Plus, take a class with a former Walt Disney sculptor.
 
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📖 What to expect at the James Baldwin Festival of Words

James Baldwin Festival of Words schedule announced
NOOGAtoday | James Baldwin Festival of Words
Support and celebrate local artists of African descent at this festival. | Photo provided by Vityl Media Group
The Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas will host the James Baldwin Festival of Words from Friday, Aug. 25 to Sunday, Aug. 27.

Named after the legendary novelist, essayist, playwright, and activist James Baldwin, the festival is intended to “showcase emerging + established local artists of African descent who are creating, innovating, and producing work in the literary arts.”

The three-day festival will have a full schedule of events for folks to enjoy. Here’s some of what you can expect:

Friday, Aug. 25

Sip, Paint & Spit: Open Mic Poetry Meets Paint | 6-10 p.m. | Chattanooga Theatre Centre | $20-$30 | Kick off the festival with an interactive open mic show, art instruction by Nathan Stepney, and live music from the NuBreed Band.

NOOGAtoday | James Baldwin Festival of Words

Local Black authors will have booths set up to sell + promote their books at the Literary Lounge event.

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Photo provided by Vityl Media Group

Saturday, Aug. 26

Literary Lounge: Black Author Marketplace | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Chattanooga Public Library (Downtown) | Free+ | Meet, support, and engage with local Black authors + enjoy activities for the kids, games, and giveaways.

“Always Do a Double Take” | 3 p.m. | Chattanooga Public Library | Free | Join local author Rita Hubbard for a workshop about how to uncover, research, and write about people from the past.

Excerpt from the James Baldwin Stage Play, “The Amen Corner” | 4:15 p.m. | Chattanooga Public Library (Downtown) | Free | See a performance paying homage to the author that will feature Marsha Mills + Carlos Davis.

“Who Said What” | 4:30 p.m. | Chattanooga Public Library | Free | This interactive game show + panel discussion with be led by Donivan Brown, Ricardo Morris, and Earl Braggs.

NOOGAtoday | James Baldwin Festival of Words

See artist performances from various genres at the final event of the festival.

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Photo provided by Vityl Media Group

Sunday, Aug. 27

Shades of Poetry Showcase | 6 p.m. | Chattanooga Theatre Centre | $0-$20 | This immersive showcase will feature artists of various genres like spoken word, hip-hop, fashion, and more.

Note: Several of the events are free to attend, but donations will be accepted + appreciated.
Full festival schedule
Events

Today, Aug. 8
  • Effective Brain Dumping | Tuesday, Aug. 8 | 6-7:30 p.m. | The Chattery, 1800 Rossville Ave., Chattanooga | $25 | Improve your productivity by learning effective “brain dumping” practices.
Wednesday, Aug. 9
  • Lookouts vs. Blue Wahoos | Wednesday, Aug. 9 | 7:15 p.m. | AT&T Field, 201 Power Alley, Chattanooga | $6-$11 | Cheer on the Lookouts + after the game kiddos can run the bases, weather permitting.
Thursday, Aug. 10
  • Ballet Esprit Celebrates the Landscape | Thursday, Aug. 10 | 6-7 p.m. | Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View Ave., Chattanooga | Price of admission | See Ballet Esprit perform an exhibition-inspired dance.
  • Sound Bath & Meditation | Thursday, Aug. 10 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Crabtree Farms, 1000 E. 30th St., Chattanooga | $30 | Experience the power of sound and meditation with Allie Rowell of Lamp & Key Healing Arts.
Friday, Aug. 11
  • “Dear Hip Hop: Poetry & Storytelling of When We Met Hip Hop” | Friday, Aug. 11 | 6-9 p.m. | The Chattery, 1800 Rossville Ave., Chattanooga | Free, RSVP | Celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with a guided conversation from Velvet Poetry, trivia hosted by DJ MCPRO, and a panel discussion with local creatives.
  • S’mores and Storytelling | Friday, Aug. 11 | 7:30-8:45 p.m. | Audubon Acres, 900 N. Sanctuary Rd., Chattanooga | $7-$10 | Enjoy a night around the campfire with s’mores and storytelling from Latta Johnston.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
Arts

How to lock in low-priced tickets to Broadway shows this season
Sophie Stromberg, Vivianne Neely, Valeria Velasco, Kenzie Rees, Riglee Ruth Bryson and Bronte Harrison in the National Tour of ANNIE.
Subscribers score free same-show ticket exchanges, the opportunity to purchase additional tickets before the general public sale, and an invitation to the 2024-2025 season launch party. | Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
Attention Broadway lovers: Subscriptions to the 2023-2024 season of Broadway at the Memorial Auditorium are now on sale. Choose from 6-, 5-, 4-, and 3-show packages while locking in the lowest price of the season.

