The Alabama Book Festival was an excellent event, and the day went well for me and my students.

We started the day with the Student Readers Group, where Civil Rights attorney Solomon Seay, Jr. spoke about his book, Jim Crow and Me, to about 75 students (my estimate, based on the number of chairs in the venue and how many were filled). The students were very attentive and receptive.

My students and I spent the majority of the day at our BTW Creative Writing display table in the Exhibitor Area. We showed off our wares, and sold some books. The students had fun, too!

Finally, I spoke about Children of the Changing South to small crowd of twenty people, at the day’s end. I spoke from the introduction, read selections from memoirs by Jim Grimsley, Georgene Bess Montgomery, Dawne Shand, and Ray Morton, and answered some very thoughtful questions.

Thanks to the planning committee, the volunteers, the attendees, everybody, for a really wonderful day. Now, on to planning for next year!