In honor of April Fools’ Day, I thought about writing a whole column about how Oxford Books was making a triumphant return, but then I decided that would just be too cruel for old-timers like me who still remember.
Instead, this week’s Bookshelf is about two high-profile author events coming to Decatur ― a festival of women writers and a conversation between two brilliant thinkers on the topic of Christianity.
Shape shifter. Among the vanguard of millennial, queer, feminist writers working today, Carmen Maria Machado stands out for her boundary-defying output.
Her short stories and serial comics blend elements of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, comedy and erotica to excavate truths about the gnarlier parts of the female experience. Her essays challenge patriarchal and cis-heteronormative concepts. Her memoir employs a multitude of story forms and genres to deconstruct an abusive relationship.
And she’s won a slew of accolades for her efforts. Her story collection “Her Body and Other Parties” was a finalist for the 2017 National Book Award, and her 2019 memoir “In the Dream House” won the Lambda Literary Award in LGBTQ Nonfiction.
I predict seats will go fast at Presser Hall when she delivers the keynote at Agnes Scott College’s 54th annual Writers’ Festival on Thursday.
The free, two-day event takes place April 3-4 and brings together writers, students, faculty and the general public for a series of readings, discussions and Q&A sessions designed to celebrate the literary arts and foster the exchange of ideas.
Other guest writers include Stephanie Burt, a poet and English professor at Harvard. She combines her skills in poetry and education by publishing poetry collections such as “We Are Mermaids” and books about how to read and appreciate poetry, like the cheeky “Don’t Read Poetry.” Her appearance at the Writers’ Festival coincides with the publication of her anthology, “Super Gay Poems: LGBTQIA+ Poetry After Stonewall” (Belknap Press, $29.95).
Also participating is Agnes Scott alumna Jennifer Bartell Boykin, the poet laureate of Columbia, South Carolina, and author of the poetry collection “Only Believe.”
Founded in 1972, the festival was inspired by poet Robert Frost, who used to pay Agnes Scott annual visits every spring. Over the years it has hosted some of the country’s most preeminent authors, including Eudora Welty, Harry Crews, Margaret Atwood, Rita Dove, Jamaica Kincaid, Percival Everett and Sharon Olds.
For details, go to agnesscott.edu/writersfestival.
Credit: Doubleday
Credit: Doubleday
Better late than never. It misses the mark by a few days, but in honor of Women’s History Month, several literary entities in Decatur have come together to present what should be a fascinating event on April 4. Barbara Brown Taylor, author of “Learning to Walk in the Dark,” will be in conversation with historian Elaine Pagels, a professor of religion at Princeton.
Pagels won the National Book Award and National Book Critics Circle Award in 1979 for her scholarly exploration on the origins of Christianity, “The Gnostic Gospels.”
Now, after 10 years of scholarship, she’s back with a new book, “Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus” (Doubleday, $30). It explores how a man from such humble origins inspired a religion that continues to influence the world today.
“Scholarly and inquisitive, but also contemplative and respectful, Pagels’ story is for believers and nonbelievers alike,” writes “Educated” author Tara Westover. The book publishes April 1.
The event will be held at First Baptist Church Decatur, and it’s being presented by the Decatur Book Festival, the Georgia Center for the Book, Conversations at First Baptist and Charis Books & More, where pre-signed copies of the book can be purchased. Tickets are free but required. For details, go to georgiacenterforthebook.org/events.
Suzanne Van Atten is a book critic and contributing editor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She may be reached at Suzanne.VanAtten@ajc.com.
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