By Christina Steube

University of Mississippi

The University of Mississippi is gearing up for the 2016 Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference.

This year’s theme, “Faulkner and the Native South” will allow writers, teachers, students and William Faulkner enthusiasts to learn about his work through five days of lectures and discussions in mid-July.

Participants will explore elements of the Choctaw, Chickasaw, European and African cultures and histories that Faulkner used in his writing.

Confernce highlights include a reading and discussion by Choctaw writer and filmmaker LeAnne Howe, panel presentations, guided daylong tours of north Mississippi and the Delta, and informational sessions on “Teaching Faulkner.” Faulkner collector Seth Berner will give a brown bag lunch presentation on “Collecting Faulkner,” and collaborators on the Digital Yoknapatawpha Project, a Faulkner database and mapping project at the University of Virginia, will present progress updates.

Throughout the conference, the university’s J.D. Williams Library will display Faulkner books, manuscripts, photographs and other memorabilia.

The conference begins July 17 with an opening reception at the University Museum and concludes July 21 with a closing party at Rowan Oak.

For more information about the conference, registration and schedule, visit http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/events/faulkner/.

Can’t make the conference but still want to learn about William Faulkner? Rowan Oak, Faulkner’s family home and part of the museum, is open to visitors.

June and July hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. From August to May, hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $5. For more information about Rowan Oak, visit http://museum.olemiss.edu/historic-homes/rowan-oak/.