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The Reading Life with Jerry Mitchell and Cheryl Landrieu

This week on The Reading Life: Jerry Mitchell, founder of the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, talks about his new book, “Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Cases of the Civil Rights Movement.” And co-chair Cheryl Landrieu previews the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University, coming up March 19-21.

Here’s what’s on tap in the literary life this week

Here in New Orleans:

Amy Bonnaffons reads from and signs “The Regrets,” Sunday, March 1, at 2 p.m., at Garden District Book Shop.

Lee Durkee reads from and signs “The Last Taxi Driver,” Monday, March 2, at 6 p.m. at Garden District Book Shop.

Isaac Fitzgerald discusses and signs his debut picture book, “How to Be a Pirate,” Friday, March 6, at 6 p.m. at Octavia Books.

Andy Davidson discusses and signs “The Boatman’s Daughter,” Friday, March 6, at 6 p.m. at Garden District Book Shop.

And coming up:

March is Festival Month in the literary life here, with four on the way this month.

The 17th Annual Jambalaya Writers Conference takes place Saturday, March 14, at the Terrebonne Parish Library, 151 Library Dr. in Houma. Headliners this year include Lisa Gardner, Caroline Kepnes, romance writers Carolyn Brown and Laura Drake, novelists Samantha Downing and Maurice Carlos Ruffin, children’s author Marti Dumas, and urban fantasy author Diana Rowland, and more.

The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University takes place March 19-21. Headliners (you’ll need a ticket for these events) include John Grisham, Malcolm Gladwell, Michael Lewis and Sean Tuohy in conversation. You’ll need a ticket for these three events.  Other writers include Erik Larson, Nicholas Lemann, Nancy Lemann, David Brooks, Samantha Power, Mika Breszinzski and Joe Scarborough, Dave Eggers, Eddie Glaude Jr., Annette Gordon-Reed, Valerie Jarrett, Kiese Laymon, James Carville and Mary Matalin, Susan Rice. Saturday is a Family Day, headlined by kid favorite Dav Pilkey, creator of the Captain Underpants series. Saturday will feature family friendly activities, a full roster of children’s book authors and book giveaways. Check out bookfest.tulane.edu for schedule coming up in early March.

March 25-29 brings the 34th annual Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival. The weekend event includes theatrical productions, walking tours, master classes, musical performances and literary discussion by headliners Kathleen Turner, novelist Colm Toibin, NPR’s Maureen Corrigan, Jami Attenberg, Andrei Codrescu, Beth Ann Fennelly, Jewelle Gomez, Saeed Jones, Jac Jemc, Sister Helen Prejean, Leigh Camacho Rourks, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, John Warner Smith, Katy Simpson Smith, Edmund White. Visit tennesseewilliams.net for schedule and tickets.

Saints and Sinners LGBTQ Literary Festival takes place March 27-29, celebrating its 17h year. Featured writers this year include Jewelle Gomez, Irena Klepfisz, Trebor Healey, Alex Myers, Andrew Holleran, Felice Picano, Colm Tóibín, Edmund White, and many others. Visit sasfest.org for more details.   

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.