The Ballroom Book Bash at the Highland Inn

The Ballroom Book Bash at the Highland Inn began by accident, but it has become one of the best things we do and one of the things that remind us why we do what we do.

A couple of years ago, we got the opportunity to host an event with legendary Scottish writer Irvine Welsh, and at the time our friend Marc Fitten, editor of The Chattahoochee Review, told us that, around the corner from our store, in the basement of the funky old former residence hotel, The Highland Inn, there was this really cool old ballroom that the owners were interested in turning into a place for events and that it might be a perfect spot to present a writer like Welsh.

It was. We had a packed house, music by Hubcap City, adult beverages and a grand time. We decided that we'd have to make this a regular thing.

So when (at that time) local author Karen Abbott came out with her bestselling whorehouse history, Sin in the Second City, we booked the room, some burlesque dancers, Bernadette Seacrest and had another bawdy bash.

Since then, the Ballroom Lounge has established itself as an in-town favorite, with its vintage, speakeasy-style bar/lounge area and the charming, dimly lit atmosphere of the ballroom itself. (If those walls could talk...)

This past Tuesday night, we hosted probably the best Ballroom Book Bash since these initial forays. N. Frank Daniels was the featured author, with his semi-autobiographical novel Futureproof, just out from HarperPerrennial. The band was Schwarzkommando, playing improvisational arty rock with lyrics by Thomas Pynchon.

Daniels read a beautiful, haunting, stark passage from his book, answered questions from the audience on everything from his life as a heroin addict to how he found an agent, and signed copies of his book well into the night.

We are living in very interesting times in every way imaginable, and as much so in the world of book selling, publishing and reading as anywhere. And Daniels really is an example of the "new paradigm," as he calls it, having initially posted his writing online, then, bolstered by the positive feedback, publishing it himself as a print-on-demand title until ultimately getting a deal with a major New York publisher.

One of the ways that A Cappella views the new reality of the world of books is that, yes, reading is now done in many ways besides between bound covers, and buying books is done in many ways besides visiting your local bookstore. But the work that authors do is as significant, maybe moreso, as it has ever been. And by connecting authors with their readers, and in contexts beyond the simple bookstore setting, we are trying to bring attention to the centrality of what writers have to say to the greater culture around them, no matter how far from the traditional printed word that culture might be moving.

So, we plan for the Ballroom Book Bash to continue entrenching itself as an intown Atlanta literary institution. Economic bubbles and technological breakthroughs and other political/societal realities will always have their way with cultural tastes and trends, but distinctive places, intelligent conversation, convivial times with friends and strangers, original music and great writing will always be central to any life worth living. So damn the recession, we're gonna keep throwing book parties!

And, next up, this Spring, we'll celebrate with Marc Fitten, who got this whole thing rolling, as he introduces his fantastic debut novel, Valeria's Last Stand. Stay tuned here for details...