“The Help” author Katherine Stockett signs a copy of her book in the museum gallery at Carnegie Hall last weekend. Stockett was the featured speaker at this year’s Lewisburg Literary Festival and brought the house down with her winning combination of Junior League looks and sailor’s tongue. She delighted the audience with the stories of growing up in Jackson, MS, being rejected 61 times by publishers as she tried to sell “The Help,” and about making the film with her long-time friends, Tate Taylor and Octavia Spencer. (Photo courtesy of Scott Miller)The Lewisburg Literary Festival featured a giant chalkboard in the city Green Space titled, “If I Kept One Book.” Festival goers used chalk to fill in the blanks with their favorite books, which included The Bible, “Alice in Wonderland,” the Harry Potter series, “The Catcher in the Rye” and a thesaurus. (Photo courtesy of Scott Miller)The Asylum hosted the Hunter S. Thompson lookalike contest on Friday night, and several contestants turned up in their Hawaiian shirts and bucket hats to vie for the grand prize, a trip to Las Vegas. Mayor John Manchester made a strong showing dressed as the late journalist as he appeared in his later years when he lived on a ranch in Colorado. Sarah Mansheim, managing editor of the Mountain Messenger, won the contest with the help of her attorney, Denise Pettijohn, aka Dr. Gonzo, a toy pistol and several vodka and grapefruit cocktails. In the photo, Manchester shares the stage with contest director and MC Derek Teaney. (Photo courtesy of Havenbrook Media)
