Jeff and his husbear, John, are in New Orleans this weekend for Saints and Sinners Literary Festival (March 23-25, 2018).
The Saints and Sinners Literary Festival was founded in 2003 as a new initiative designed as an innovative way to reach the community with information about HIV/AIDS, particularly disseminating prevention messages via the writers, thinkers and spokes-people of the LGBT community. It was also formed to bring the LGBT literary community together to celebrate the literary arts.
The Festival has grown into an internationally-recognized event that brings together a who’s who of LGBT publishers, writers and readers from throughout the United States and beyond. The Festival, held over 3 days each spring, features panel discussions and master classes around literary topics that provide a forum for authors, editors and publishers to talk about their work for the benefit of emerging writers and the enjoyment of fans of LGBT literature. (Source: http://sasfest.org/)
Jeff will participate in three panels/workshops this weekend, including:
Saturday, March 24
10 AM
SAINTS AND SINNERS READING SERIES: WRITERS READ
Authors Tom Baker, J.R. Greenwell, Melanie Hoffert, Andrew Holleran, Jeff Mann, Lauren Sanders, and Penelope Starr share their latest or favorite works in our annual reading series. Enjoy a mix of Festival favorites and promising new voices.
Hotel Monteleone, Cabildo Room
Saturday, March 24
1 PM
HISTORICAL FICTION: ONCE UPON A TIME
Historical fiction is always seductive in its research phase-we all love the fascinating details that we discover. But how do we write historical fiction with ease and grace, creating a world for the reader that doesn’t sound like a textbook? Vanda and Cheryl Head, who write about World War II, Judith Katz, who draws readers into the world of Jewish Buenos Aires at the turn of the 20th century, and Jeff Mann, who writes about his native West Virginia’s history–these writers illuminate that turn from the research archive to the pages of fiction.
Moderator: Matthew Griffin
Hotel Monteleone, Royal Salon C
Sunday, March 25
10 AM
OUT OF THIS WORLD: FANTASY, SCI FI AND HORROR
Speculative fiction can set a writer free to explore life without mundane limitations. But great spec fic comes with demands of its own! What challenges and opportunities come with giving established myths or theories your own unique spin? Christian Baines brings paranormal terrors to sunny Sydney in his urban fantasy The Orchard of Flesh. Lania Knight’s next book Devoured is a science fiction novel set in the American Midwest. Eric Andrews-Katz’s fantasy Tartarus takes us into a world of Greek gods. Meanwhile, Jeff Mann stakes his claim on the vampire genre in his latest book Insatiable.
Moderator: Candice Huber
Hotel Monteleone, Royal Salon A
These are but a few of the exceptional speakers, workshops, and panels at Saints and Sinners Literary Festival. If you are able, make sure you check out the festival. Stop and see Jeff and say hello. If you have one of his books, bring it along. He would be happy to sign it for you!
When he returns, Jeff will post a summary detailing his adventures at this year’s festival, so keep an eye out.