For Whom the (Montgomery) Bell Towles

Becca Zeglovitch, Next Chapter Society Council Chair

This year marked the 21st annual Nashville Public Library Literary Award Weekend. Events ran from November 14-15 and highlighted novelist Amor Towles. One major perk of Next Chapter Society membership is our invitation to volunteer throughout this weekend each year, and I am grateful to the foundation for giving us the opportunity to experience events that we might not otherwise be able to attend! On Friday, I volunteered to help with check-in at the First Edition Reception, a VIP gathering at Parnassus Books. We entered the store through a curtain of red velvet drapes and enjoyed passed appetizers, drinks, and a Q&A with Mr. Towles. Guests also received one of Towles’ recent novels, The Lincoln Highway, which tells the fictional story of four young men on a road trip from Nebraska to New York City over ten days in 1954. This was my second year in a row volunteering at the First Edition Reception, and it was once again a highlight of the weekend. Mr. Towles was in conversation with Brock Kidd, and spoke about his writing process and day-to-day routines. It was fascinating to hear how his stories come together, and inspiring to learn about his discipline!

I love that the entire community could benefit from Mr. Towles’ expertise at no cost at the Public Lecture on Saturday morning, thanks to the foundation and the weekend’s sponsors. If you missed this one, you can catch the recording here!

The big ticket item of the weekend was, of course, the annual Literary Award Gala. From the alternate location at Montgomery Bell Academy this year, which accommodated more guests than ever (breaking an attendance record!) to the elevated black and white photo booth, this year’s gala felt truly special. We were ushered into the expansive Currey Hall by the sound of birds chirping in the atrium, and were greeted by a bright red wraparound bar, mirrored check in desk, and a jazz trio playing under a projection of Mr. Towles’ initials. A rumor went around that the pianist usually plays with Hozier – one of my favorite artists! My volunteer duties included placing programs on chairs in the dining room and ushering guests out the doors as they departed, which left me plenty of time to mingle and enjoy the event as well.

The evening’s program included speeches from NPLF president Shawn Bakker, Mayor Freddie O’Connell,and presenting sponsor Carol Yochem from First Horizon, as well as Harold McGee, a visually impaired patron who made use of the library’s digital literacy support to learn how to access Zoom and feel more connected online. An underrated highlight of the gala program, in my opinion, is the presentation of the featured author’s portrait, which is commissioned each year by artist Michael Shane Neal and hangs in the main library. I always love seeing the author captured on canvas. At the conclusion of the event, guests were gifted a copy of Mr. Towles’ most recent work, Table For Two, a collection of six short stories and a novella. Hearing him explain that short stories actually vastly outsold novels in the first half of the 20th century with the explosion of periodicals made me excited to pick up his most recent release!