi Book Festival. Inspired me to go to the Mississippi Book Festival. But for those who didn't listen, can you give a little bit of background about what is the Mississippi Book Festival?
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:01:57] Absolutely. So the Mississippi Book Festival became a dream in probably late 2013 by a small group of reading advocates, book enthusiasts, as I call them, the leaders of the independent bookstores in Mississippi, people from the University Press of Mississippi, Jerri Nash, who was our board president for nine years. And then it kicked off. It was incorporated in 2014, and then it kicked off on the state Capitol steps in 2015. So it's a little funny- the date. Everybody's like, but it's the tenth? I'm like, it is our 10th festival. Sometimes people are like, the math is not mathing. I'm like, "This is our 10th festival." So anyhow, it just kind of started on a wing and a prayer. I mean, everybody was like Mississippi has contributed arguably more to American letters than any other state. Why don't we have a book festival?
[00:03:01] I mean, states all over the country have book festivals. And we've got William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, Richard Wright, Eudora Welty. And to say nothing of the literary giants who are still working and living in Mississippi. So that was the inspiration for it. And Mississippi has incredible book culture. And we revere authors here. So it just kind of seemed like a natural thing for us to do. And it has grown every single year since the first one. We did take some two years off in person because of Covid. So in 2022, that was our first in-person back and festival. So it was kind of like the first one all over again. It was a machine running again. And so now we're celebrating 10th festival this year, which is wild.
Annie Jones [00:03:58] That is so amazing to me, in part because I think 10 years is a milestone. I just celebrated 10 years of owning the book store last year. I started owning the bookshelf in 2013. That's right.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:04:14] That's incredible!
Annie Jones [00:04:16] Yeah. So 10 years is a legitimate milestone. It is worth celebrating. But when I saw that it was the 10th year of the Mississippi Book Festival, I was like, there's no way. Because when I went last year, it felt like something that grew up out of the ground and has been there for generations. It was so well-organized. I've been a part of a local literary festival in Tallahassee. They do incredible work, Word of South Festival. But I know the work and the blood, sweat and tears that go into creating a festival. And truly, the Mississippi Book Festival feels like it has been in existence forever. It's so kind of natural. And I know that's a lot of work. I know that takes a lot of work to create that feeling. But how has it gotten to that point?
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:05:06] I can tell you why it is that way. So when all these people in the beginning were together thinking about how they would make this festival, the consensus was, if we want this to be a success, Holly Lange has got to run it. Holly Lange is the first executive director of the Mississippi Book Festival. And Holly is a logistical genius. She put all these incredible systems of operations. So that made my job exponentially more easy. I can't imagine what it would be like without those kinds of systems already in place when I took over the hill. I began working with the festival in 2019. And so I got to see Holly operate for one in-person festival. And then we did two virtual festivals. And she just she has an organized mind like any person could ever dream of. So that helped me tremendously. But I was seven and a half months pregnant at my first festival in 2019, so...
Annie Jones [00:06:17] Surely they've gotten easier for you.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:06:19] Any mothers know that your brain is not at full capacity when you're pregnant. So I didn't have a lot of muscle memory from that first festival. So 2022 know we were all just totally no staff. And we were just going with it. There's going to be fires, but as long as the public doesn't see the fire, it's a success.
Annie Jones [00:06:45] That's exactly right. Well, like you said, it probably felt like 2022 was brand new, like you'd never done this before. I mean, it makes my palms sweaty just to think about a virtual event. Just the logistics and the technical issues and making sure that authors had their computer set up or whatever, that sounds horrible.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:07:09] Well, we planned the 2021 festival for an entire year and had to cancel it 10 days out from the day. And we had 48 panels planned. And I think we captured 32 of those [crosstalk].
Annie Jones [00:07:23] That's amazing.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:07:25] Just like [inaudible].
Annie Jones [00:07:28] I feel like we all did so much pivoting in what I like to call the lost years. I feel like my brain have blacked out and I don't remember the decisions I had to make.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:07:39] That's your brain protecting itself.
