The Quarterly, a new publication of artist representation agency Fiftytwo45.com, has an article on photographer Bob Perrin, a photographer known for haunting spaces that normally haunt the rest of us. As a new publication in the New Orleans area, it’s well worth keeping an eye on for future features.

As an old friend of And Other Stories Press, I’m delighted to join international AOS novelists Yuri Herrera (Mexico) and Lina Wolff (Sweden) to moderate their reading and discussion of their new novels this coming Friday, March 4, at Octavia Books in New Orleans. The reading starts at 6pm, and will feature wine, cheese, the end of the world, and dogs named Bret Easton Ellis — among other joys, to be sure. More information is available at the Octavia website.

After the launch of their new gallery this past weekend, Pelican Bomb has an essay on the art of what New Orleanians do very, very well.

For those in the New Orleans area, arts magazine and incubator Pelican Bomb is celebrating a major milestone by opening a new gallery and exhibition space. From the release:

Pelican Bomb invites you to celebrate our five-year anniversary and the opening of Pelican Bomb Gallery X. Join us Saturday, February 13, 2016, from 8pm to midnight at at 1612 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard for a party experience by Momma Tried.

This contributor has no idea what a ‘party experience’ consists of, but there’s only one way to find out…

This coming weekend, I’m honored to serve as one of the guest judges for the Hope for Hattiesburg chili cookoff and fundraiser at First Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg. H4H, as volunteers call it, is an outreach program of a network of local churches that searches out and repairs damaged and derelict homes in the Hattiesburg area, focusing on several targeted efforts in the fall, spring, and summer. The fundraiser, which will also feature a silent auction (and other entrees besides just chili), will take place at FPC on Saturday, February 6 from 10am-2pm, with judging around 11am, and is open to all.