Ever since the days of French rule, New Orleans has inspired thousands of artists, including playwri

Ever since the days of French rule, New Orleans has inspired thousands of artists, including playwright Tennessee Williams. Williams lived all over the country, but considered New Orleans the place where his art flourished. The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival celebrates this special connection and the   long history of fertile relationships between artists and Louisiana. The festival runs from March 20-24, and will bring over 100 authors, editors, cruise specials last minute actors and musicians to New Orleans for talks, literary panel discussions, theatrical performances, master classes, literary walking tours and delicious food.
The Tennessee Williams Festival has a rich tradition of theatrical performances, and this year’s buzz hums around  A Tennessee Williams cruise specials last minute Songbook: Only a Paper Moon . Tony-nominated actress Alison Fraser will sing several of the hit songs Williams chose to feature in his plays, in a performance interspersed cruise specials last minute with monologues from Williams’ plays. Another highlight of the festival includes  Those Rare Electrical Things Between People: Readings of Three One-Act Plays by Tennessee Williams , in which a cast of talented actors including Bryan Batt and Harry Shearer take on the characters from some of William’s shorter works. In addition to Williams’ plays, the festival celebrates the new writers it helps cultivate with the premiere production of  Jumpers by Jessica Alexander , winner of the Festival’s cruise specials last minute 2012 One-Act Play Contest. The festival will also showcase the winning play of the 2013 one-act play contest, cruise specials last minute with a staged reading of the play on Sunday, March 24.
Culture and context feed into the narratives of so many New Orleans stories and are several discussions at the festival explore this relationship.  New Orleans in 1920s: Bohemians, Baby Dolls, and Storyville ;  Creole Women ;   and  Free People of Color  all explore how the city’s history and iconic figures continues to influence contemporary culture.  Writing New Orleans: The Most “Exotic” Place in America  complements the historically focused panels as writers who have depicted the contradictions of New Orleans in their works discuss cruise specials last minute how to portray a city captured by so many others, without mythologizing its realities.
Another anticipated event is  Literary Jook Joint  organized by MelaNated Writers Collective. The New Orleans writers of color group name, the Literary Jook Joint, comes from the old Southern jook (juke) joint, where African Americans gathered to listen cruise specials last minute to music, dance, gamble, and drink. The Literary JookJoint will intersperse MelaNated writers performing original works of prose and poetry with live music. As they put it, Think speakeasy, cruise specials last minute but literary. Think not-to-be-missed.
One of the many panels to look forward cruise specials last minute to is  Drummer and Smoke . During this panel, author and drummer Ben Sandmel will discuss his book  Ernie K-Doe: the R B Emperor of New Orleans  with Sarah R. Doerries, editor of the Historic New Orleans Collection’s Louisiana Musicians Biography Series.  He ll then perform in a musical tribute to Ernie K-Doe, led by two of the Emperor’s long-time bandstand buddies, singer Tommy Singleton and guitarist Ernie Vincent.
Writers attending the Tennessee Williams Festival with hopes of becoming America’s next publishing star can choose from several events that focus on how undiscovered talent can propel themselves to the top of the literary stage.  The Art of Self-Publishing ,  How to Get Successfully Published  and  Diversifying Your Career  consider the methods writers can use to reach their audiences.  The Author-Agent cruise specials last minute Connection  offers tips on finding the best advocate for a writer’s work. On the last day of the festival, writers have a chance to hone their business skills at  Pitchapalooza . In this reality-show like event, gatekeepers to the literary industry allow writers one minute to present an elevator speech about their work. The winner of Pitchapalooza has the opportunity for an introduction cruise specials last minute to a potential agent or editor.
If an energy release and some fresh air is needed at the end of the festival, the festival’s annual  Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest  is a light-hearted way to close out a fulfilling and fruitful cruise specials last minute week. Walk over to Jackson Square, take a deep breath and exhale cruise specials last minute “STELLAAA!” for a chance to win a prize.