Ray

Lord, Lord.

That was a phrase my dear friend Ray Andrews used in his books, his letters, and in person. He was an astonishing man, and I loved him dearly. That he will have been gone from us for 20 years in November 2011 seems impossible.

Fortunately, The Georgia Review is sponsoring a two-day event on Ray and his work and the new issue of the Review that focuses on this important Georgia author.

Here's a terrific story from Flagpole in Athens:

http://flagpole.com/Weekly/Features/RaymondAndrews-6Oct10

I'm part of the festivities (a small part) and it will be a joy to focus on Ray and what his work has meant to so many. There will also be a screening of Jesse Freeman's terrific hour-long film on Ray.

Here's info from the Georgia Review website:

On Wednesday, October 13, at Ciné (234 West Hancock Avenue in Athens), The Georgia Review will host an opening reception from 6 to 7 p.m., followed  by the Freeman film from 7 to 8 and a panel discussion of Raymond Andrews’ work and life from 8 to 9. The panelists will be Gildner, Shirley Andrews Lowrie (Raymond’s sister), Judy Long, and Philip Lee Williams, with Georgia Review editor Stephen Corey moderating.

On Thursday, October 14, from 4 to 5:15 p.m. in room 250 of UGA’s Miller Learning Center (48 Baxter St. at South Lumpkin St.), attendees will be treated to a panel discussion titled “Preserving Literary History:  The Raymond Andrews Papers at Emory University.” The participants will be Gildner, Randall Burkett (curator of African American Collections for the Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library at Emory), and Randy Latimer (nephew of Raymond Andrews and co-executor of the author’s estate). Douglas Carlson, an assistant editor of The Georgia Review, will serve as moderator.
       
Back at Ciné on the evening of the 14^th, beginning at 7 p.m., Gary Gildner will read from his Georgia Review essay “Remembering Raymond Andrews,” and then Reginald McKnight and Natasha Trethewey will read selections from Andrews’ work.

Come Wednesday and Thursday night to celebrate Ray and The Georgia Review.