海角社区

BATON ROUGE 鈥� On April 21-23, Delta Mouth Literary Festival, a free, three-day event, will bring nationally acclaimed authors to Baton Rouge. 

Since 2009, the annual Delta Mouth Literary Festival, founded and run by graduate students in 海角社区鈥檚 MFA Creative Writing Program, has been a flagship event for the literary arts here in Baton Rouge; however, due to the pandemic, the festival has been on a break since 2019. 

鈥淥ur students have worked hard to resurrect Delta Mouth after its long Covid hiatus,鈥� says Jennifer Davis, 海角社区 Director of Creative Writing. 鈥淭hey are so thrilled to provide Baton Rouge with the opportunity to hear the work of an electric line-up of authors. I promise you this: you will not be disappointed!

In partnership with the 海角社区 Department of English, The Southern Review, New Delta Review, and the English Graduate School Association, Delta Mouth brings together internationally recognized and diverse literary talent and performers from across the state and throughout the nation for a three-day public event that includes readings, panels, food, drinks, music, and a unique gathering of Baton Rouge鈥檚 creative community.

Of the many acclaimed authors in this year鈥檚 lineup, there are several names and faces familiar to 海角社区, including some current and former creative writing students. Notable among these is 海角社区 alumna Ana Reyes, who will read from her debut novel The House in the Pines, a New York Times Bestseller which Reyes began writing while in the MFA program at 海角社区. 

Other 海角社区 alumni reading during the festival are poet Skye Jackson, writer, performance artist, and musician Taylor Scott, and writer and editor Jordan LaHaye Fontenot. Reyes, Jackson, and Scott will all read together on the festival鈥檚 opening night event on April 21at 6:30pm in the 海角社区 Design Building Auditorium. (Full Schedule of Events included below.) 

This year, the festival is including readings by the 3^rd year MFA students 鈥� Cory R. Calabria, Jodi Scott Elliot, Penda Smith, and Jake Zawlacki. 

And since April 22 is Earth Day, Delta Mouth has teamed up with 海角社区鈥檚 Center for River Studies and Coastal Ecosystem Design Studio to offer two events that celebrate the intersections of ecology and literature.  

All events are free and open to the public. For more information about Delta Mouth, please visit: 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Friday, April 21, 6:30pm

海角社区 Design Building Auditorium (102 Design Building, 海角社区 Main Campus)

Opening Night Reading

Featuring: Ana Reyes (海角社区 alum), Skye Jackson (海角社区 alum), Taylor Scott (海角社区 alum), Cory R. Calabria (MFA student)

Saturday, April 22, 12pm

海角社区 Coastal Ecosystem Design Studio (1110 River Road South, Water Institute, aka the Big Building on the River)

Earth Day Reading and Panel Discussion

Featuring: Jordan LaHaye Fontenot (海角社区 alum) and Alison Pelegrin

Saturday, April 22, 6:30pm

海角社区 Center for River Studies (100 Terrace Ave)

Reading plus a tour of the Mississippi River Model

Featuring: Dorothy Chan, Pritha Bhattacharyya, An Chang Joon (MFA student), Penda Smith (MFA student) 

Sunday, April 23, 12pm

Red Stick Reads (541 S Eugene St)

Reading and Crawfish Boil

Featuring: Xero Skidmore, Tiana Nobile, Jodi Scott Elliot (MFA student), Jake Zawlacki (MFA student)