{"id":584,"date":"2008-03-26T11:07:08","date_gmt":"2008-03-26T16:07:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ezing.me\/transfer\/?p=584"},"modified":"2014-09-23T09:24:38","modified_gmt":"2014-09-23T14:24:38","slug":"oxford-book-conference-april-3-5-dedicated-to-zora-neale-hurston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/oxford-book-conference-april-3-5-dedicated-to-zora-neale-hurston\/","title":{"rendered":"Oxford Book Conference April 3-5 Dedicated to Zora Neale Hurston"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n“15th annual event attracts writers, publishers, editors, readers”<\/i><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\"hurston.jpg\"<\/p>\n
\nZora Neale Hurston\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

OXFORD, Miss. – The life and work of writer, folklorist and
\nanthropologist Zora Neale Hurston is to be spotlighted at
\nthe 15th annual Oxford Conference for the Book April 3-5,
\nhosted by the University of Mississippi.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\nBeginning at 11:30 a.m. Thursday with a luncheon program at
\nUM’s J.D. Williams Library and three afternoon sessions at
\nthe Oxford Conference Center, the conference runs through
\nSaturday afternoon with addresses, panels and readings.
\nHighlights include a special edition of Thacker Mountain
\nRadio, a marathon book signing at Off Square Books and an
\nopen-mike poetry and fiction jam.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nConference sessions are open to the public at no charge,
\nbut registration is encouraged to assure seating space.
\nReservations and advance payment are required for two
\noptional conference events: a cocktail buffet Thursday
\n($50) and a box lunch Friday ($10). Two preconference
\nofferings that require reservations and fees are a daylong
\nwriting workshop and a literary tour of the Mississippi
\nDelta. For more information or to register for the
\nconference, call 662-915-5993 or visit
\nhttp:\/\/www.oxfordconferenceforthebook.com\/.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAlthough Hurston was born in 1891 and died in 1960, her
\nwork remained relatively unread until recent years but is
\nrequired reading in many classes on 20th century
\nliterature, said Ted Ownby, interim director of UM’s Center
\nfor the Study of Southern Culture.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n“Zora Neale Hurston gives the book conference a chance to
\nthink about a good variety of topics: her own work as a
\nnovelist, memoirist and folklorist; the connections among
\nAfrican-American literature, Southern literature and
\nCaribbean literature; her choices of topics and dialect;
\nissues of race and gender; and even the ways trends in
\nreading and scholarship can change,” Ownby said.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nHurston is credited with helping bring Southern
\nAfrican-American culture to mainstream America. She is the
\nauthor of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” (HarperCollins,
\n1937), “Jonah’s Gourd Vine” (HarperCollins, 1934), “Mules
\nand Men” (HarperCollins, 1935), “Tell My Horse”
\n(HarperCollins, 1937) and more.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAmong conference speakers slated to discuss Hurston’s life
\nand legacy are Patricia Willis, curator of the Collection
\nof American Literature at Yale’s Beinecke Library, authors
\nDeborah Plant and John Lowe, and literary scholars Adam
\nGussow and Ethel Young-Minor, both UM faculty members.
\nAuthors Jeffrey Renard Allen and Nichelle D. Tramble plan
\nto talk about Hurston’s influence on contemporary writers.
\nOther speakers include fiction writers Ellen Gilchrist,
\nSallie Bingham, Susan Choi and Jack Pendarvis.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAuthor and former Oxford resident Jonathan Miles moderates
\na panel with Dwight Garner, senior editor of the New York
\nTimes Book Review; Fredric Koeppel, book review editor at
\nthe Commercial Appeal in Memphis; and Peder Zane, book
\nreview editor at the News and Observer in Raleigh, N.C.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nFilm adaptations of Hurston’s fiction and a documentary
\nabout her life are to be shown. Screenings of “Their Eyes
\nWere Watching God” and other films featuring her work are
\nscheduled throughout the day and evenings
\nWednesday-Saturday at the Oxford-Lafayette County Library.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nOther conference sessions include an address by literary
\nscholar Jerry Ward commemorating the 100th anniversary of
\nRichard Wright’s birth, a program marking the 40th
\nanniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr. and a
\ntalk by “Masterpiece Theatre” producer Rebecca Eaton.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nA panel discussion is planned to highlight poets to
\ncelebrate April’s distinction as National Poetry Month.
