The Missouri Ozarks chapter of Writers Hall of Fame® announces that The Quill Award celebration has sold out.
Thanks to all who have expressed interest in the banquet. Those who've contacted us about tickets have been placed on standby. If we have any cancellations, we'll contact interested people on a first-come, first-serve basis Thursday morning.
—Gregory Holman, board president
Quill Award celebration tickets are going like hotcakes. E-mail us to inquire if any remain for Thursday night.
Michael Brothers, the Springfield News-Leader's features writer and resident music expert, has this story on novelist Daniel Woodrell and the Quill Award that appeared in today's paper.
Writers Hall of Fame® local board member Julie Bloodworth was on KOLR's morning broadcast today; I'll be on KSFX's evening broadcast, tonight at 9 p.m.
This just in: Well Fed Head Books is discussing Woodrell's latest novel, Winter's Bone, Tuesday, May 29.
—Gregory Holman, board president
Photo copyright 2006 Edward Biamonte, reprinted by permission of 417 Magazine.
Jeanne Duffey, spokeswoman for our Springfield–Greene County library district, focused on our banquet coming up Thursday in her column in today's News-Leader.
Thanks to Jeanne and the paper's editors.
Writers Hall of Fame®'s local chapter is at a fevered pitch working out the last details of the May 3 Quill Award celebration. Tickets have sold very well. E-mail us to inquire about remaining tickets.
• Watch KOLR 10's morning news show around 6:30 a.m. and KSFX's news at 9 p.m. on Monday, April 30 as board members Julie Bloodworth and I go on air to talk about why it's so exciting to have Daniel Woodrell (photo above courtesy noexit.co.uk) receive our Quill Award and Tess Harper join us to honor him. Details about the TV stations are here.
• Tess Harper (pictured above in a still from her 2005 film Loggerheads) has graciously accepted an interview request from the mayor of Springfield! Tom Carlson will interview her on the City of Springfield's cable channel during the day of May 3. Tess told me Wednesday she plans to speak out about the interesting writers hidden in plain sight in Springfield and southwest Missouri.
• Daniels latest book, Winter's Bone, (pictured in American and British editions here) was honored last night as a finalist in the Los Angeles Times's Book Prizes. It will be available for purchase the evening of the Quill Award, but you can also pick it up at locations such as Well Fed Head Books. We'll also have Dahlia's Gone, by Katie Estill, for sale. She's a novelist in West Plains who happens to be married to Daniel Woodrell.
• Some folks have asked us about directions to Drury University. Visit this page for a map of campus. If you're coming from U.S. 65 near Springfield, exit at Chestnut Expressway, drive west to Benton Avenue. Turn right and then turn right again a block or so later at Central Street. The Findlay Student Center is on the Drury Lane cul-de-sac, but ample parking is one block further east off of Summit Avenue in Lot 7. Turn left onto Summit and park in the lot, then walk about a block west to Findlay.
—Greg, board president
This is the final week to make ticketing arrangments for our Quill Award Celebration May 3. Doors open at 6 p.m. at Findlay Student Center at Drury University. Tickets are just $15! (Thanks to Drury University's English Department Writing Center, our presenting sponsor.) We'll have a gourmet buffet, dramatic readings from Dr. Sandra House, Dr. LJ Summers of the local theatre community and the Skinny Improv. Actress Tess Harper is joining us from Los Angeles and will read author Daniel Woodrell's work (photo at right, reprinted by permission of Edward Biamonte, © 2006).
• Make online reservations at 417mag.com. You may validate your reservation with cash or check at the door.
• Easiest: Send checks to PO Box 3024, Springfield, MO 65808 made out to Writers Hall of Fame of America Missouri Ozarks Chapter.
• Excitement is also building for the event, as Daniel Woodrell (author of Winter's Bone) is up for the Los Angeles Times Fiction Prize. It's to be announced April 27—watch here for news if he wins.
• We're lucky enough to also have Katie Estill joining us for the dinner. She is a novelist whose most recent book is Dahlia's Gone... and she happens to be married to Daniel Woodrell. (The two of them met at Iowa Writer's Workshop.) Both Katie's and Daniel's latest books will be available to purchase at the Quill Award celebration, courtesy of sponsor Well Fed Head Books.
