Knox County Public Library is pleased to partner with Knoxville Walking Tours to provide special downtown excursions exploring East Tennessee’s literary and artistic heritage on select Saturdays. Storyteller Laura Still will guide these library-tailored tours through the stomping grounds of some of Knoxville’s most creative citizens.
Each tour lasts 90 minutes and will start in front of Lawson McGhee Library. Come light rain or come shine, the tour will go on. The tours are free and available for library cardholders only. Advanced registration through the Knox County Library is required. Register now.
Sept 25: Explore Knoxville with James Agee
See Knoxville through the poetic eye of James Agee, and learn how the city of his birth influenced the work of one of Tennessee’s greatest writers. We will visit the places Agee would recognize today and travel back to 1915 to imagine Knoxville in his childhood.
October 23: Ghostly Knoxville
The sunny streets of Knoxville may be peaceful today but have a long history of violence and bloodshed. Take a walk on the shadow side and find out where restless spirits, ha’nts, and magical creatures may be lurking in the twilight hours.
November 13: Scenes from Suttree (and other stories)
Knoxville has inspired more than one writer as a setting for novels and stories. Stroll through scenes from Cormac McCarthy’s Suttree and listen to descriptions of our city in novels, stories, and poems. Not to mention the movies!
Past Tours
If you missed these tours when they were free, or just want to go again without the crowd, give us a call and we’d be happy to arrange it.
August 21: Reading, Writing, and the Struggle for the Vote
Knoxville women have a proud heritage of misbehaving in the cause of justice. In the early 20th century, they formed their own literary societies to debate ideas, they wrote books that are still read across the world, they started schools for girls and taught them how to read, write and speak for themselves, and they ran libraries that admitted everyone whatever their race, color, or creed. Plus, they were leaders in the 70-year struggle to gain women’s right to vote. This is not a tour for the faint of heart. Register now. If you’re not a library card holder, or want to do the tour at a different time, Call 865-309-4522.
July 17: Literary Heritage
From George Washington Harris and Frances Hodgson Burnett to Cormac McCarthy and Nikki Giovanni, Knoxville has been home to writers who helped create and expand American Literature. On this tour we’ll visit the scenes that inspired them and walk in the footsteps of their characters. We’ll talk about other Knoxville writers also, as well as a few visitors whose writing was inspired by their time in Knoxville. Register now. If you’re not a library card holder, or want to do the tour at a different time, Call 865-309-4522.
June 26: Knoxville’s Black Writers and Artists
Stroll the streets that inspired Knoxville’s Black artists, musicians, and writers: Howard Howard Armstrong (Louie Bluie), Brownie and Stick McGhee, Leola Manning, Beauford and Joseph Delaney, and author Nikki Giovanni. This tour is still available by reservation at the regular price. Call 865-309-4522.
