January 2024

The Mississippi coast plays host to authors from across the state and from nearby New Orleans, as the HOMEGROWN Writers’ Exchange creates a new literary nexus.

– by Ellis Anderson, with Melanie Cole

Since the 1800s, the small coastal communities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast have attracted writers from across a state proud of its literary heritage, and from the nearby city that nurtures and inspires some of the best wordsmiths in the country. Just a stone’s throw from New Orleans, the picturesque historic villages of Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian, with their grand oak canopies and serene beaches, still offer an inspiring haven for creatives. 

On January 27, a new full-day literary event will celebrate the Mississippi coast as a nexus for writers and students of writing.  HOMEGROWN: a Writers’ Exchange offers youth workshops, panel discussions, and pitch sessions, featuring more than 20 acclaimed authors from across the region.

A significant number of participating writers hail from New Orleans, including Ladee Hubbard (latest: The Last Suspicious Holdout), Jami Attenberg (latest: 1000 Words), Rien Fertel (Brown Pelican), Elizabeth Miki Brina (Speak, Okinawa), Macon Fry (They Called Us River Rats).  

Award-winning novelist Katy Simpson Smith is a native of Jackson, Mississippi now living in New Orleans.  Her latest novel, The Weeds, was named a Best Book of the Year by the New Yorker and a “Must Read” by The Boston Globe, Literary Hub, and Garden & Gun magazine.  Smith has years of experience navigating between the literary landscapes of New Orleans and Mississippi and says she’s excited about both the concept and the location of HOMEGROWN. 

“How smart to develop a festival that looks beyond state boundaries to draw a net around the Gulf South,” she said, “a region which has such a rich literary heritage and, of course, shared climate traumas.  We know what it’s like to cling to a place in spite of its vulnerability, and to write into and through our own fragilities. 

“That there’s a faction of New Orleans writers eager to drive over to Hancock County makes perfect sense to me,” Simpson continued. “And I hope it’s an auspicious start to strengthening those ties.” 

The free day-long event takes place at the Hancock County Performing Arts Center, a newer state-of-the-art facility less than a mile from Interstate 10, which connects New Orleans and coastal Mississippi.  Added bonus? The venue is just a few miles from the coastline and the towns of Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian.  

The HOMEGROWN schedule covers all major writing genres and includes discussion panels on adult fiction, non-fiction, memoir, short stories and essays. Two special panels sweeten the pot:  “The Art of the Cookbook,” features three noted chefs plus moderator Carol Pucket Palmer of the popular “Deep South Dining” food show on Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) radio. 

The second stand-out panel, “Truth-Tellers,” gives participants the chance to hear from writers whose books explore current societal issues and unveil the impacts of human trafficking, immigration and racism.

One of the objectives of HOMEGROWN is to nurture up-and-coming writers, it has scheduled three separate workshops for young adult readers and writers (high school juniors, seniors, and college students), where students can dive into the craft of writing stories, books and screenplays. 

For the festival’s keynote event – “In Conversation” – noted author Michael Farris Smith takes to the stage with Mississippi Pubic Broadcasting (MBP) host and celebrity Marshall Ramsey.  Smith is an award-winning author and screenplay writer whose novels have been tapped for Best of the Year lists by Esquire, NPR, Southern Living, and other national outlets. Ramsey is a nationally known cartoonist and host of the popular MPB television show Mississippi Stories – and author of several other popular books. He also serves as editor-at-large of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Mississippi Today news.  

Kevin Cole is pubic relations and marketing lead for the Hancock County Library System and a key event organizer.  Cole says that the conversation between Smith and Ramsey is a great way to end the day

“There’s an ease and rapport between Michael and Marshall,” said Cole. “They can pick up a conversation about creativity and writing in a heartbeat, and it just flows… It’s sure to be personal and full of insights and humor.” 

Another rare draw for aspiring writers is the “pitch sessions” that will take place between 9:30am and 1pm.  In these brief private meetings, would-be authors can make appointments (in advance) to pitch a manuscript or project to a representative from one of three regional publishing companies.

