Summer 2008

The summer 2008 issue of Longleaf Style is out! Along with BeScene and the calendar, this issue features:

The Prince of Frogtown, book excerpt and a Q&A with Rick Bragg by Sherry Kughn
Picturing McClellan by Dan Whisenhunt
McClellan: In her words by Karen Harvey
Herb your Enthusiasm by Laura Tutor
Ruling over Greatness: Bob Motley, the only living umpire from the Negro Baseball League by Theresa Shadrix
Living Legends of the Negro Baseball League by Crystal Jarvis
Chilean Wine by Pat Kettles
The Blind Boys of Alabama by Nick Cenegy
Magical Daniel Wallace by Sherry Kughn
The Original Woodstock Run by Michael Gordon

To subscribe, please call 256-235-9253 or 866-814-9253.
You may purchase it at:
ANNISTON
Anniston Library
Anniston Museum
K-Mart
Tysons Frame
Walgreens
Wine Cellar

GADSDEN
Little Faces Doll Shop

OXFORD
Books-A-Million
Good Book Christian

Longleaf Style wins Gold and Silver GAMMA Award

ANNISTON, AL, May 9, 2008 — Longleaf Style magazine and Consolidated Publishing, Co. received two awards at the 19th annual GAMMA Awards banquet, May 6, 2007, presented by the Magazine Association of the Southeast (MAGS).

In recognition of work in 2007, Longleaf Style won a Gold Medal in the Best Essay category and a Silver medal for Single Best Cover.

• The Best Essay, You Have to Go Home Again by H. Brandt Ayers, a memoir about Willie Morris, was in the Summer 2007 issue. The GAMMA judge said, “In a short amount of space, H. Brandt Ayers is able to relate not only the life and work of a great editor and writer-Willie Morris-but he also evokes a place, a region (the American South), and the friendship he shared with Willie. One of the hallmarks of a great essay is its ability to convey so much information and mood in a limited number of words. Even if a reader were to know nothing about Willie Morris beforehand, he or she would come away understanding and admiring this person.”

• The Best Single Cover, a pink Gerbera photograph taken by David Walters of Avalon Studio in Anniston, Ala., was the Spring 2007 cover.

The Magazine Association of the Southeast is one of the largest magazine organizations in the U.S., with more that 100 titles among its membership. The GAMMA Awards recognizes editorial and design excellence in magazine publishing.

Longleaf Style is published four times annually by Consolidated Publishing and is distributed in Northeast Alabama. Longleaf Style began publication with the Summer 2006 issue. The full-color magazine covers a wide range of topics related to life in Alabama and the South. Profiles and features in 2007 included Kathryn Tucker Windham, Cal Breed, Hal Holbrook, Alabama folk art, and the first original short story by Pulitzer Prizewinning author, Rick Bragg.

Longleaf Style editor-in-chief, Josephine Ayers, said, “There we were among the leading magazines of the Southeast region and we could see that our sales effort, design, and editorial content stands up well to our peers. Winning these awards is not only an honor but also an incentive to be even more creative and successful with future issues.”

MAGS

Josephine Ayers, Jennifer Williams, Patrick Stokesberry and I are at the MAGS conference in Atlanta. Tomorrow will be a full day of workshops. There are editorial, management, sales and design sessions and each one addresses a variety of elements of magazines. Longleaf Style is two-years-old this summer and we really want to continue producing a magazine people are reading, and talking about. I'll post information about the workshops I attend later this week.

I'm not sure if this is showing my age, but I am actually also looking forward to hearing the keynote speaker at the conference, Steven Slon, who is the editor of AARP magazine. While I am still some years away from membership in AARP, the magazine seems to have revolutionized itself and is somewhat trendy. Plus, they must be doing something right if they have over four million readers ages 18-48 and 32 million over 50.

The MAGS banquet is tomorrow night and we will find out what GAMMA award Longleaf Style won...we are hoping for anything other than "Best Typo".

Rick Bragg Book Signings

I mentioned in a previous blog that Rick Bragg will have a book signing for The Prince of Frogtown at Books-A-Million in Oxford, AL on May 7 at 7: p.m.

Then, I received an email from Ellen Ward at FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, GA he will have a book signing on Wednesday, May 28th at 7pm. FoxTale Book Shoppe is located at 105 E. Main St., #138, Woodstock, GA 30188
770/516-9989, www.foxtalebookshoppe.com

So, if you can't make it on May 7 in Oxford, then you can try to attend the one on May 28th in Woodstock. Either way, be sure to have your Summer issue of Longleaf Style in hand for him to sign too!

Click HERE for Rick Bragg's book signing schedule.

Longleaf Moments

Let it be known that I am glad the Summer deadline is past and I feel alive once again! Yes, the Summer 2008 issue of Longleaf Style has gone to the printer!

