I’m delighted to be appearing at the 2026 Tennessee Williams Festival next week — one of the city’s flagship festivals and a total joy all weekend long. I’ll be moderating a panel on the new New Orleans noir; details of the panel are below.
Friday, March 27
11:30 – 12:45 PM—Literary Discussion
HARD DRINKS, HARDER INK: WRITING NEW ORLEANS NOIR
New Orleans can be a difficult place to write. Poet and essayist Benjamin Morris will moderate a panel exploring the challenges of bringing this unique American city to life. Tom Andes’ Wait There Till You Hear from Me features a reluctant detective searching for his wealthy fiancée’s missing brother. Ariadne Blayde’s Ash Tuesday uses a modern twist on the Southern Gothic to explore the French Quarter’s culture through its notorious ghost tours. Bill Loehfelm’s Maureen Coughlin novels take the perspective of a white, working-class woman from Staten Island who becomes a New Orleans cop. And P.M. Raymond’s short story collection Things Are As They Should Be explores the city through the lens of psychological horror. These writers will discuss how they use noir fiction to bring fresh perspectives to writing about a city that can’t help but be a character itself.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom, $10 or LitPass or VIP Pass.
benjamin morris 