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!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Our staff was pretty impressed. We talked about it with the staff of the Decatur Book Festival. They were also impressed.

“Do you think she’d come to the Decatur Book Festival?” they asked the good people at Random House.

The answer? “Yes,” but on one condition — Ms. Adichie didn’t want to speak; she wanted to have a conversation on stage.

“Gosh, who should she talk with?” the staff at the Decatur Book Festival probably wondered. “I’ve got it: the dope who suggested that she speak in the first place!”

And thus, on Saturday at 1:45 at Decatur Presbyterian I’ll have a conversation with Chimamanda Adichie, Tavis Smiley-style. Lucky for me, Brooke already found a Tavis Smiley how-to video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Seeing how many voice cracks one can reasonably fit into a conversation with an author” must be in part two.

I’ve wanted the Wren’s Nest to put out a newspaper for a few years now.

Joel Chandler Harris cut his teeth as a printer’s devil for a newspaper before making a name for himself at the Savannah Morning News and the Atlanta Constitution. Newsprint seemed like an appropriate marketing gimmick, but that was about as far as we got.

When Huey + Partners surprised us with these awesome print advertisements, it was clear we had to use them somehow.

While we sat on our hands, Noisy Decent Graphics and McSweeney’s created their own delightful, short-run newspapers.

Then earlier this year Lauren over at Lampe-Farley read “Everything You’ve Heard About Uncle Remus Is Wrong” and was all like, “Hey idiot! This is your newspaper right here.” And you know what? She was right, for a few of reasons.

• Amelia‘s mom had already said the same thing.
• Some folks have no idea who Uncle Remus is.
• Some folks are uncomfortable talking about Uncle Remus.
• Some folks think Uncle Remus is NOT OK.
• The essay’s been popular online, but many readers drop out after Part 1.

It seemed like a great way to marry marketing and mission, so we put Lauren to work. A few weeks later, our newspaper was born:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to Greg at Lampe-Farley for the video.

The whole paper looks great, but I’m especially happy that Zach from Crafty Mice let us use his Brer Rabbit poster to serve as the centerfold. This photograph doesn’t do it justice, but I’m gonna show it to you anyway.

We had our newspapers printed just in time for the Decatur Book Festival. Naturally, we’re bringing in a scrappy team of newsies to distribute the thing.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you can’t make it to the festival, send your address to lain@wrensnestonline.com, and I’ll mail you a copy.

What do y’all think? Will people pick this up? Or will I be making a lot of hats and boats all winter?

Have you heard about this little event called the Decatur Book Festival? It’s over Labor Day Weekend.

They’re expecting a tidy 80,000 visitors or so, and 300 featured authors. No biggie. I mean, it’s only the largest independent book festival in the country. Whatever.

Anyhow, they do this one cool thing — they release a book each year in conjunction with the festival. As in, they promote one single book, just one that’s released by and for the festival itself. And — so weird, you guys — it’s always been the literary journal created by the high school students in the Wren’s Nest Publishing Co.!

This year’s journal, The Bard & The Muckraker, will premiere at the DBF. It’ll be sold at the Wren’s Nest tent and by the student editors themselves all over the festival. You should purchase a copy. It will feel great.

While I’m being bossy, here’s something else for you to do — celebrate the journal on Sunday, September 5th at their literary salon from 2 – 5 pm at Several Dancers Core. There will be live music, free food, board games, and an unlimited supply of air conditioning.

Plus you get to support these teenagers who have worked so hard over the summer just to get someone like you to notice their work. Someone just like you!

P.S. You can purchase a copy here in case we miss you at the Decatur Book Festival.

KIDDING!

Nope, we’re entering our fourth year with the Wren’s Nest Publishing Co. and couldn’t be more excited.  Sure, we’ve been harping about our new KIPP STRIVE program, but behind the scenes, WNPCo. is on and poppin’.

We’ve sent informational packets to all of the English Department heads of every high school we could think of in Fulton and Dekalb counties and have already heard back from several students interested in Editor positions.  It’s working!

“What do you mean, Editor positions?” you ask.  You crazy ignoramus!  Looks like it’s time for me to break down the whole program.

• –> Throughout the summer we work with a team of 8-10 student editors, all Atlanta-area high school students, who do all the work for us while we take the credit.  Just kidding!  Kind of!  The students really do make all editorial decisions, including which pieces to include, how to format the text, the name of the publication, choosing the cover, etc.  They also learn how to market the journal, and are responsible for soliciting all of the submissions.
• –> The submissions are all from Atlanta-area high school students.  They include short stories, essays, poetry, and artwork — and they’ve been darn good, if I do say so.
• –> The journal is created with and for the Decatur Book Festival, the country’s largest independent book festival.  The journal debuts there on Labor Day weekend and the Editors organize a literary salon to celebrate the journal and its contributors.
• –> Because of our ties to the good people at the DBF, we’ve also been able to do great things like tour the AJC, tour Paste Magazine’s offices (the students’ favorite trip each year), and have writers, authors, marketing professionals and other experts in the publishing world talk to the group throughout the summer.  Which is important, because Lain and I don’t know what we’re doing.

