One of my favourite literary festivals is the Saints & Sinners fest in New Orleans. It's a whirlwind of events, making it hard to choose this panel over that reading, one masterclass over another. Do I want to catch Christopher Rice discussing the ups and downs of book reviews or attend a reading by an up and coming author I've heard about? A panel on genre or a masterclass by someone like Felice Picano, whose life inspires me as much as his work? The festival is equally rewarding to lovers of writing as much as to us writers, whether aspiring or accomplished. What I love most about this fest, however, is the genuine camaraderie I feel here. (Just being in the city is a bonus.) My highlights of this year's festival were meeting and getting to spend time with three legendary writers from the Violet Quill: Edmund White, Felice Picano and Andrew Holleran. To meet the writers you grew up reading and get to chat casually with them about their works is the writerly equivalent of striking gold. And there has been plenty of that on this trip.
