Author Archive

International Museum Day — 90.1 WABE’s City Cafe Interviews Lain Shakespeare

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John Lemley, the famed voice of WABE’s City Cafe, stopped by the Wren’s Nest the other day to talk about memory in museums.

Because, as we surely all know by now, “memory” is the theme of this year’s International Museum Day. City Cafe is doing it up right — all this week they’ll interview plenty of other folks about memory in Atlanta’s museums.

John and I talked about my favorite artifact in the Wren’s Nest, pictured above and below. Brer Fox escorts Brer Rabbit to jail for stealing vegetables, and Brer Rabbit drops the evidence along the way. It’s an intricate Bavarian wood carving from the early 1880s. Plus, their heads pop off to better use as a humidor for tobacco.

The piece illustrates just how revolutionary these African American folktales really were. It was the first time animals walked, talked, dressed, and sassed like humans in American literature. Uncle Remus was like Aesop 2.0.

These stories were also the first serialized narrative in children’s fiction, where the animals exist in a kind of alternate universe. There’s no beginning, middle or end to the story. Brer Rabbit was like jumping from Turner and Hooch to The Wire overnight. It’s no wonder Harris had received this gift from Bavaria about 18 months after Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings debuted.

I’ll spare you more. That’s where City Cafe’s “A Visit to the Wren’s Nest” comes in.

The Atlanta Opera’s First Ever Commissioned Work — Rabbit Tales, A Brer Rabbit Children’s Opera

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Today the Atlanta Opera announced its very first commissioned work—a children’s opera called Rabbit Tales. And wouldn’t you know, it’s based on the Uncle Remus stories.

We’re stoked.

Amber and I have worked with with the Atlanta Opera staff over the past few months to develop the vision for the production.

Librettist and playwright Madeleine St. Romain will weave stories from Native American, African, and Cajun folklore. The score, written by composer Nicole Chamberlain, will reflect those traditions.

The premier of the show will kick off National Opera Week right here at the Wren’s Nest on October 29th.

Rabbit Tales will tour elementary schools throughout Georgia in October and November of 2011 and also in February and March of 2012. Schools will have the option of including a storytelling performance from one of the Wren’s Nest Ramblers to complement the four-person opera.

Want Rabbit Tales at your school? Contact opera genius and good person Emmalee Iden — 404-881-8883 or eiden@atlantaopera.org.

Photo Update from the 2011 KIPP Scribes

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The other day our favorite photographer Jason Travis caught up with the KIPP Scribes. A handful of his photos are below. I think they’re pretty dope.

The Scribes have met 1-on-1 with professional writers each Tuesday since February. They’ll finish up tomorrow, then wait patiently while we design their book of creative nonfiction in time for the Decatur Book Festival.

Many thanks to the Fulton County Arts Council and the Kim King Foundation for their continued support of this program. Like so many other arts organizations in our community, we very literally could not have developed or maintained this program’s awesomeness without you. Also thank you to our spectacular volunteers. We couldn’t do this without you either.

Kimberly and Mohammed.

Amari and Amanda.

Sakyra and Rebekah.

Amber and Lyric.

 

That Time StoryCorps and the Wren’s Nest Partnered Up

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Once upon a time — like, in February — the Wren’s Nest partnered with StoryCorps to record the stories of our neighbors in West End.

Amber, our valiant new program director, was all like, “Let’s get StoryCorps here! They record 2 people talking for 40 minutes at a time to preserve the stories of every day people. IT IS NOT AT ALL UNLIKE HOW WE DO IN OUR MISSION. You’ve probably heard their stories on NPR.”

She even tried out StoryCorps with her mom Sharon to make sure they were legit. (Yep: 100% legit!)

So Amber invited StoryCorps to set up shop at the Wren’s Nest, and they were like, “Cool.” And, further:

“We’ve wanted to do something like this in your neighborhood as a part of the Griot Intiative! You know the one, where the voices, experiences, and life stories of African Americans will be preserved and presented with dignity. All interviews recorded as part of the Griot Initiative will be archived at the Smithsonian’s National Musuem of African American History & Culture in addition to the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.”

Then, Amber and our good friends at WEND got together and duped some of our neighbors into recording their stories one day here at the Wren’s Nest.

Neighbors like  Al-Yasha Williams and Robert Thompson stopped by:

And so did the Jackson family:

In all we had six recording sessions during the day, each lasting 40 minutes.

We had such a good time with the Storycorps people that they were all like, “Here, keep this kit for a few weeks. Then have 8 kids in your KIPP Scribes program record their family stories with family members.”

And then we forgot the camera. But it happened! No really!

Either way, we’re indebted to the Atlanta StoryCorps office for their interest, flexibility, and mad skills. We’re also thankful for Brent Brewer, one of our most spectacular neighbors, for helping rope people into this little partnership.

StoryCorps has locations in Atlanta, New York, and San Francisco where you can sign yourself and a partner up to record your stories just about any time after breakfast.

