The New Year is calling for fresh chapters of adventure, culture and flavour. Travellers are increasingly inspired by the books they read and literary experiences are trending. America’s rich cultural and literary history offers unique bookstores, literary festivals and the chance to walk in the footsteps of authors and the characters they create.
MISSISSIPPI
“To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi” – William Faulkner
Mississippi is home to some of the world’s most iconic authors, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty and Tennessee Williams. There are several literary landmarks throughout the state paying homage to these icons. To commemorate the wildly successful career of William Faulkner and great novels like The Sound and the Fury, visitors can visit his Oxford estate Rowan Oak. Faulkner spent most of his time creating his literary masterpieces here. The house sits on 29 acres and guests are welcome to tour the grounds, as well as the home.
The Mississippi Writers Trail pays tribute to a host of literary heroes from the Magnolia State. Visitors can follow book themed markers to locations throughout the State to learn about these well-known wordsmiths and the places that inspired their work.
The great American playwright, Thomas “Tennessee” Williams, was born in Columbus, Mississippi and first lived in a colourful Victorian-style home that now serves as the Columbus Welcome Center. The house is not in its original location. It was moved to Main Street in 1993 and restored there.
Square Books located in the historic town square of Oxford, is a nationally famous independent bookstore founded in 1979. The store hosts the popular Thacker Mountain radio show and over 150 author events each year.
More information at visitmississippi.org/go/literary
NEW ENGLAND
“Here in New England, the character is strong and unshakable” – Norman Rockwell
New England has been the home and inspiration to many literary greats including Mark Twain (Huckleberry Finn) and Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom’s Cabin), as well as several best-selling modern-day authors including Stephen King, John Irving, and Dan Brown.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott was written in Concord, Massachusetts. This town is also home to Henry David Thoreau’s birthplace, Thoreau Farm, and Walden Pond; Louisa May Alcott’s home, Orchard House; and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, the final resting place of Thoreau, Alcott, Emerson, and Hawthorne, among others.
In Hartford, Connecticut, literary fans can explore the Mark Twain House & Museum, which preserves the 25-room Victorian mansion that was once home to the famous writer. September 2024 marked the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Clemens family in their newly built Hartford home and 50 years since the Mark Twain House formally opened as a Museum. The Museum is celebrating these important milestones over the next year in a number of ways, including a special exhibition, a community history project, and an education initiative.
Still in Hartford, the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center provides information on the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Both Twain and Stowe frequented Bushnell Park, which was established in 1850. The park has a carousel which has been delighting visitors since 1914 and is still available for rides.
Rhode Island is a book lover’s haven, with a variety of charming bookstores and cafes. Tucked away in Providence lies Riffraff Bookstore + Bar. This bookstore-bar invites visitors to explore shelves of carefully curated titles before unwinding with a perfectly mixed drink at the bar.
Fifty years ago, in 1975, Stephen King published his second novel, Salem’s Lot, which was set it Maine. Maine’s most famous modern author is Stephen King, whose mind-bogglingly prolific works are often based in fictional Maine towns. You can visit his hometown of Bangor (known as Derry in his stories) and enjoy a delightful and captivating tour of 30 sites found in his books.
More information at discovernewengland.org
BOSTON
“Boston is a state of mind” – Thomas Gold Appleton
Known as the first published African-American poet, Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784) was born in Africa and sold into slavery as a child, coming to live with the Wheatley family in Boston. She learned to read and write while with the family, and wrote her first poem, “To the University of Cambridge, in New England,” at age fourteen. Her 1773 book of poetry, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral brought her renown, as she wrote about contemporary events and people, including George Washington
America’s walking city, Boston, has many significant literary sites and unique bookstores. The Boston Athenaeum is a library, museum, and cultural centre. It houses over half a million books, including published works from the 1800s, the latest best-sellers, and around 100,000 rare books.
Beacon Hill Books & Café is a newly opened bookstore in Boston’s iconic Beacon Hill neighbourhood. The shop pairs a curated selection of books with a warm atmosphere. Located Downtown, Commonwealth Books is a must-visit for all literary and history lovers. Along with its expansive book collection which holds an emphasis with the arts, architecture, history, literature, philosophy and religion, the bookstore also offers a large selection of antique prints and maps.