The first HOMEGROWN festival actually took place in 2019, headlined by nationally acclaimed author Jesmyn Ward, who is a native of coastal Mississippi.  The event was off to a promising start, but just months later,  the pandemic shutdowns began and slammed the doors on plans for three years.   

John Brdecka, Hancock Library System’s executive director said organizers waited until the beginning of 2023 to revisit the idea of the festival, this time shifting gears and setting new goals. The HOMEGROWN reboot puts the focus squarely on authors/writers, creativity, and the writing process. 

“We are trying to reach people who are below the radar,” he said. “Writers who had never published before or were self-published. Once we established the theme, we set about trying to educate ourselves by attending various book festivals.”

HOMEGROWN is a collaboration between the Hancock County and Harrison County Library Systems.  The two coastal county library organizations hope to eventually include two other library systems on the Gulf Coast, so involved communities will stretch from Slidell, Louisiana to Mobile, Alabama.

That would please more than a few of the participating authors. 

Margaret McMullan, a resident of Pass Christian and author of several books, including Where the Angels Lived, well understands the allure of the Mississippi coast for artists and writers.  

“Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis are thriving with creative energy right now,” McMullan said.  “Maybe because they’re right on the edge between Mississippi and New Orleans and have all those beautiful water views. They also have terrific venues for artist retreats and music – there are shops and incredible restaurants too. What artist wouldn't be inspired?”

Author and New Orleans resident Elizabeth Miki Brina says that Bay St. Louis is her go-to place for a quick escape, where she can “read and daydream on the beach, have a stroll, window shop, eat, and come back to New Orleans refreshed.” She recalled a reading she gave at the Bay library where the audience was both warm and engaging. 

“I was treated with utmost courtesy – and delicious barbeque,” she said.

Katy Simpson Smith who is something of a regular guest at the coast libraries and at the legendary Pass Christian Books, agrees with Brina about the enthusiasm of coast readers. 

“From my time spent on the Mississippi Coast I know what incredibly engaged readers you have,” she said.  “And I can't wait to be back among them.”

Click here to register for the free HOMEGROWN Writers’ Exchange event.

HOMEGROWN Writers’ Exchange Panelists with latest books

IN CONVERSATION  ~   Author Michael Farris Smith talks with Marshall Ramsey (MPB-TV's Mississippi Stories)

MEMOIRS

Elizabeth Miki Brina - Speak, Okinawa

Lee Durkee - Stalking Shakespeare

Margaret McMullan - Where the Angels Lived

Moderated by Ellis Anderson, publisher French Quarter Journal

THE ART OF THE COOKBOOK

Chef Vishwesh Bhatt - I Am From Here

Ernest Foundas - Suis Generis: Food Revolution (target date for publishing: early 2025)

Chef Martha Hall Foose - Screen Doors & Sweet Tea

Moderated by Carol Puckett Palmer, MPB Think Radio's Deep South Dining

FICTIONAL BREAKDOWN

Jami Attenberg – 1000 Words

Jeffrey Blount - Mr. Jimmy from Around the Way

Katy Simpson Smith - The Weeds: A Novel

Moderated by Bill Lavender – New Orleans Poetry Festival

THE SHORT OF IT  (Short Stories & Essays)

Ladee Hubbard - The Last Suspicious Holdout

Mary Miller - It’s Always Happy Hour

Leah Myers - Thinning Blood

Moderated by J. Bruce Fuller, PhD, Texas Review Press

REALTY CHECK (Non-Fiction)

Rien Fertel - Brown Pelican

Macon Fry - They Called Us River Rats

Nathaniel Rich - Losing Earth

Moderated by Lisa McMurtry, University Press of Mississippi

TRUTH TELLERS

Ellen Ann Fentress – The Steps We Take

Phillippe Diederich -  Diamond Park

Johnnie Bernhard – Hannah and Ariela

Moderated by Tracy Carr, Mississippi Library Commission