Tag: books

Sims Library Members’s Tea

Sims Memorial Library will host the annual Friends of Sims Library Marjorie Morrison Memorial Members’ Tea on Saturday, March 8, at 2 p.m. Guests will enjoy a variety of teas and a selection of sandwiches and pastries. Bottomless mimosas will be available as well for $10.

Author Whitney Collins is the featured speaker, and the doors will open at 1:45 p.m.

Sims Memorial Library Director David Sesser said that “Collins is the prize-winning author of two books of intriguing short stories, Big Bad (2021) and Ricky and Other Love Stories (2024).  Collins has been described as ‘fiercely imaginative and devastatingly astute,’ ‘wickedly funny,’ and ‘unflinchingly honest.’ Her stories have appeared in a wide variety of journals and collections, and she has been awarded several major national awards for short fiction, including the Pushcart Prize.”

“The tea is free to Friends of Sims Library members. Those who renew their membership at the associate or patron level may reserve one additional complimentary seat for a guest. Friends at the Lifetime level may reserve a complimentary table for four,” Sesser said. “The cost for non-members is $35, which includes admission to the tea and an individual membership for 2025-26.  Additionally, this year the Friends are offering a special VIP event before the Tea, a meet-and-greet with the author.  Guests will receive a copy of one of Collins’ books, champagne, light refreshments, and a chance to chat with the author.  The event starts at 1:00 p.m., and a separate VIP ticket will be available for $25.”

Payments can be made securely online at southeastern.edu/librarytea. The deadline for online reservations is Wednesday, March 5.

For more information about membership or the tea, email FOSL@southeastern.edu or call 985-549-2186.

“Bayou Dilemma” Book Launch Reception

Visit the Southeastern Alumni Visitor Center on November 14 to celebrate the launch of Bayou Dilemma: Louisiana in Crisis and Change. Scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m., the event is free and open to the public.

In the fall of 2022 a diverse group of leading Louisiana scholars, along with Governor John Bel Edwards, gathered for a symposium hosted at Southeastern to present views on the challenges that define life in Louisiana. As a product of the symposium, the book was born.

“The book includes contributions from renowned scientists, historians, political scientists, geographers, and journalists, including Robert Mann, Pearson Cross, and Adam Fairclough, among others,” said Samuel Hyde, professor of history and director of the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies at Southeastern, who edited the volume. “It offers an unprecedented compilation of studies examining the social, political, environmental, and economic hurdles pervasive to the Gulf South that prove acute in Louisiana.”

The book contributors will be honored at the reception, where Southeastern President William S. Wainwright will preside, and former Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne will provide a short presentation on the new book’s relevance and potential impact on future policy planning in Louisiana. Books will be available for purchase, courtesy of Bayou Booksellers in Hammond, and the contributors will be on hand for book signings.

For more information on the book launch/reception or the book itself, contact the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies at 985-549-2151 or email selahistory@southeastern.edu.