Soup, Potters, Shrimp boots

March 13, 2010
3:00 pm	to	5:00 pm

Folks who know Bay St. Louis’ reputation as a quirky, artsy community won’t be surprised at the combination of events planned for the Second Saturday Art Walk in Old Town Bay St. Louis on March 13^th from 5 to 8 p.m. To support the efforts of the Bay Waveland Main Street Association original, one-of-a-kind bowls created by local potters will be sold at the Town Green at the corner of Main and Second Streets. Purchasers can them stroll through Old Town sampling the soups being served in businesses throughout the area.

And the shrimp boots? Stroll in style for the Shrimp Boot Soiree. Use your artistic talent to come up with the most imaginatively decorated boots and be part of the Old Town fashion show that evening.

Just show up for fun from 5 to 8 p.m. in Old Town Bay St. Louis Saturday, March 13^th. Shopping, music, refreshments, art and fun are all part of the lively atmosphere. The Second Saturday Art Walk is sponsored by the Old Town Merchants Association. For additional information call (228) 463 2688.

Epico Bayou is award winner

Charlsie Russell’s third and most recent novel Epico Bayou (July 2009) is the winner of Rebecca’s Reads Spring 2010 Written Art Awards in the Mystery Category. The Written Art Awards is a biannual literary award founded to pay tribute to authors who are self-published or have had their books published by a subsidy publisher, small press, university press, or independent book publisher.

Grab a copy of Epico Bayou or Charlsie’s other books–Wolf Dawson or The Devil’s Bastard for a suspenseful read set in Mississippi.

USM Professor Doug Bristol speaks Feb. 27

February 27, 2010
2:00 pm	to	3:00 pm

USM History Professor and Bay St. Louis resident, Dr. Doug Bristol, will be the featured speaker for Bay Books Black History Month event on February 27th at 3:00 p.m. Dr. Bristol’s book Knights of the Razor: Black Barbers in Slavery and Freedom, has just been published by The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Black barbers, reflected a freed slave who barbered in antebellum St. Louis, may have been “the only men in their community who enjoyed, at all times, the privilege of free speech.” The reason, of course, lay in their temporary–but absolute–power over a client. With a flick of the wrist, 19th -century black barbers could have slit the throast of the white men they shaved. In Knights of the Razor, Bristol explores this extraordinary  relationship in the largely untold story of African American barbers, North and South, from the American Revolution to the First World War.

Besides establishing the modern-day barbershop, these barbers used their skilled trade to navigate the many pitfalls that racism created for ambitious black men. They dominated an upscale market that catered to prosperous white men. At the same time, their respect for labor  itself preserved their ties to the black community. Successful barbers assumed leadership roles in their localities, helping to form a black middle class despite pervasive racial segregation. They advocated economic independence from whites and founded insurance companies that became some of the largest black-owned corporations.

Bay Books Featured

Bay Books is featured in Country Roads (check out the picture!)

SAINTS FANS INVITED

February 6, 2010
4:00 pm	to	6:00 pm

Put on your Saints’ gear, grab some friends,  and head to Old Town Bay St. Louis on Saturday, February 6th from 4 to 6 p.m. for a BLACK AND GOLD BLOCK PARTY. Old Town merchants will provide food and drink, music, and “black and gold shopping specials”. You provide the WHO DAT spirit to get ready for Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Erin Akey and After the Rain Feb 13th

February 13, 2010
3:00 pm	to	5:00 pm

Erin Akey’s trials and tribulations will strike a familiar chord with readers along the Gulf Coast. A divorced mother of three, Erin had to learn to navigate the brueaucracies of government and insurance companies after Hurricane Katrina destroyed her Bay St. Louis home.  Erin’s story is one of hope and conquest. Despite setbacks and heartache, After The Rain has a wonderful conclusion and the anticipation of a wonderful future filled with happiness and service to those who find themselves in similar circumstances.

Mardi Gras Posters Booksigning

February 6, 2010
12:00 pm	to	1:31 pm

Andrea Mistretta’s air-brushed series of Mardi Gras posters has become a time-honored annual tradition in the course of their twenty-five year presence in New Orleans. Published and distributed every year in the Crescent City the Mardi GrasParade of Posters is a brillant collection for lovers of New Orleans, art collectors, and Mardi Gras aficionados.