NBF Presents: Southern Storytelling
About this Event
Join National Book Award–honored authors Ben Fountain (Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, 2012 Fiction Finalist; Rasputin Swims the Potomac) and T. Geronimo Johnson (Welcome to Braggsville, 2015 Fiction Finalist; The Occidental Book of the Dead) to celebrate their new 2026 releases—two books that tackle the contradictions and nuances of the South, and the nation, with humor and heart. The authors will read from their books and gather for a conversation on how and why Southern stories connect with readers everywhere. Moderated by Dr. Elizabeth M. Beard, Chancellor of Louisiana State University of Alexandria.
Free copies of the authors’ books will be distributed to attendees while supplies last. Presented in partnership with the Rapides Parish Library.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Ben Fountain has received the Joyce Carol Oates Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, the PEN/Hemingway Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Award for Fiction, the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize, the Thomas Wolfe Prize, the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize for Fiction, and a Whiting Award, and has been a Finalist for the National Book Award and runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
Born and raised in the American South, T. Geronimo Johnson is the bestselling author of Welcome to Braggsville, Longlisted for the National Book Award and Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence; and Hold It ’Til It Hurts, a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award. He won the inaugural Joyce Carol Oates Prize, the Rome Prize, Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, and the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing; received his MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he later taught writing; and has held Stegner and Iowa Arts fellowships.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR:
Dr. Elizabeth M. Beard is Chancellor of Louisiana State University of Alexandria (LSUA) and a professor of English whose academic career has centered on literature, writing, and student success. Before becoming Chancellor, she served as faculty member, dean, and provost at LSUA. Dr. Beard earned her master's and doctoral degrees in English from Louisiana State University, where her scholarship focused on Southern and regional literature, with particular emphasis on Louisiana women writers. With a background in the liberal arts, Dr. Beard is passionate about educating students and connecting communities through storytelling, culture, and the shared human experience.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
