Rosemary James & Shari Stauch:Words & Music Writers' Conf

Words & Music, a Literary Feast in New Orleans is the Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society's annual multi-arts festival and writers' conference... five days and nights of enlightenment and entertainment, opening this year on November 28 and running through December 2. The festival offers an eclectic range of advice sessions and manuscript critique sessions for writers and a full schedule of programming for the general reading public centering on an annual theme. This year's theme is "Literature Out of Time," and featured authors will include special guest of honor, literary giant Ernest Gaines, author of "A Lesson Before Dying," "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman," "A Gathering of Old Men," and many other master works. A faculty of 20 literary experts, including 18 noted editors and agents, will critique manuscripts, meet with registered writers in one-on-one consultations, present workshops and master classes. Workshop topics include "Books to Film," which will be presented by one of the best agents in the field, Brandy Rivers. Deborah Grosvernor, who regularly signs authors out of Words & Music and gets them published, is returning. Debbie, has been a part of Words & Music since it was created. Established playwright and novelist Rosary O'Neill will present a workshop on "Creating Dramatic Tension in Plays and Novels." Some 25 established authors, including several Pulitzer Prize winners, will speak about their own work in context with the theme for general public sessions. The festival will include readings, daily literature and lunch sessions, and music events in the evening. Details at www.wordsandmusic.org or Faulkhouse@aol.com