People love springtime in New Orleans for many reasons, not the least of which is the annual Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival. Held in late March to coincide with the author's birthday (March 26), this gathering is a celebration of literature and poetry, theatre, music, and other performing arts as well as of Williams himself and his legacy. Given New Orleans's reputation for culture and Williams's ties to the city, it is the perfect site for such a celebration.
Born on March 26, 1911, in Columbus, Mississippi, Thomas Lanier Williams III--known later by the pseudonym Tennessee, a nickname given to him because of his southern accent--grew up in Missouri. He arrived in New Orleans in late 1938 and instantly felt a connection with the city, writing, opens a new window in his journal, "Here surely is the place that I was made for if any place on this funny old world.” Although he moved around over the decades, he returned to live in New Orleans repeatedly throughout the rest of his life. Indeed, he called the city home while writing several of his works; for instance, he wrote A Streetcar Named Desire while living on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter. New Orleans is the setting for many of his works, including that play.
For several decades now, the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival has provided an annual opportunity for attendees to work together to hone their creative talents, showcase their works, and attend educational presentations about writing, theater, music, and other performing arts. Each year, there are also events that focus on the writings and legacy of Tennessee Williams. As the Festival approaches, it serves as a reminder even to those of us who don't attend that there is a wealth of art in these fields for us to enjoy. To sample some of what Tennessee Williams and the broader areas of literature and the performing arts have to offer, take a look below at some of the materials available at the St. Tammany Parish Library!
There is so much art and talent to enjoy in literature and the performing arts. Take a look at some of the materials in these fields available at the St. Tammany Parish Library! Please Note: In order to bring you new and interesting titles, Hoopla content is updated monthly, and these titles may not be available in the future. To find the latest titles, please visit www.hoopladigital.com.
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