Darden North, MD

I was honored to present as a writer at the 29th annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, exploring the topic “Southern Gothic.” This time-honored tradition has a reputation as one of the South's most significant conferences devoted to literature, history, film, and culture. The event was held at the Natchez (MS) Convention Center February 22-24, 2018, and I spoke Saturday, February 24 at 3:30 pm. Most of the program was free-of-charge, and there were book signings. How do medical thrillers and mysteries fit into the Southern Gothic literary genre? If you caught my presentation at the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, then you know the truth. I would also like to share that my fifth novel, “The 5 Manners of Death,” was nominated for the 2018 Fiction award by the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters. --- Darden  www.dardennorth.com 

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...

As an author I love to visit book clubs. Recently by video teleconference, I was the honored guest of the Yarn Spinners Book Club of Ackerman, Mississippi. Friend and member Frances Coleman tells me that the club grew from a group of women who like to knit and crochet. They soon found themselves talking about books and decided to devote one meeting each month to having a book club. The program is sponsored by the Mississippi State University Extension Service - Chocktaw County.  Last year the Yarn Spinners read and discussed my newest novel, "Wiggle Room," but in 2015 my second novel, "Points of Origin," a national IPPY award-winner in Southern Fiction, was the focus of intention. Pictured separately  via Skype and Facetime  are the guest novelist and the Yarn Spinners group with guests. The club shared with me the 23 discussion questions it considered including such concepts as what was the central conflict of the novel’s plot, how does one ...