\nModerator is poet Beth Ann Fennelly, UM assistant professor
\nof English, with panelists including poets Rob Griffith and
\nA. Van Jordan.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nFor the fifth year, a “Literature for Young Authors”
\nprogram is part of the conference. All participating
\nOxford-area fifth- and ninth-grade students receive gift
\ncopies of novels by the selected authors, courtesy of the
\nJunior Auxiliary of Oxford, the Lafayette County Literary
\nCouncil and Square Books Jr. The students are scheduled to
\nvisit campus at 9 a.m. Friday to hear award-winning author
\nChristopher Paul Curtis, who has written six books for
\nchildren and young adults, several focusing on young
\nAfrican-American boys growing up in Curtis’ own hometown of
\nFlint, Mich. Following at 10:30 a.m., Margaret McMullan,
\nauthor of historic novels for younger readers, is scheduled
\nto speak.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nPreceding the conference for the fifth year is the
\nMississippi Delta Literary Tour, based in Greenwood, with
\nvisits to Greenville, Clarksdale, Cleveland, Tutwiler and
\nMerigold.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n“I believe this year’s tour will be among the best so far,”
\nsaid Jimmy Thomas, managing editor of the New Encyclopedia
\nof Southern Culture and tour organizer for the trip. “We’ve
\ngot a great group of folks coming from as far away as San
\nFrancisco and Connecticut; and Hillary Jordan, the Oklahoma
\nauthor of an award-winning book set in the Mississippi
\nDelta, ‘Mudbound,’ will join us for the tour. We’re also
\nvisiting McCarty’s Pottery in Merigold and spending an
\nafternoon of talks and blues at Greenwood’s incredible
\nTurnRow Book Company.”
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe literary tour costs $475 per person for program
\nactivities, eight meals and local transportation. Group
\naccommodations are available at the Alluvian Hotel at a
\ndiscounted rate of $155 by calling 1-866-600-2501 and
\nrequesting the literary tour rate. Rooms also are available
\nin Greenwood at the Best Western, 662-455-5777, and Hampton
\nInn, 662-455-7985.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAlso part of preconference activities is the second annual
\ndaylong workshop for writers April 2. “Mining Your Raw
\nMaterials” is to be directed by fiction writer Margaret
\nLove-Denman, an Ole Miss alumnus and former Oxford
\nresident. The workshop fee of $250 includes evaluation of a
\nmanuscript and a private session with Denman.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nConference sessions Thursday afternoon take place at the
\nOxford Conference Center, 102 Ed Perry Blvd., with Thacker
\nMountain Radio at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center, 413
\nS. 14th St. Friday morning sessions are at UM’s Ford
\nCenter, with Friday afternoon sessions at the OCC.
\nSaturday’s sessions are scheduled at UM’s Nutt Auditorium.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe conference is co-sponsored by the Center for the Study
\nof Southern Culture, Square Books, Junior Auxiliary of
\nOxford, Lafayette County-Oxford Public Library, Lafayette
\nCounty Literacy Council, Oxford Middle School PTA,
\nMississippi Library Commission and Mississippi Hills
\nHeritage Area Alliance. It is funded in part by a
\ncontribution from the R&B Feder Foundation for the Beaux
\nArts and grants from the Mississippi Humanities Council,
\nNational Endowment for the Arts, Mississippi Arts
\nCommission, Oxford Tourism Council and Yoknapatawpha Arts
\nCouncil.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nFor more information, go to
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.olemiss.edu\/depts\/south<\/a>
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nor
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.oxfordconferenceforthebook.com<\/a>.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nFor assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-5993.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“15th annual event attracts writers, publishers, editors, readers” \u00a0 Zora Neale Hurston OXFORD, Miss. – The life and work of writer, folklorist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston is to be spotlighted at the 15th annual Oxford Conference for the Book April 3-5, hosted by the University of Mississippi. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[222],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nOxford Book Conference April 3-5 Dedicated to Zora Neale Hurston - Ole Miss News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/oxford-book-conference-april-3-5-dedicated-to-zora-neale-hurston\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Oxford Book Conference April 3-5 Dedicated to Zora Neale Hurston - 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