(Our 2009 Editors deciding which of Paste’s awards to steal.)

Lots and lots of information about the program can be found here, including the Editor application due date (*cough* May 9th) and the submission deadline (*double cough* July 5th).

I suggest taking a gander and then telling every teacher, parent, and overachieving teenager you know about the program.  We can only get the word out so far, which is where you come in!

Also, you know what’s fun to do?  Our bidding!  Thank you very much!

Thanks for your patience with our blog; there was many a kink to be ironed out, but now everyone can be happy again.  Especially since we have Decatur Book Festival pictures for you!

This is what Lain and I look like when we’re not in front of our computers.  You know, uneasy.

As a reminder, though the pictures are posted on Facebook, you do NOT need a facebook account to view them.  Just click on this link, sit back, and enjoy.

(I especially love the DBF's graphic design this year)

We’re getting pumped about the opportunity to meet hundreds of visitors and say things like, “Yes, the Wren’s Nest does still exist.  We can’t believe it either.”

Furthermore, we’ll be debuting something big — our new banner!  Worth the (non-existent) price of admission alone, it will surely help you locate our tent between the Children’s Stage and the Gazebo.

But that’s not all that’s in store for us, no sir.  On Sunday afternoon our Wren’s Nest Publishing Co. student editors will be hosting a salon/cofeehouse to celebrate their literary journal, Wayfarer’s Diary.  Hey! You should come!

Not only will the students and authors be reading their pieces, but there will be live music, free food, and most importantly, board games!  Oh, and you can buy the journal there too. (5 bucks – cheap!)

So join me and the students – a charming group, if I do say so — at Several Dancer’s Core between 2 and 5pm on the Decatur Square, right above the MARTA station.  See you there!

First: in a 4 to 3 vote, Lauren Lee‘s cover was chosen for the journal.  Huzzah!

Congrats to those of you who feel your voices were heard.  To the rest of you: nuts!  And to Lucy Inman: thanks for ensuring it was a tight race!

While you were holding your breath for the cover results, the students:

• chose their favorite 32(!) pieces to include in the journal
• edited them (or didn’t touch them at all, in many cases) to perfection
• created a lovely layout plan for the journal
• became unpleasantly close with InDesign
• had an epic 8-hour meeting that stretched until midnight to finish Wayfarer’s Diary by the deadline

Many a hump has been busted, I tell you what.

The journal will, of course, be sold at the Decatur Book Festival over Labor Day Weekend.  You’ll be able to pick it up at the Wren’s Nest booth, where Lain and I will be camped out, sweaty and drinking beer, or from the editors themselves, who will be hawking their wares around the festival.  I don’t want to spread rumors, but there’s word of a banana costume.  (And, subsequently, a promise of heatstroke.)

Hope to see you there!

The editors engaged two professional designers — Lauren and Lucy — to put in bids for a cover.  I can’t tell you whose is which just yet, but here’s the front cover for one of the bids:

(Here’s a bigger version.)

And here’s the front, back, and spine of the other bid:

(Here’s a bigger version.)

What do you think of the covers?  Should the editors should go wavy or dusty?

Your vote doesn’t count for anything (no really, we’ll just throw it in the trash), but the Wren’s Nest Publishing Company editors do read this blog.  I’m sure they’d appreciate your braining.

We’ll reveal the chosen design at the Decatur Book Festival.  See y’all there!

Previously: When the Publishing Company Visited the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Paste Magazine.

Here’s how you can help.  Below are just a few self-absorbed reasons why –

• The Wren’s Nest was featured in Paste in July ’08, accompanied by the toughest picture of Lain ever taken.  We love the article, Dummies in the Attic, and it was a treat to work with the writer.

• Paste has long been a strong supporter of the literary community in Atlanta and neighboring Decatur.  You know the our wonderful partners at the Decatur Book Festival?  Their offices used to be in Paste.  Plus, when Wordsmith’s, an independent bookstore, was hurting, Paste hosted a fundraiser.  Community oriented indeed.

• For the past two years Paste has been the highlight tour of our Publishing Company program, according to our Editors, who are known for telling it like it is.

And that’s just us.  We’ve barely touched how great the actual magazine and website are (answer: very).

You can read the letter from Paste’s Editor Josh Jackson (pictured above) to readers here, find FAQs here, and most importantly, donate here.  Be sure to check out all the music you get in return for donating.  Good deeds can be rewarded!

Lain has already donated $25, and I’ll be doing the same shortly.  And remember — we’re but poor nonprofit folks.  Show us how it’s done, please.