Health & Fitness
Literary Arts is coming to Norcross Art Fest
Historic Norcross will be bursting with creative artwork and whimsical displays with over 180 local & national artists line the streets at the 8th Annual Norcross Art Fest October 1st and 2nd.
Norcross Art Fest is excited about the wonderful new “Literary Arts Venue” this year, sponsored by the Norcross Arts Alliance. Published authors will read excerpts from their books, give background stories about their pieces, and answer questions. Journalists, writers of non-fiction, novelists and poets will talk about their creative works. Historians and longtime residents of Norcross will entertain audiences with their tales and recollections of Norcross’ yesterday and Gwinnett County history. There will also be live story-telling and special presentations for children.
The Literary Arts Venue will be held in Heritage Park (on the Norcross Cultural Arts and Community Center campus located at 10 College St.) from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm on Saturday, October 1 and 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm on Sunday, October 2. A schedule of specific readings and presentations is listed below:
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1
Vally Sharpe, Novelist and Publisher - 10:00 AM
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Vally will read from her award-winning book, Simon Says: Views from a Higher Perspective and her novel, Andrew’s Eyes, an exploration of how we might have responded to Jesus if he’d come in the 20th Century.
Charles McNair, Novelist, Editor, Book Reviewer, Consultant, and Radio Host - 11:00 AM
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Charles’ first novel, Land O' Goshen received a Pulitzer Prize nomination for fiction and critical acclaim from many important publications. Charles’ latest book is Pickett’s Charge.
Michelle Nelson-Schmidt, Artist and Children’s Writer - 12:00 Noon
Michelle is a children’s author with two published books: Dogs, Dogs! and Cats, Cats! as well as a series of coloring books. Michelle currently lives in Lilburn, Georgia and loves the beach.
Donna Blanton, Children’s Storyteller - 1:00 PM
Donna is a distributor for Barefoot Books. Every week, Donna develops and leads themed-based stories and crafts for preschoolers at Northern Star Coffeehouse/45 South Café in downtown Norcross.
Thomas Mullen, Novelist - 2:00 PM
Thomas Mullen is the author of The Last Town on Earth, which was named Best Debut Novel of 2006 by USA Today, was a Chicago Tribune Best Book of the Year, and was awarded the James Fenimore Cooper Prize. He also wrote the critically acclaimed The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers. Thomas’ third novel, The Revisionists, will be published this Fall.
Cristina Martin, Magazine Publisher, Editor, and Journalist - 3:00 PM
Cristina Martin is the founder and Editor in Chief of Loose Change Magazine, WonderRoot’s literary magazine. While she has roots in Indiana and Costa Rica, she is very happy to call Atlanta her home.
Richard Eldredge, Writer and Journalist - 4:00 PM
Rich Eldredge has written for Atlanta Magazine and the AJC's popular Peach Buzz column. In 2001, he edited Celestine Sibley, Reporter, a collection of his beloved AJC colleague's best reporting from her sixty-year career. Rich currently blogs and contributes to Atlanta Magazine.
Lynn Griffeth, Norcross History-Talker - 5:00 PM
Lynn Griffeth grew up in Norcross. She loves to talk about her childhood experiences and tell stories of growing up with three brothers in what was then a small Georgia town. Come and hear Lynn explain what life was like in Norcross in the 1950s!
SUNDAY OCTOBER 2
Michelle Nelson-Schmidt, Artist and Children’s Writer - 1:00 PM
Author, Dogs, Dogs! and Cats, Cats!
Michelle is a children’s author with two published books: Dogs, Dogs! and Cats, Cats! as well as a series of coloring books. Michelle currently lives in Lilburn, Georgia and loves the beach.
Carl Garner, Norcross History-Talker - 2:00 PM
The Garner family has resided in Norcross for well over 100 years. Carl is active in the Norcross Old-Timers Baseball Organization dedicated to preserving Norcross’ rich and unusual baseball history. Come spend some time with Carl on Sunday afternoon at Heritage Park and hear stories of Norcross’ yesteryear.
Buddy Ray, Norcross History-Talker - 3:00 PM
Mr. Ray tells intriguing stories based on the diaries of his grandfather Marion Wesley Ray. Excerpts from the diaries have been used as a regular feature in Norcross Times and in the book Remembering Norcross, by Sally Toole. The diaries, written between 1895 and 1905, give a fascinating glimpse into life on a farm in Norcross, Georgia at the turn of the century.
"Copper Clapper Caper": Comedy Sketch by Ed Thayer & Channing Haskell - 4:00 PM
Ed and Channing are members of the Christ Church Players: a group of performers from Christ Church Episcopal in Norcross.
Elliott Brack, Publisher and Journalist - 4:05 PM
Author, Gwinnett: A Little Above Atlanta; Editor and publisher, Gwinnett Forum and GeorgiaClips
Elliott’s book focuses on the county’s history since 1950. Brack is a veteran of Georgia newspapers, most recently, serving as Gwinnett associate publisher of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In retirement, Elliott started, GeorgiaClips, an Internet digest. He also publishes GwinnettForum.com, a public commentary site about Gwinnett County.
Contact: David Duke
Telephone: 770-921-3077
Email: dduke@livingstories.tv
Parking and shuttle service at Norcross Art Fest are free. For more information about Norcross Art Fest or the Literary Arts Venue at Norcross Art Fest, check out www.NorcrossArtFest.com and keep up with the latest updates at http://www.facebook.com/NorcrossArtFest or www.twitter.com/splashfestivals.
