The third annual Walker Percy Weekend is being held in St. Francisville, Louisiana. The first was at the time briefly noted in this space, and an organizer recently reached out to say “come on over” this year. (Not “come on over and we’ll cover the entry fee”, alas.)

If crawdad boils, bourbon crawls, and literature talkin’ don’t sell you outright, do consider this year’s theme: the centenary of Percy’s birth, which should lead to some timely ruminations. To see what I mean, consider the announced panels, specifically “The Moviegoer at 50″ and “Where all Good Men Belong: Walker Percy & Politics in Low-Down Times”, which concentrates on Love in the Ruins, itself 40 years old. Alienation and upheaval are themes dominating 2016 and bringing out a finer vintage of the same stuff can only help, if only in knowing what it is we’re tasting.

Speaking of which, let me suggest our own Carl Olson’s essay “Traveling with Walker Percy”, particularly on Percy and the modern malaise. It has a lot more to offer than a mere links post.

And if you go to the conference this June, report back! I searched in vain for an account of last year’s ambitious Catholic literature conference. It would be great to know which conferences and speakers are most worth the pilgrimages such events always entail.