Local folks' picks for best of Decatur Book Festival

One of the crown jewels of Paste's hometown, the 2008 Decatur Book Festival, kicks off this afternoon. And, like any self-respecting lovers of beer, corn dogs, funnel cakes, live music, late-summer community gatherings-- and, oh yeah, books-- we're pretty excited about it. If you haven't looked at the schedule yet, do so-- but sit down first, 'cause it's a doozy.

As you're plotting out your weekend, make time to swing by the Paste tent, where we'll be offering our Pay What You Want subscription offer to festival-goers. We're also co-sponsoring the closing night festivities, a live performance on Decatur Square by the Drive By Truckers' Patterson Hood. And Paste's own books editor, Charles McNair, author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated novel Land O'Goshen, will make several appearances. 

Still overwhelmed? We've asked some of our favorite Atlanta-area bookish types for their picks for best of the fest, so take heed.
 

Tim Frederick, Baby Got Books
"I have a four year old daughter, so I know that my Book Fest is going to begin with the Madeline parade on Saturday morning. Hopefully I'll get to sneak off and see some grown-up events. Saturday night I hope to make it to the Writers Conference Happy Hour at Twain's. The press release says it will 'feature live music, a wet flannel shirt contest, and a kissing booth with wax lips, womaned by Hollis Gillespie.'  I saw Jack Pendarvis read at Wordsmiths a few weeks ago, and he should not be missed on Sunday with Sheri Joseph.  If the little one hasn't melted by then, the closing concert with Drive By Trucker Patterson Hood should be a great end to the fest. The rest of my 'must see' short list includes: ZZ Packer, Douglas Blackmon, Rick Bragg, Jed Horne and Andy Runton (Owly!)" Gillespie and Pendarvis are Paste contributors. 

"I must insist that every single person check out Doug Crandell’s writers’ workshop and petting zoo (PETTING. ZOO!) on Friday. Crandell is a fantastic local author who constructs some of the best, most outrageous-yet-believable characters in modern fiction, and the fact that he’ll be surrounded by animals is even better (and fitting!). There’s also the teen literary salon at Several Dancers Core on Sunday from 2-5, where a bunch of more-talented-than-myself teens will be presenting short pieces of fiction and poetry, with a band and food. Seriously, these kids could do my job and do it better!" Wordsmiths Books is located on Decatur Square, and will be open throughout the festival.

Lain Shakespeare, Executive Director of The Wren's Nest
"Douglas Blackmon (Saturday, 10:00, City Hall) released Slavery By Another Name last year to rave reviews.  The book reveals the re-enslavement of African-Americans from the Civil War to World War II. Bailey White (Saturday, 11:15, Decatur Library) is a writer and NPR commentator from Thomasville, Ga.  She writes about bizarre southern characters with a sly wit and a keen ear. Ferrol Sams (Sunday, 2:30, Old Courthouse) wrote Run with the Horsemen, the first real novel I ever read.  He's a life-long Georgian who kicks it old school--like, way old school, but with a serious sense of humor." The Wren's Nest will host the festival's Teen Literary Salon at Several Dancers Core's Escape Stage on Sunday. The Nest's storytellers will also be spinning yarns on the Target Children's Stage on Saturday.

Laurel Snyder, author of (most recently) Inside the Slidy Diner and The Myth of Simple Machines
"Okay, let me begin by saying that EVERYTHING about the DBF looks incredible this year. You really can't go wrong, picking between fiction writers like ZZ Packer and memoirists like Rick Bragg. Seriously, it's really just a matter of what kind of books you're into. But for my money, if you want to look beyond the headliners, Saturday is poetry day. For verse on the quirky/funny/brilliant side, you should stop by Java Monkey at 2 p.m. to sample the goofy genius that is Megan Volpert, and then swing by the City Hall Stage, where Paul Guest will be ready and waiting to absolutely break your heart. I'm not even kidding.

Of course, anyone who has ever wanted to write and/or publish absolutely MUST know about the Writers' Conference, which is always great, but this year exploded. I'm not sure how the festival managed to book JK Rowling's continuity editor for such a small, personal, event (the conference happens offsite, at Agnes Scott, and tends to be more intimate than the rest of the festival), but if I were you (and not me, since my own editor would kill me if I sniffed around Scholastic) I'd get there early and claim a chair! Then stick around to shmooze with the other writers at Twain's. And on Sunday, there's no way I'd miss Peter S. Beagle's panel (remember The Last Unicorn, people?) at noon on the Decatur Library Stage. My ten year old self would never forgive me." Snyder will appear on the Sci-Fi and Fantasy Panel with Adam Rex and Brandon Sanderson on Sunday at the Target Children's Stage.