 

Anne Trubek — Author of A Skeptic’s Guide to Writers’ Houses — at the Decatur Library

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Anne Trubek, esteemed author, professor, and person of note on Twitter, has written a book called A Skeptic’s Guide to Writers’ Houses AND IT IS A TRIUMPH.

Why, it’s just the book we — ahem, the Wren’s Nest and the Southern Literary Trail — have been waiting for.

Not since Brock Clarke’s An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England has there been a book so prominently featuring the words “writers” and “homes” or “houses” in the title.

It should come as no surprise then that we’re bringing Anne Trubek to the Decatur Library on Monday, March 28th at 7:15 pm for a rousing discussion of just how bizarre writers’ homes really are.

Big ups to the Georgia Center for the Book for co-hosting this event as a part of the Southern Literary Trail. Books will be available for purchase, you bet.

If you can’t stand the wait, amuse yourself with Ms. Trubek’s essay in the New York Times’ Sunday Book Review. Or think back fondly on our previous author events, like that time we brought Chimamanda Adichie here.

Free House Museum Rides This Weekend with Phoenix Flies

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Is your biological clock telling you it’s about time for Phoenix Flies?

If so, you’d be a few days late. But if not, it should be! You remember Phoenix Flies — that sort of hard to pronounce annual event where the Atlanta Preservation Center orchestrates a few fantastic weeks of historic nerdery on the cheap.

Look no further than the Wren’s Nest this weekend and next. It’s free! It’s all free! Check out this easy-to-read schedule:

Saturday March 12: 10 – 2:30 pm. Storytelling: 11:30 and 1 pm.

Sunday, March 13: 1 – 4 pm. Storytelling: 1:30 and 3 pm.

Saturday, March 19: 10 – 2:30 pm. Storytelling: 11:30 and 1 pm.

Sunday, March 20: 1 – 4 pm. Storytelling: 1:30 and 3 pm.

Note the change in hours from Saturdays to Sunday.

And actually, do look a little further than the Wren’s Nest because there’s some crazy delightful stuff going down, like tours of the Wrecking Bar, Unseen Underground, the Castle, and so on.

It’s Not Me, It’s You — Purge ATL’s Collection of Break Up Readings

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The poster kind of says it all.

Thanks to the indefatigable Jason Travis for the design. Thanks to Purge ATL for the idea and the elbow grease. Kindly RSVP here.

Previously:

Purge ATL: What’s Inside the Wren’s Nest
That Other Time JTrav Designed a Poster for One of Our Events
That Time JTrav Took Pictures for Don’t Forget That Day

Joel Chandler Harris Signed Photograph Up for Auction

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Do you have $7,000? Great! Let’s spend it.

This signed Joel Chandler Harris photograph is up for auction over on eBay. The starting bid is a mere $6,999.

The date of the photograph isn’t given, but I’d reckon it was taken in the mid-1890s during Harris’s pomade period.

If you’re feeling miserly, feel free to skip the signed photograph and go straight for the Joel Chandler Harris Anniversary Christmas Tree Balls:

At $19.99 these unused Balls are a steal, if a little fuzzy.

Volunteers Needed to Mentor the KIPP Scribes for a New Book

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Are you a writer of some sort? Would you like to help a 5th or 6th grader become a published author? Do you know someone who would?

The Wren’s Nest is helping the KIPP Scribes record family stories for a new book, and we need your help.

Here’s how it works:

Once a week starting in February, you’ll meet 1-on-1 with a 5th grader at KIPP STRIVE Academy to help identify, record, and craft an important family story. It will look something like this:

Then, we’ll compile the stories together for a handsome publication. Finally, we’ll all have a party for the book’s debut at the Decatur Book Festival.

Sounds like fun, right? We need 30 of you, so don’t be shy.

Here’s what you need to do to help:

1. Attend an orientation session later this month.
2. Commit to 15 hours of service over a three month period.
3. Be available on Tuesdays between 3 and 4 pm.
4. Have some sort of writing experience. You needn’t be Tolstoy, mind you. If you think you may qualify, chances are you probably do. Last year we welcomed writers, lawyers, teachers, and workaday folks like me.

Sign up by emailing Amber (amber@wrensnestonline.com), our spectacular Program Director, before January 25th. That’s real soon! Do you have questions? Amber can answer those too.

Need more convincing?

We had a blast making last year’s book Don’t Forget That Day. Look no further than the launch party photos.

If you must look further, see, for example, Brooke saying nice things about last year’s program. Or Kimberly doing the same. Or Jamie, who chronicled his experience specifically for your benefit.

Even if this program isn’t for you, I bet you know someone who would love it. And chances are, they are totally clueless. Please forward this post along if you’d be so kind.

Photos from the Launch of Don’t Forget That Day

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Check out the pictures from the launch party for Don’t Forget That Day. As usual, Jason Travis did a real bang-up job.

Don’t Forget That Day is available here online or at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur.

Thanks to the Kim King Foundation for funding our little project! Now that we’ve all had our naps, I’m ready to say it — maybe we should do it again next year!