What's a Faulkner, Mom?

The ninth annual Mississippi Book Festival is in the books! As always, the festival was filled with opportunities to discover new authors, learn about literature, and explore interesting books. Your Mississippi Library Commission offered a cool sanctuary for those who wanted to escape the heat outside; people who needed a break flocked to room 202 of the State Capitol for book swag, Mississippi author fortunes, brailling demonstrations, and our pop-up library. Several of MLC's staff were on hand to answer questions about libraries in Mississippi, and many of us chose to brave the 102 temperature to explore the greatest book festival in the U.S.A., Mississippi's Literary Lawn Party. Here are some of our staff's takeaways:

"I had a good time telling people about Talking Book Services! Some old friends stopped by the Pop-Up Library that I haven’t seen in a while; it was so good to catch up with them and spread the word about the library." Mary Rodgers Beal, Talking Book Services Director

"I moderated the In Short panel with three amazing writers of short fiction: Deesha Philyaw, Andrew Porter, and George Singleton. The whole panel was thoughtful and engaging, but George brought down the house several times. That guy is a hoot!" Tracy Carr, Deputy Director, Library Services

"I was pleasantly surprised to see the turnout considering how amazingly hot it was! I had a great time walking around, looking at all sorts of books to buy later, and running into fellow book lovers to chit-chat with." Katie Gill, Cataloging Librarian

"My highlight of the festival was seeing the iconic Lois Lowry talk about her books The Giver and Number the Stars. She had such a huge impact on me as a young reader, and it was an honor to hear her talk about what inspired her to write." Kristen Hillman, MAGNOLIA Outreach Coordinator

"I sadly didn’t attend any panels this year; I waited too long and got there too close to my shift. (The sadness!) I observed so many people so excited to be there, though, and it made me so happy to see people coming together to bond over their favorite books and authors! I loved one kid in particular who asked his mom 'What’s a Faulkner?' when I gave him his Mississippi author fortune." Riley Houston, Patron Access Librarian, Talking Book Services

"I enjoyed working at the MLC Pop-Up Library because I got to meet so many people and tell them about libraries. I even ran into a former patron and his mother who I knew from the Autism Resource Center at the Jackson/Hinds Library System. I was delighted to see the progress he's made over the years and to find out he's now a student at Hinds Community College." Ruth Jinkiri, Library Consultant

"I discovered that USM has a graduate study program dedicated for the historical study of war. As a medieval history enthusiast and a military mom, I found the books and topics written by faculty interesting and enjoyed speaking to the staff present at their booth." Kristina Kelly, Public Relations Coordinator

"I had a great time at the book festival. I got to chat with some old friends from my previous job and I met so many other nice people at the MLC booth. The highlight of the day was attending the Literary Thriller panel. Clemence Michallon spoke about her book The Quiet Tenant, which is one of my favorite books of this year. Kevin Powers and Brendan Slocumb were also on the panel. I haven't read their books before, but I plan to now. It was a great conversation." Amanda Minor, Library Consultant

"Of course, there is the obligatory, 'It was SOOO HOT!', but luckily, I had the pleasure of meeting Biscuit, a little cutie who came all the way from D.C to make it to the Book Festival. This was her second trip to Mississippi this year; this seventeen-year-old even broke out her pearls as she explored the Capitol grounds." Charlie Simpkins, Special Collections Coordinator

"I loved seeing Jason Reynolds and Ebony Lumumba in conversation. It was fascinating to hear him talk about his path to becoming an author and his influences over the years. I really enjoyed getting the nitty gritty on Miles Morales and how he developed that Marvel character." Elisabeth Scott, Reference Librarian

Did you miss a panel that you really wanted to see? Be sure to check out the Book Festival's videos of Saturday's activities. 

Did you have a wonderful time? Fill out the Book Festival's survey about this year's fun.

Did you have a favorite moment this year? Which was your favorite panel? Did an author or book or encounter wow you? Drop us a comment and let us know. 

Now that the 2023 festival is over, we're preparing for next year. See you August 17, 2024!