The Center City Literary Festival —The second annual Center City Literary Festival will take place on October 17 and 18 at the UNC Charlotte Center City. This festival showcases authors and performers associated with UNC Charlotte and is sponsored by UNC Charlotte Center City and the Department of English. This event is free, and everyone is welcome to attend.
The part of the festival that is intended for adults will take place on the 17th (Friday) from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. James A. Grymes will read from his recently published Violins of Hope. Violinists will also perform in conjunction with this reading. Other writers who will participate include poet Christopher Davis, mystery novelist Mark de Castrique, essayist Sandra Govan, and poet Grace Ocasio. Several of the participants are contributors to the recently released 27 Views of Charlotte: The Queen City in Prose and Poetry, and these participants will read from their contributions to this collection. The evening will close with a book signing during which the folk music group the Kollard Kings will perform bluegrass music.
The part of the festival that is intended for children will take place on the 18th (Saturday) from 11:00 to 3:00. The festival will feature literature, art, theatre, and music and will provide children with many hands-on activities. The featured authors and illustrators include Caldecott Medal winner Gail Haley, illustrator Mathew Myers, and digital artist Heather Freeman. Many of the art-related activities will relate to the opening of an art exhibit titled “Icarus: A Study of the Urge to Fly.” This exhibit will be in the gallery at Center City and participants will be able view the exhibit. Beth Murray from the Department of Theatre will coordinate performances based on picture books. Finally, the festival will conclude with a family-friendly musical performance by UNC Charlotte’s Chamber Orchestra.
Kudos— As you know, I like to use my Monday Missives to share news about recent accomplishments by members of our department. Here is the latest news:
Lil Brannon delivered the keynote address at UNC Charlotte’s inaugural First-Year Writing Conference, which took place at UNC Charlotte Center City on September 12, 2014.
Alan Rauch recently presented a paper titled “Women and the Matrix of Science in 19th-Century Britain” at the European History of Science Society Conference, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal.
Quirky Quiz Question — The myth of Icarus will figure in the children’s part of the upcoming Center City Literary Festival. The father of Icarus plays a major role in this myth. Does anybody remember the name of the father?
Last week’s Quirky Quiz answer – Catalan