Darden North, MD

August 18, 2018, marked the fourth annual Mississippi Book Festival, an expanding and highly energetic literary lawn party gracing the beautiful, oak – draped grounds and surrounding buildings of the historic Mississippi State Capitol in downtown Jackson. The first two years of the festival, I worked as a volunteer in the Author Panelist room, having the opportunity to meet the visiting authors as well as local writers scheduled to present. In 2017 and again this year, I joined other writers outside in the Authors Alley tent on Mississippi Street, bordering the south lawn of the Capitol. This was an amazing opportunity to visit with many of my readers and to meet many new ones. Lots of signed books were discussed and placed in the hands of readers that Saturday in Authors Alley. Mid-August weather in Mississippi with its 90+ degree humidity will never dampen literary spirits, and fortunately we escaped the forecasted downpour! Thank you to Holly Lange and the other organizers and suppo...

The inaugural Mississippi Book Festival is scheduled for Saturday, August 22, 2015.  Events will be inside the rotunda and outside on the grounds of the beautiful, historic State Capitol Building in downtown Jackson, Mississippi, and along adjoining Mississippi Street.  Among others, the author discussion panels will include: Contemporary Southern Fiction, African American History, Comics & Cartoons in Mississippi, Illustrated Children’s Books, Books for Young Readers, Civil Rights History, Romance, and Historical Fiction. Of course, the writings of Harper Lee and Eudora Welty will be discussed.  Holly Lange and the other busy festival organizers have assembled an impressive list of invited authors and government representatives as well as many other interesting folks for the day long program. An attendance of 3000 to 5000 people is anticipated. Why don't you join me and make it 5001?  Although event admission is FREE, there will b...

Fourth of July 2015 was more than a piece of cake for me, but this red, white, & blue concoction sure made our treasured national holiday a sweet one.  The cake was my wife Sally’s idea, but guess who ate most of it! After all, the calories were a just reward, I thought, for using the time off to finish ten rough-draft pages of my upcoming novel, the thriller “When the Bee Stings”—a follow-up story to “Wiggle Room.”  Instead of this photo, I thought about posting the “after” picture with only part of “Happy Fourth of July” remaining in the icing and the cake towering in the stand over a sea of red, white, and blue crumbs.  Because I am a blessed and proud American, I was able to enjoy this treat and an extended, leisurely weekend with family and friends, either here with me in Jackson, Mississippi, or via cell phone and photo texts.  Although this weekend was a special time, we should take pride every day in what we can offer others and what our country means to...

Our%20South%20Magazine%20Winter%2009%20-%20Darden%20North%20article.pdf

Not often a factor analyzed by the national media as it dooms the national and global economy, book signings may be holding their own --- at least around here. Even as my third novel, FRESH FROZEN , was enjoying an October 2008 book release just as the economy was really tanking (not a cause and effect relationship, I’m sure), I along with hoards of other authors and publicists was busy. The goal was to line up and confirm appearances at bookstores, gift shops, art galleries, museums, outdoor festivals, schools, business conventions, family reunions, or any other location where a crowd of potential shoppers was anticipated. (Considering the long lines of folks waiting to vote before and on November 4, it’s too bad that book signings are not allowed at the polls.) While book distributors may encounter difficulty in moving the hardcover works of even the “major” authors, hopefully books and book signings may prove themselves recession-proof in the long run. Then, of course, there is the...