One for the Books

St. Louis has always been a place for book lovers to spring from and flock to, and now both writer and reader are celebrated at Lit in the Lou. This first-time literary festival features book signings, writing workshops and readings, all in the Delmar Loop from Friday through Sunday (October 10 through 12; stllit.blogspot.com). The fest opens with a 7:30 p.m. cocktail party Friday at University City City Hall (6801 Delmar Boulevard) where writer William H. Gass will be honored with the first annual Tradition of Literary Excellence Award. The fun continues at 10 a.m. Saturday along Ackert Walkway (right next to the Chuck Berry Statue at Delmar Boulevard and Melville Avenue), where the Independent Bookstore Alliance will have a pop-up shop. The action then spreads to Loop businesses, where authors will conduct readings, host workshops and sign copies of their work. Lit in the Lou resumes action at 1 p.m. Sunday, with poetry and spoken-word performances at the Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design (6640 Delmar Boulevard) and Vintage Vinyl (6610 Delmar Boulevard). Have your pick at this outdoor literary fair -- it's like a harvest, but unlike vegetables, books can be picked up again and again. Admission to the cocktail party is $25, and all other events are free.
Sat., Oct. 11, 10 a.m.; Sun., Oct. 12, 1 p.m., 2014