Annie Jones [00:07:42] That's exactly right. Okay, if you were pregnant in 2019, then it was a couple of virtual events which probably were their own headaches and gifts. What else has kind of changed over the last 10 years? And how, in your opinion, has maybe gotten easier or better over the last 10 years?
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:08:01] Well, everything that happens now is not some huge surprise like some little hiccup. We're just like, okay, we've basically probably dealt with this before and so we kind of know how to rectify it. A great deal has changed. We get better every single year with how we handle the running of the festival, the audience experience, the author experience. So, we make improvements every single year. And this year, what we're kind of most excited about as far as audience experience, all of us that work at the festival, we know the downtown streets because we work with the festival. And a lot of people coming from out of town, they don't know the street. So we have made some parking upgrades and we've got this parking map coming out with all nine different parking lots located around the festival site, which will have a Google map link so you can map to it and things like that. But the biggest improvement is the date change.
Annie Jones [00:09:11] Yes, this is significant. It was in August last year, and every Southerner know-- I mean, I'm in my house with AC, the blinds are like half closed to conserve energy. August is miserable. So you finally changed it to September?
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:09:29] Well, and there was there was definitely good reasoning for the date in the beginning. It was the third Saturday in August, that's when it happened every year. School had come back. Football had not started yet. I mean, no matter how much we love our books here in the South, we love football.
Annie Jones [00:09:49] That matters.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:09:50] But now we're kind of a known entity. But it's gotten hotter. I don't care what anybody says, it's getting hotter outside.
Annie Jones [00:10:00] Yeah.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:10:01] And last year when the temperature topped out at 104 degrees on festival day. We have a strong hold up in the state capitol where all the book festival grew. And I just looked at the board president and I just said, "I'm telling you, if y'all weren't paying me to be here, I wouldn't be here." I was like, "This is too hot." It's dangerous. I was like, "We got to figure something out." And we did a public poll and the thought was-- so I learned this new term. I did a lot of historical weather research after the festival, and historically, the second Saturday in September is 10 degrees cooler than the old festival day. 10 degrees makes a big difference.
Annie Jones [00:10:46] It does make a difference, absolutely.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:10:48] And the humidity is so much less in September. I mean, some days in September are absolutely unbearable. But I'm telling you, so much historical weather data research. Although, there are no conference games. There's no conference SEC games or SWAC games. What do you call the cupcake games? The games that nobody knows who these teams are. They're just an easy win. And so I was like, well, if anybody wants to go to the cupcake games, please be our guest. But we'll be having a book festival and we'll make up for those people who go to the games for people who are not terrified to have heatstroke.
Annie Jones [00:11:23] That's right. I love that. This is what is so fun about learning behind the scenes of what goes on, because you basically had to become a meteorologist and an ESPN sideline reporter in order to make this [inaudible].
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:11:39] Yes. And so it was a gamble. And this year we have a huge Jackson State game in town on the same day as the festival. We've got hotel blocks, everything. We thought about that real early. And ESPN is going to be there. It's a huge rivalry game. But their game starts at 6 p.m. The festival is over by then and we're all making our way to the afterparty at [inaudible]. So that's fun. And they're on two [inaudible] town. It's going to be fun. Totally good.
Annie Jones [00:12:09] And I think any non-Southerner listening to this podcast is probably like, "What are you guys talking about?" But listen, when we plan reader retreats-- we are in Thomasville, which is near Tallahassee. And so we have to look at FSU schedules. We also have to look at other football schedules because people won't want to come to your retreat or there won't be hotel rooms free for the retreat. So there's so much. Even when I got married, I got married in the fall and I had to pick a weekend that was not--
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:12:42] Or you have a tent with a TV in it.
Annie Jones [00:12:45] That's exactly right. You have to provide a TV. It's so true. Or people will be on their phones watching the game.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:12:52] On your wedding.
