Our everyday media may have multiplied, diversified and metastasized almost to the breaking point, but our need to tell and be told simple human stories will be intact at the 2nd Annual Lewisburg Literary Festival on August 2nd and 3rd. This special event is FREE and will host readings, author signings, photography, workshops, live music, literature based art installations, and performance art throughout downtown Lewisburg. A couple of the art installations will be the Literary Laundry Room and the Before I Die Wall, which has become a global art project. Everything about this festival celebrates the literature of West Virginia and beyond.

Festivities begin at 5pm on Friday (also Lewisburg First Friday) with a Literary Art Walk. On the walk attendees will see and be inspired by the dynamic art installations throughout the streets of downtown. The Literary Town Square opens at 5pm at the Greenbrier Valley Visitor’s Center and it will feature authors, readings, signings, and publishers. For all you aspiring writers out there, check out the Writing Workshop, lead by author, John Van Kirk. Kirk’s workshop will be held at Literary Town Square from 5:30-6:30pm. Director and author Danny Boyd will speak from 6:30-7pm at the Literary Town Square. Boyd has directed the 80’s cult film Chillers and then went on to write Graphic Novels. At about 9:20pm, there will be an H. P. Lovecraft short story, The Scream of The Dead, along with two others, at the Old Stone Cemetery. A Poetry Jam takes place at Harmony Ridge Gallery at 10pm. This evening event will host nationally known poets Crystal Good, Joe Limer, Sarah Elkins, and more.

Saturday’s events begin early with a Children’s Book Breakfast at the Greenbrier County Library from 8:30-10am. WV Poet Laureate and children’s author, Marc Harshman will host this breakfast with accompanying author, Belinda Anderson. The Literary Art Walk starts up again at 10am and runs till 9pm.

The day’s first Writing Workshop will be hosted by Bram Stoker award winner, Michael Knost, at the Literary Town Square from 10-11am. Long time NPR host of “All Things Considered,” Noah Adams, will speak at Carnegie Hall from 11am-noon. Adams, who is now a contributor to the National desk on NPR, will follow his lecture with a book signing from 12-1:30pm. Author of “The Glass Castle” and “The Silver Star”, Jeanette Walls will speak at Carnegie Hall from 2-3pm. Walls will have a book signing immediately after from 3-4pm. The second Writing Workshop will be hosted by Memoirist and WV Public Radio essayist Cat Pleska. Held at the Literary Town Square, Pleska will provide a class on Flash Fiction and the 5 Minute Memoir, at 5pm.

The final event of the day will be held at Carnegie Hall from 5-6pm. “The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart” author, Glenn Taylor, will speak about her work. Taylor’s lecture will be followed with a book signing from 6-7pm. Alan Cathead Johnston will be opening for Taylor, ticket required, starting at 4:30pm and will accompany Taylor during portions of his talk.

Please note, while tickets for Jeannette Walls, Noah Adams and Glenn Taylor are free they are required, due to limited seating. At this time, Jeannette Walls and Glenn Taylor are sold out. However, the book signings following the talks are open to the public. To reserve tickets, call 800-833-2068.

– LBSPY 38 (July 29-August 12)