I know I say this with every issue, but we are so excited about the Summer issue! It will feature stories on the Negro Baseball League and Bob Motley, the only living umpire from the Negro Baseball League. Also, profiles on author Daniel Wallace and Jimmy Carter, the only original member of The Blind Boys of Alabama, plus Chilean Wine and Growing Herbs.

We also have an excerpt from Rick Bragg's new book, The Prince ofFrogtown and a Q&A with Rick about the book. Seriously, this is another fabulous story from Rick. Mark your calendar because he will be at the Books-A-Million in Oxford on May 7 at 7 p.m. for a book signing for The Prince of Frogtown.

The Summer issue will mail out on May 6 and be available in stores that week. Speaking of stores, I'd like to welcome GoodBook Christian Store in Oxford as another location you can purchase Longleaf Style. I love going to GoodBook because Tim Skinner knows my taste in books and always has great recommendations for me...sad to say that it is a a rare find in bookstores today!

Oh, and we were notified last week that we won a GAMMA award from The Magazine Association of the Southeast or MAGS for 2007. We won't find out until the MAGS conference, May 6, but we are thrilled!

Our team has already started working on the Fall issue and it will be a bit on the edgy side. Stay tuned for more...

Kathryn Tucker Windham in Jacksonville

The JSU Continuing Education Department presents Kathryn Tucker Windham-The Ghost Lady Presents: The Art of Storytelling Workshop, this Sat., April 12, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. or 1:30-3:00 p.m. at the JSU McClellan Campus Auditorium. The cost is $20. For more information, call 256-782-5918

Ms. Windham was the personality feature in the Summer 2007 issue of Longleaf Style and everyone involved with the story simply fell in love with her. You need to attend this workshop and learn from a pro about the art of story telling!

That's Sew Gee's Bend

If you read about "That's Sew Gee's Bend" in the spring 2008 issue of Longleaf Style, you can see the quilters in person at the Noble Street Festival in Anniston on May 2. I received this from That's Sew Gee's Bend:

Sister quilters and entreprenuers from Gee's Bend, Alabama, Tinnie Dell and Minnie Mae Pettway will bring their collection of quilts, pot holders, wall art and other items from their company, That's SEW Gee's Bend, Incorporated to Anniston for the opening night of the Noble Street Festival on May 2nd from 6-10 pm.

Along with their daughter/niece and son-in-law Claudia and Frederick Charley who helped shape the company, they have been extremely busy since being incorporated in June of last year. They have been featured in newspapers (business section of the Montgomery Advertiser, The Anniston Star and Cleburne News) and magazines (Longleaf Style, spring edition 08'). They have also been displayed in regional museums, galleries and private shows such as the Mason Murer (Atlanta), Chris McNair Art Gallery and Museum (Birmingham), The Colonial Cottage in Heflin and recently the YWCA's "Arts of Passion" fundraiser for the programs for the women and children of the YWCA. They are also slated for shows in Gadsden and Sylacuaga, Alabama later this year. The sisters private collection line is called "Tinnie Pieces with Minnie Designs"

This "family owned for community unity" company, headquartered in Pell City, Alabama, is a business that wants to be more than the quilts that has made this town famous. That's SEW Gee's Bend also wants to enhance the town's sense of pride with future development and to bring jobs to the community through showing the history and "tastes" of Gee's Bend. The company is also preparing in the near future to represent any of the local quilters (not affiliated with the collective) who wants to have their quilt represented on their website (www.geesbend.net ) For any additional information call DeLon Charley at 205-473-1516 or Claudia Charley at 205-994-1979

That's SEW Gee's Bend is a separate entity and business and is not affiliated with the collective of quilters of Gee's Bend which is represented by Tinwood Alliance out of Atlanta, Georgia.

2006 Summer issue

I've posted a few articles from the Summer 2006 issue. Check them out!

The Essential Harry Case

Stone of Heaven: The Jade Exhibit at Berman Museum

Why Longleaf? Behind the magazine's name

The Magic of Fannie Flagg

If there is one thing about writing and editing, it is one should always be prepared.

Many folks in and around Anniston know Sherry Kughn from her previous article in Longleaf Style, her years working at The Anniston Star and her series of books on encouragement for Christian mothers. But, I learned Sherry is always up for a challenge.

Sherry expected to interview Alabama native Fannie Flagg, who lives in California, but had not scheduled a time with her publicist. One day, while shopping, Sherry's cell phone rang and it was Fannie Flagg! Sherry had to scramble around to find paper and didn't have any of her notes or questions. Graciously, Fannie not only called her back five minutes later, but read some questions Sherry emailed previously, then answered them! Sherry said Fannie was simply wonderful.

Look for more about Fannie Flagg, including where her new novel will be set, in the Spring 2008 issue of Longleaf Style.