Annie Jones [00:12:53] That's right. They don't care. So it sounds like you did so much work. I attended last year. I'm used to 140 degree temperatures. But you're right, it does get warmer and you also want the festival, I'm sure, to be accessible. And when you're talking about that level of heat, that does affect people who maybe have issues getting to and from different venues or what have you. So I think the September date change should work in your favor.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:13:24] Well, and there's all sorts of children's activities on the lawn in our children's tent. And Mississippi Children's Museum comes with the Rocky's House, it's an installation that's in the museum. It'll be on the wall and we have our signing tent on the wall. We want it to be something that people come to and stay all day. There's a gazillion food trucks. There's so many booksellers and the panels happen inside there and they're air conditioning. So I think that's a very good point to make. I mean, the festival energy is outside on this really gorgeous lawn of our state capital. So we want people to enjoy that.
Annie Jones [00:14:07] It's beautiful. Absolutely. After running the festival for 10 years, I'm sure you have some memories. There are some certain events or certain years that really stick out to you. What do you think have been the best or most rewarding, I guess, visitors or authors or events? What kind of sticks out in your memory?
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:14:29] So I've been with the festival for five years. Again, pregnancy in 2019, incredibly emotional. And I remember I got to meet [inaudible] for the first time and he put his arm around me. And there's a photo of this, and I just start sobbing. So that was hilarious, but also really kind of a core memory for me. And we have become friends. He's the most beautiful person. I've worked at an independent bookstore on and off for 13 years and I always say authors are my celebrities. And so that is the perk for me, is getting to meet these people that I have long admired and read their work. But also if I could live just hand selling books all day long, I would do that. I mean, just as a bookseller-- not owning the store, just being a bookseller. I would do that. So I think about this as bookselling on a much grander scale. Bringing a ton of authors all at one time to one place so their fans can come and see them and tell them how much their work means to them, that feeds the audience and it feeds the authors too, I believe. But honestly, on the festival day, once you get past noon the train has left the station. There's no coming back. Getting to noon, that's always the thing because it's running at that point.
Annie Jones [00:16:05] Yes.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:16:06] Is kind of like standing on the top of the mountaintop to see what you and your team have built all year long and seeing people enjoy it like that. You know the state of this country and how divided we are, but all different kinds of people coming together over a shared love of books and authors and reading, that's something really special in this day and age. None of us with the festival take it for granted. I mean, it feels really, really good to be a part of something like that.
Annie Jones [00:16:42] I am sure that it does. And you as the one of the coordinators, you get to see all-- and I think about this all the time on a small scale with operating a store. But we know the work and the behind the scenes, nitty gritty details and all the maybe flubs that lead to the successes. But getting to, as you said, stand on the mountaintop and getting to view it all, that's how we feel on a small scale when we've pulled off a great event. And I'm sure getting to watch, even just being a participant last year and getting to see in Jackson, Mississippi, in front of the state capitol-- how many people attend the festival? Do you know?
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:17:30] This is such a point of contention and all because the way that festivals count attendance is the people in seats, in panel sessions. [Inaudible] doesn't account for the thousands of people that are just on the lawn, in the children's tent. Some people bring a wagon full of books and they're just in the signing tent all day long. So many people I know don't even go to panel sessions. They just want to have this community event where they go eat out on the state capitol lawn, buy books from their local independent bookseller (here in Jackson is one area) and take their kids to story time and all of that kind of stuff. So, I mean, I would say we probably had around 9000 people last year. We are expecting bigger numbers this year because its 10th anniversary. Our largest numbers today was the fifth anniversary in 2019. So we're expecting a repeat of that. And we've got some great authors coming.
Annie Jones [00:18:29] I do want to talk about that because I'm very excited. But as an attendee, the excitement, I can't describe to people how fun it is. Look, I do like college football. I love going to games. I love that. But if you're a book nerd looking around and seeing [crosstalk] all of these people who are there because they like books, I mean, it makes me want to cry. Like, it's so cool. And so I imagine that it's so much fun to get to witness after all the work has been done, as you said, as the train has left the station, you get to see look at all these people with their kids, with their multiple generations. I mean, that's another thing that I think is really important. It is a multi-generation event and a diverse group of people from all different walks of life. And they're all there for books and four authors, which brings me to the person who's on the front page of your website currently. I logged on yesterday because I was, like, let me do some research, see who they've got coming this year. And I'm allowed to say because it's on your website. LeVar Burton?