The 2023-2024 season includes showings of “The Book of Mormon,” “Come From Away,” “Annie,” “Jagged Little Pill,” “Mean Girls,” and Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

Pro tip: Subscribers also secure their spot for “Hamilton” in next year’s season.
See the shows + browse package options
News Notes
Civic
  • Soddy-Daisy commissioners have adopted a new ordinance on camping regulations. It is now prohibited to camp on city property. Note: The ordinance only applies to public property, not private property. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Development
  • Local investment company Historic Holdings recently acquired four historic apartment buildings in the downtown area. Hardwick Hogshead Apartments, Fitzgerald Apartments, Fort Wood Apartments, and Eight59 Flats were purchased for a total of $26.5 million. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Health
  • Erlanger has appointed Dr. Jensen Hyde as its chief medical officer, marking the first woman in the health system’s history to hold the position. Dr. Hyde’s role will shape “the strategic direction of Erlanger and ensure that the highest standards of medical care are maintained across the health system.”
Traffic
  • W. 26th Street (between Cowart Street + Williams Street) will be closed now through Friday, Aug. 18 for construction. Detours will be posted.
Edu
  • Applications are open for the Quality Matters Fund (QMF), a tuition assistance fund for childcare teachers. QMF will qualify for those enrolled at UTC or ChattState. Apply by Thursday, Aug. 10 for help towards ChattState’s upcoming fall semester.
Sports
  • The Chattanooga Titans Fans Club will host a preseason watch party for the team’s game against the Chicago Bears. The party is at TailGate Brewery (1464 Market St.) beginning at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12. RSVP.
Arts
  • Blaise Gauba, a former Walt Disney sculptor, will teach a toy, figurine + collectibles sculpting class at ClearStory Arts. The three-week workshop will begin on Saturday, Aug. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more and sign up.
Today Is
  • Tennessee’s Celebration of Emancipation. Each year, Aug. 8 marks when the then Military Gov. of Tennessee Andrew Johnson emancipated his own slaves in 1863, even though Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation did not apply to the state at the time.
Fact or Fiction
  • You can use your Roku device without an internet connection — fact or fiction? See the answer.*
 
Read

📚
Book recs from book lovers

Book recommendations from local book store workers
NOOGAtoday | The Book & Cover
Stop by one of Chattanooga’s local book stores to pick up your next read. | | Photo by NOOGAtoday
Calling all bibliophiles. Did you know that Wednesday, Aug. 9 is National Book Lovers Day?

In honor of the day, we asked our friends at The Book & Cover + McKay’s Chattanooga to share some book recommendations with our readers.

Recs from The Book & Cover

“The Daydreams” by Laura Hankin
  • “Let the rain fall down and wake (your) dreams… and find you reading this early 2000s tween dream of a book. Deliciously nostalgic and also surprisingly hopeful. You’ll want it to hit you, baby, one more time.” — Sarah Jackson, Co-owner
  • Purchase online.

Recs from McKay’s

“Love, Theoretically” by Ali Hazelwood
  • “If you loved the Barbie movie, but wish it had more theoretical physics, you’ll love this book. Full of fake dating women in STEM and heartwarming romance. It’s the perfect book for the last hot days of summer.” — Heather
  • Pro tip: Find this novel in the contemporary romance aisle.
Looking to add more to your TBR pile? Check out our list of books written by local authors.
Four more books to check out
 
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The Wrap
 
Kristen Templeton

Today’s edition by:
Kristen Templeton
From the editor
It feels appropriate to round out this book-themed newsletter with a recommendation of my own. I recently finished the “The Book of Goose” by Yiyun Li and absolutely adored it. It’s a coming-of-age novel about friendship, identity, and strength of will. Pro tip: I picked up my copy at The Book & Cover.
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