AEC CONFERENCE ON SOUTHERN LITERATURE
Arts & Education Council (AEC)
3069 S. Broad St.
Suite 2
Chattanooga TN 37408-3056
Phone: (423)267-1218 or (800)267-4232
Fax: (423)267-1018
E-mail: srobinson@artsedcouncil.org
Website: http://artsedcouncil.org, http://southernlitconference.org
Contact
Contact: Susan Robinson.
About
"The AEC Conference stands out because of its unique collaboration with the Fellowship of Southern Writers, an organization founded by towering literary figures like Eudora Welty, Cleanth Brooks, Walker Percy and Robert Penn Warren to recognize and encourage literature in the South. The 2012 Conference marked 23 YEARS since the Fellowship selected Chattanooga for its headquarters and chose to collaborate with the Conference on Southern Literature. Up to 50 members of the Fellowship will participate in this year's event, discussing hot topics and reading from their latest works. The Fellowship will also award nine literary prizes and induct eight new members, making this event the place to discover up-and-coming voices in Southern literature. The AEC Conference attracts over 1,000 readers and writers from all over the United States. It strives to maintain an informal atmosphere where conversations will thrive, inspired by a common passion for the written word. This conference started as one of 12 pilot agencies founded by a Ford Foundation grant. In 1983, the AEC organization changed its name to the Arts & Education Council to more accurately reflect its outreach in Chattanooga. The AEC is the only organization of the 12 still in existence. The AEC produces innovative events and programs that enrich the Chattanooga community, including the Conference on Southern Literature and its school literacy outreach, the Chattanooga Festival of Writers, Culture Fest, TheatreExpress, the Back Row Film Series, Independent Film Series, and current affairs television programs "Point of View" and "First View." In 2009, they reached 70,000 through these outreach initiatives.
Poetry
Location: Chattanooga, TN