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:19:40] So, yeah, that's been my North Star for a long time. We're about the same age and kids of our generation-- I mean, not kids. I call those kids. I mean, I still [inaudible]. People of our generation that love to read, LeVar Burton had a hand in that.
Annie Jones [00:20:04] Yes. Did you watch his documentary recently? I mean, I wept.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:20:09] Wept?
Annie Jones [00:20:11] Just the song I was like, oh my gosh!
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:20:16] Look, my four year old has never seen a full episode of Reading Rainbow, but she knows the song because that's [inaudible] all the time.
Annie Jones [00:20:25] That's right.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:20:27] It was watched in the library every week in school. I'm from the smallest town on the planet in the Mississippi Delta. And you had to drive at least 45 minutes to get anywhere. And so we came to Jackson all the time. And every time we came, we had to go to Osbooks [sp], which is the children's section in Lemuria [sp], because I wanted to get the book that I learned about Reading Rainbow that way. He means so much to all of us and he means so much to Jesmyn Ward. She has spoken very publicly about how formative Reading Rainbow and he was for her. And we got very close to getting him last year, but he was taking the entire month of August off.
Annie Jones [00:21:11] Good for him.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:21:12] As celebrities do.
Annie Jones [00:21:13] Yeah.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:21:13] And so, I just reached back out again and I was on the way home. I was like vertical in my driveway. And this was a terrible thing to do. Nobody do this. An email pop up with the last name Barton, but I didn't recognize the first name until I looked at it. It was his wife and she was saying that he was going to come in and I almost blacked out [inaudible]. But Jesmyn Ward new book Let Us Descend is this just harrowing, beautifully written story about an enslaved young woman or mean. LeVar Burton has played the most famous enslaved person on TV ever in history in Roots. And I know how much they both admire each other. So it just felt like a really natural pairing to us. And he just said because of his love of Jesmyn Ward, he would be happy to do it.
Annie Jones [00:22:10] So are they going to be together?
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:22:11] Yes.
Annie Jones [00:22:13] My God. Okay. I wasn't going to come this year because I was like, don't have time. And now I'm like because I got to hear Jesmyn Ward. She came to Florida State, I think, earlier this year maybe to talk about Let Us Descend. That book is beautiful. I love all of her books. I do think that might be the most accessible of her books. But anyway, so I was able to hear her speak, and she's incredibly thoughtful and intentional about her answers. And I imagine the two of them together is going to be an amazing pairing.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:22:46] We're so excited. We're so excited about so many people coming.
Annie Jones [00:22:49] Yes. So who else you got come in this year?
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:22:54] Another really big one, again, not a football person, but I do know who pro football players are. Do you know what Gleason is? He was a safety the New Orleans Saints and he has been living with ALS for 30 years and he has written a book called A Life Impossible. He wrote this book with his retinas.
Annie Jones [00:23:18] Oh, my gosh!
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:23:18] Yes. And it's all about how he took that opportunity of just this awful diagnosis and how he has lived for 13 years and just turned it into inspiring. My coworker, Jordan, is the deputy director. She was like, "Am living or is he living?" Just my perspective. And so, he's coming with Jeff Duncan who has two Pulitzer sports columnists from The Times-Picayune and who wrote it with him and Steve's wife, Michelle. And so, the only thing that Steve Gleason can move is his retina. And he has this predictive technology and he is getting this into the hands of other people who are suffering from this disease. And the difference is they are making it people's lives that are struggling, that are living with ALS as Steve Gleason. And so, this book which came out from Canal in late March, it's called A Life Impossible, that is going to be an absolutely unbelievable session. And Steve Gleason actually just won the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage [inaudible].
Annie Jones [00:24:28] Okay, that might be why his name is familiar to me as well.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:24:32] Eric Larson, a superstar of nonfiction.
