On Sunday, August 24, join us for a conversation between Katharine Coldiron, author of the hybrid essay collection Out There in the Dark, and Ronlyn Domingue, celebrating the 20th anniversary of her novel The Mercy of Thin Air. As with all Sundays@4 presentations, this will be free and open to the public.
How is writing shaped by the South? These two authors, whose work spans genres from film criticism to speculative fiction, have in common an upbringing profoundly influenced by Southern families and environments. This conversation will encompass writing craft, family history, the role of film in understanding life experiences, and how writers fall in love with their own creations. Also attending the event will be letterpress artist and illustrator, and BRG Exhibiting Artist, Kathryn Hunter.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Katherine Coldiron, portrait by Michael Chylinski
Katharine Coldiron sees her life through a film projector. Out There in the Dark is a dynamic collection of essays that blends film criticism with memoir and fiction, as well as lists, visual diagrams, and Wikipedia collaging. It plumbs deeply some of our most knotted, abstract concepts: truth, kindness, the West, the female body, war, and—inevitably—Hollywood.
Katharine Coldiron is the author of Ceremonials, Junk Film, and Wire Mothers. Her work as a book critic has appeared in the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Times Literary Supplement, and many other places; as an essayist, in Conjunctions, Ms., Booth, and elsewhere. She and her books have been profiled in three countries on radio and television. Find her at kcoldiron.com.
Ronlyn Domingue, portrait by Michelle Landry
New Orleans, 1920s. Raziela Nolan is in the throes of a magnificent love affair when she dies in a tragic accident. Immediately afterward, Razi chooses to stay between—a realm that exists after life and before whatever lies beyond it. Evoking the power of love, memory, and time, The Mercy of Thin Air entwines two fateful and redemptive love stories that echo across three generations.
Ronlyn Domingue is the internationally published author of The Mercy of Thin Air and the Keeper of Tales Trilogy. Her short work has appeared in print and online publications including New England Review, Lion’s Roar, and mindful.org. CRONE ENERGY, her newsletter, is on Substack. Learn more at ronlyndomingue.com.
Sundays@4 is presented in partnership with the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area whose mission is to enhance the identity of our unique American landscape by preserving and promoting our heritage and by fostering progress for local champions that create authentic, powerful connections between people, culture, and the environment.