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The Reading Life: Scott Billington, Nick Courage

Part two of Susan Larson’s interview with music producer, Scott Billington, whose new book is ‘Making Tracks: A Record Producer’s Southern Roots Music Journey’ and an interview with Nick Courage, whose new young adult novel is ‘Snow Struck’

Novelist Diane C. McPhail appears in conversation with Sue Strachan to discuss “The Seamstress of New Orleans,” Tuesday, May 31, at 5:30 at the Spyre Center, 1772 Prytania St.

Clay McLeod reads from and signs his horror novel, “Whisper Down the Lane,” Friday, June 3 at 5:00 PM. at Garden District Book Shop.

Blue Cypress hosts a launch event for the New Orleans Art Rag, a new arts journal that focuses on Louisiana creators.

Friday, June 3 at 6 pm - 7:30 p.m.

That great annual event, the Symphony Book Fair, is coming up Friday, June 3-Sunday June 5 at the University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena. Enter the sale under Ramp 1 (which faces Franklin Ave). Hours are Friday 9am-8pm, admission from 9am-3 pm only, free admission after 3pm, then Saturday 9am-8pm, and Sunday 9 am-4 pm, free admission.  Books include fiction & nonfiction in 50 categories, sheet music and recordings (LPs, CDs), DVD’s and Audio Books, Art – both posters and original works of art, and there will be a special children’s sale Sunday from 11 to 2. Proceeds support the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra!

The seventh annual Walker Percy Weekend takes place June 3-5 in St. Francisville, complete with beer. bourbon, barbeque, and lots of great conversation. Check out walkerpercyweekend.org for tickets. New additions to the schedule include a screening of Jason bBrry’s film, "City of a Million Dreams." Speakers this year include Chris Baglow of Notre Dame University; Jodee Blanco is a co-author of I, John Kennedy Toole, a novel that traces the origins of A Confederacy of Dunces; . John Shelton Reed, author of 22 books, most recently “On Barbecue”; and Read Mercer Schuchardt, who will discuss “The Many Movies of the Moviegoer.”

And coming up at the June Writers’ Seminar: Sex and Voodoo at the Library: Two New Orleans authors will present sessions to help local writers be better at their craft from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30, Saturday, June 11, at the North Kenner Library, 630 Esplanade, Kenner. Each session is free of charge and is open to the public. There is no registration. Mystery writer Greg Herren, discusses “How to Write a Sex Scene and When Not To” at 9:30 a.m., followed by Kalila Smith discussing “What Every Writer Should Know About Voodoo and the Occult” at 11 a.m.

The Reading Life in 2010, Susan Larson was the book editor for The New Orleans Times-Picayune from 1988-2009. She has served on the boards of the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival and the New Orleans Public Library. She is the founder of the New Orleans chapter of the Women's National Book Association, which presents the annual Diana Pinckley Prizes for Crime Fiction.. In 2007, she received the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities lifetime achievement award for her contributions to the literary community. She is also the author of The Booklover's Guide to New Orleans. If you run into her in a local bookstore or library, she'll be happy to suggest something you should read. She thinks New Orleans is the best literary town in the world, and she reads about a book a day.