Annie Jones [00:24:38] And he's great in person. That's one thing. Those of us who work in bookselling and books know not every author is a great presenter.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:24:47] It's so true. It's okay.
Annie Jones [00:24:48] Yes, and that's fine because they're writing amazing books. But he is a fantastic presenter and you'll do a really good job. I mean, every panel I went to last year, the Harrison Scott Key panel was one of my just very favorite because his book was on my favorite books last year. And that panel I just was in awe. They were all so funny.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:25:10] And he's the best person. I mean, Harrison is just the best person. You just couldn't ask to meet anybody more hilarious, more kind and loving. We just worship him. But another huge thing that's happening in the festival is there is an incredible new book on Eudora Welty, who is the [inaudible]of the book festival. There's a wonderful new book coming out, but there's also an accompanying documentary to the book. And we're having the world premiere at the festival. And it was written about in Garden and Gun. I mean, the trailer makes me tear up because especially for contemporary people, it makes you realize just like how important she was to American letters and what she did. Eudora Welty was just a lady around town who wrote books that everybody knew. You'd see her at the Jitney 14 or in Lemuria Park. She won a Pulitzer Prize, won a National Book Award. I mean, she's just [crosstalk]
Annie Jones [00:26:21] Yeah, that's so cool. We all have such a wide range of events and panels, too. I think that's one thing important to note, is there really is something for everybody. My husband and I read very differently. He and I went to some panels together last year and then we split up and went and watched different things. And then we could come together, over dinner. We came together with our friends. Our friends are from the Jackson area and so they kind of toted us around. They did kid stuff with their little one, and then at the end of the day, we all got together and shared about the panels that we'd seen and the things that we'd heard. And so there really is something for every member of your family, for every reader. And I think that's one of the really special things about the festival, is really anybody can go and have a great time.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:27:06] That's something that was very intentional from the get go. We wanted something for every type of reader, every single age. And another thing, we host writing workshops all day long in the state capital. Those was mostly geared towards adults, but we did host a youth poetry writing workshop last year for the first time and it was packed. And that led us to realize we need a children's workshop. And so, we're going to have another youth poetry writing workshop, a storyboarding workshop with Marshall Ramsey, who was a two time nominated Pulitzer Prize cartoonist. He's got a new book coming out. And then we're going to have a book making workshop with the arts education person at the Mississippi Museum of Art. There's something for everybody, and I believe we're hosting 52 panels this year. That's the most we've ever done. We added a venue just for the 10th anniversary. I think we're going to go back down to our normal venue next year and just host 48 sessions. But there's a lot of really incredible things happening this year. The Pulitzer Prize is coming. They're hosting a Pulitzer on the road. Jonathan Eig he just won a Pulitzer for his biography on King. And Robert Samuels, who is one of the co-authors for His Name is George Floyd. And then a Pulitzer Prize investigative journalism panel. So we're just really--
Annie Jones [00:28:42] It really does sound amazing. So I obviously am not from Mississippi, but I made the trip last year. Why should somebody come to the Mississippi Book Festival? And if they're coming like me, maybe they're not from Jackson or from the Jackson area. Tell us some things that you love about Jackson.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:29:02] Well, I always joke if Lemuria was not here, I just don't know if I could be here. That was the first job I ever had. And I've been going there since I was a kid. And I'll say it's my church. You know what independent bookstores mean to people; you own one. So, yeah, that's one of my favorite things that make me come. It's such a gorgeous store.
Annie Jones [00:29:27] It really is.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:29:28] Next year, it'll be 50 years old.
Annie Jones [00:29:32] Amazing.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:29:34] Yeah, it is amazing. But then the food in Jackson, there's great food here. There's just anything you can think of. Don't go to a chain restaurant in Jackson. There are so many lovely, incredible, chef-driven restaurants here. Where did y'all eat? Did y'all eat at [inaudible]?
Annie Jones [00:30:00] No, I think we just came for the after party. Where did we eat? I don't remember, but my friend's husband owns a restaurant, and he just was a finalist for the Beard award or something. They just went-- I'm trying to think. Hunter Evans.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:30:14] Oh my God, Are you friends with Evans? So that was one of the place I was about to talk about.
