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It's been remarked by more than one person that you cannot throw a rock in St. Louis without hitting a poet. If you have a pocket full of rocks you'd probably hit a lot of novelists, essayists and playwrights, too. We're not here to encourage the abuse of writers - quel horreur! - but merely to note their ubiquity in St. Louis. Which is why it's exciting news that St. Louis has a new book festival. Titled Lit in the Lou, it's being organized by University City Arts & Letters Commission and the St. Louis Literary Consortium, with help from Blank Slate Press, PenUltimate Press, St. Louis Poetry Center, St. Louis Writers Guild, and Walrus Publishing.
Tonight, there's a cocktail party on the 5th floor of U. City's city hall, followed by the first Tradition of Literary Excellence Award, which will go to novelist William Gass. (Attendees are encouraged to dress as a favorite writer or poet, with awards going to best costume; tickets, which are $25, are available at the door.) Then, on Saturday and Sunday, there will be a plethora of book- and writing-related events, including at Ackert Park and Walkway and at businesses all up and down the U. City Loop. More than 50 writers will be in attendance, including some marquee-worthy names: Ridley Pearson, Elaine Viets, Ann Leckie, Qiu Xiaolong, Shirley LaFlore, Richard Newman, Eammon and Drucilla Wall, Wm. Stage, Eugene B. Redmond, as well as illustrator and kids' book author John Hendrix and graphic novelist Kevin Huizenga.
Fun stuff on the schedule:
- Actors greeting vistors with readings from the works of St. Louis writers (find them on a stage near the Loop's Chuck Berry Statue)
- "Against the Grain," a reading held amidst Craft Alliance's current exhibit, "Precision Cut."
- An open mic - for both writing and music - 7:30 p.m. at The Duck Room, downstairs at Blueberry Hill
- A pop-up bookstore by the St. Louis Independent Booksellers' Alliance
- Writing workshop tents in Ackert Park
There will also be live entertainment, food, and activities for kids. Take a gander at the map above for more details, or call 314-363-4546 or visit stllit.blogspot.com.
Lit in the Lou, October 10 through 12, University City. All events, except for the opening-night party, are free.