More information at meetboston.com/blog/post/bookstores-in-boston/
TUCSON
“Life is good, and the sunlight warming my lap and the pages of a book remind me of Tucson.”
– David Dominguez, University of Arizona alumnus
Tucson is just the right place for lovers of literature with the desert city offering a book festival and eclectic selection of indie bookstores. Jack Kerouac was one of the writers charmed by this Southern Arizona city. This Spring, head to the Tucson Festival of Books, a two-day bestseller for all ages.
Explore the Bohemian atmosphere of Fourth Avenue District and discover hidden gems such as Antigone Books, which is a beloved destination for independent literature enthusiasts. The Poetry Center is a leading literary institution founded in 1960, which saw the likes of Robert Frost reading at the dedication. It houses one of the world’s largest collections of poetry.
More information at visittucson.org/blog/post/the-written-word/
LOUISIANA
“Whatever story you’re telling in Louisiana, the landscape is going to become a character in it”
– Nic Pizzolato
Over centuries, the spicy, rich gumbo of culture, people, languages, foods, and traditions bubbling up in Louisiana have inspired countless writers and poets. A walking tour in New Iberia explores the setting of James Lee Burke’s famous detective series.
The Louisiana Book Festival is an annual event, that celebrates a authors from Louisiana and those inspired by Louisiana. The festival features more than 200 authors, scholars, poets, and panellists and more than 100 programs and exhibitors throughout the day in downtown Baton Rouge.
More information at explorelouisiana.com/articles/famous-authors-louisiana-literary-lovers-guide
NEW ORLEANS
“An American has not seen the United States until he has seen Mardi Gras in New Orleans”
– Mark Twain
New Orleans is filled with stories and numerous small independent book shops that have special events and author signings nightly. Another great source for books is the museum shops in town, including the Historic New Orleans Collection, which speaks volumes to lovers of local lore.
The city exerted an influence on Tennessee Williams who lived for a time in New Orleans and used it as the setting for “A Streetcar Named Desire” and other short stories. Stay in the Tennessee Williams Suite at Hotel Monteleone, which featured in Williams’ play The Rose Tattoo, and hop on a streetcar you can temporarily name ‘Desire’ down to Saint Charles. Then pay tribute to the great American playwright at the annual Tennessee Williams Festival in March. Don’t miss the festival’s dramatic closing act, the Stanley and Stella shouting contest inspired by A Streetcar Named Desire.
More information at neworleans.com/things-to-do/shopping/bookstores/
TENNESSEE
“Just as soon as I can, I’m gonna head back to the Tennessee hills, and it better be soon”
– Dolly Parton
The Volunteer State has been home to literary stars such as Cormac McCarthy, James Agee, Nikki Giovanni, Frances Hodgson Burnett, and Alex Roots Haley. All of whom called the Tennessee City of Knoxville home for a spell. Visit the places that inspired these literary legends and walk in the footsteps of their characters, courtesy of the Literary Knox Walking Tour.
The boyhood home of famed author Alex Haley, who penned the groundbreaking novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family, is in Henning, a town in Tennessee. “Roots,” which was also made into a landmark TV miniseries in 1977, was inspired by family stories a young Alex heard on the porch of his childhood residence. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Haley is buried on the grounds. The inside of the home has been restored to the way it looked in 1921 when Haley was born with exhibits featuring his work and childhood memorabilia.
Elsewhere in the state, the power of words is celebrated at the International Storytelling Centre in Jonesborough, Tennessee’s oldest town. The International Storytelling Centre is the world’s premier institution dedicated to the art of storytelling.
More information at tnvacation.com
SAN ANTONIO
“Beautiful San Antonio… here in my youth, my heart did long to be… in my old age, her beauty and her glory mine eyes do see”
– Sidney C. Tapp
Spring makes way for the San Antonio Book Festival in downtown San Antonio. Visitors can enjoy author presentations, panel discussions, book signings and sales, activities, food trucks and more in the Alamo City.
The Guadalupe Cultural Art Centre’s Latino Bookstore and Gift Shop is the epicentre of the West Side Art District in San Antonio. It is also a foundation for the community’s heart, soul, and voice. The selection of books ranges from best sellers and icons, to self-published authors from the community.
More information at visitsanantonio.com/
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