Annie Jones [00:30:20] Well, Mary Katherine [sp] and I are in a mastermind together.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:30:24] Oh my gosh. Okay, so Hunter has just taken over one of the most historic restaurants in Mississippi, the Mayflower. And it should be open by the time of the festival. I mean, everybody needs to go to the Mayflower. The owner might kill me for dragging everybody there and just bombarding them.
Annie Jones [00:30:45] What's the name of his current restaurant or the restaurant he--
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:30:49] Elvie's. They're incredible. And the steak tartare at Elvie's is second to none. And I usually don't like steak tartare because it's minced stuff and it's just like a raw meat, but this is so incredible. The green juice at Elvie's. It's like the mix they use for their green margaritas, and then I just like get the juice and it is so good. It is like a flavor explosion in your mouth. Everything he does is top notch. And it's so exciting that he is taking over the helm at Helm. Pun not intended for the seafood restaurant, but at the Mayflower, which is one of my favorite places, and it's downtown and it just gives you-- and it's such a throwback. You feel like you [crosstalk]. And they restored it to its former glory.
Annie Jones [00:31:41] That is so exciting. That's so great. This is true to other places as well. But I do feel like in the South there is a generation of people who are really trying to revitalize and to not just create something new, but to build upon what was already created. And I love that he's taken a restaurant that means something to a lot of people and then, like you said, restoring it to its former glory. I think that's really special.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:32:11] Yeah. And just making it better for a contemporary clientele. I mean, there's a dedicated clientele already. I just think he's going to get even more because everybody knows everything he does is top notch.
Annie Jones [00:32:28] Where can people find out more about the Mississippi Book Festival? We'll put a link in the shownotes, but where can they find out more and decide if they want to come?
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:32:37] Please go to our website msbookfestival.com, but also follow us on Instagram and Facebook. I'm an Instagram [inaudible] that's where I learned about everything. And our email we send out a lot of really important information. We're sending out a plan your visit, which would give you restaurant suggestions, hotel suggestions. Also, it's going to have a very credible parking map on there. And then on the 20th, we're going to release the schedule so that you can already go on our website and see who else is coming.
Annie Jones [00:33:11] Okay, great.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:33:13] We've got like 180 plus authors coming from all over the country.
Annie Jones [00:33:16] Amazing. Well, I loved attending last year. This year it is on September 14th. So it's going to be 10 degrees cooler.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:33:27] It's going to be 10 degrees cooler [crosstalk].
Annie Jones [00:33:28] Ten degrees cooler in the South. So it's on September 14th. You can go to their website. We'll put a link in the show notes. But I really do not think anyone would regret attending. And for those of us who live in the South, I think in particular, it's a special thing to support. We talk all the time about the National Book Festival in D.C. or even book festivals in Nashville or something like that, but even here in the deep South, we have plenty of traditions and practices that honor our literary heritage. And so I'm so excited about this year's event.
Ellen Rodgers Daniels [00:34:00] Thank you so much, Annie.
[00:34:02] Annie Jones: From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website:
A full transcript of today’s episode can be found at:
Special thanks to Studio D Podcast Production for production of From the Front Porch and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
Our Executive Producers of today’s episode are…
Cammy Tidwell, Linda Lee Drozt, Martha, Stephanie Dean, Ashley Ferrell, Jennifer Bannerton, Gene Queens
Executive Producers (Read Their Own Names): Nicole Marsee, Wendi Jenkins, Susan Hulings
Annie Jones: If you’d like to support From the Front Porch, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the show even better and reach new listeners. All you have to do is open up the Podcast App on your phone, look for From the Front Porch, scroll down until you see ‘Write a Review’ and tell us what you think. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us over on Patreon, where we have 3 levels of support - Front Porch Friends, Book Club Companions, and Bookshelf Benefactors. Each level has an amazing number of benefits like bonus content, access to live events, discounts, and giveaways. Just go to: patreon.com/fromthefrontporch
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.