[Literary Ladies Luncheon] LLL-apalooza at the Virginia Festival of the Book

[Janis Jaquith]

On Friday, March 20th, 26 members of the Literary Ladies Luncheon (okay, maybe some were guests -- I can't keep track of EVERYthing.) gathered for lunch at Bashir's Taverna on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall.

Optimist that I am, I'm hoping the pictures stay in the same order in which I've posted them, and that the following captions will be comprehensible.

At table #1 were (from left to right) Erika Raskin, Diane Nelson, Debby Prum, Jeanne Siler, Johanna Smethurst, and Susan Wright.

Table #2: That's Kathy May who has sneakily leaned out of the photo, Karen Kostyal, Mary Cail, Linda Kobert, Elizabeth Howard, Kathy Pond, and Susie Langenkamp.

Table #3: Polly Lyman, Laura Rydin, Sandy Houseman, and Lisa Provence.

At Table #4, Charlottesville LLLers mingled with visiting Denver LLLers. Deborah Clarke Grosvenor, Doreen Orion, Fran Cannon Slayton, Stefanie Newman, Jocelyn Johnson, and Rachel Unkefer.

In the two shot are yours truly and Bella Stander.

And there's Bashir, himself, at the serving table.

The photo of the female trio was taken at their presentation, Great Beginnings: How to Hook an Editor on the First Page. Jennifer Elvgren, Debby Prum,and Fran Slayton. (That's Fran's forthcoming novel When the Whistle Blows displayed on the table.)

At the panel Book Review Superstars, emcee Bella Stander awarded each superstar (Louis Bayard, Alan Cheuse, Michael Dirda, and Bethanne Kelly Patrick) a laudatory golden garland. That's Michael Dirda you see receiving the garland in the photo, as Alan Cheuse watches.

Throughout the Festival, LLLers were busy appearing on panels (or moderating them), and attending the multitude of events offered at the Festival. (And, let's hope there were lots of power-schmoozes.)

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Posted By Janis Jaquith to Literary Ladies Luncheon at 3/22/2009 06:58:00 PM