For media inquiries and speaking requests, please contact Mary here.
Events:
Forthcoming
January 13, 2024, Noon–2 pm: The Book Exchange, 101 West Laurel Ave, Foley, Alabama, presentation on Boyington Oak and trilogy mystery series books available—Fatal Entanglements, Entangled Web, Web of Deception.
Saturday & Sunday, May 4 & 5, 2024: The 4th Annual Boyington Oak Festival, including the 6th production of Mary’s play The Truth is in the Tree. Flyer.
2023
Mary did a presentation on Boyington Oak: A Grave Injustice at the Fairhope Museum of History, Fairhope, AL, on October 28.
New interview with Mary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbDLUbJpUYA&t=30s
Web of Deception, the third book in the Entanglement series, is now available!Saturday & Sunday, May 20 & 21, 2023: The 3rd Annual Boyington Oak Festival, including the 5th Production of Mary’s play The Truth is in the Tree.
2022
The Mock Trial of Charles R. S. Boyington (November 1834) Saturday & Sunday, November 5 & 6, 2022, 2 p.m. at the Conde-Charlotte Museum House Courtyard, 104 Theatre St. (Mobile's first courthouse and jail, where Charles R. S. Boyington was incarcerated). A play based on the book Boyington Oak: A Grave Injustice by Mary S. Palmer. Mary signed books prior to and after the play. Price of book: $20. Event flyer
Good news! Through the efforts of House Representative Victor Gaston and Senator Chris Elliott HB 104 has been passed unanimously and Governor Ivey signed it into law. I made an application for a posthumous pardon to the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles in Montgomery, Alabama and the matter is being pursued. The Lede online magazine published a long article regarding this on April 16.
March 4 & 5: Meet the Authors booth at the Monroeville Literary Festival
February 12, 2022, 10 am: a presentation to the Genealogical Society in Foley at Foley Public Library. Saturday, January 23, 1 pm: Book launch for Mississippi Mojo … and Murder at the Oakleigh House Museum, 300 Oakleigh Place, Mobile AL2021
October 28 at 6 p.m. Presentation at Wetumpka, AL Public Library
November 18 at 11 a.m. Presentation at Satsuma, AL Public Library
November 24 at 11 a.m. Presentation at Foley, AL Public Library
Boyington Oak Festival
Dates: May 29 & repeated May 30, 2021, 1 p.m.
Oakleigh House Museum (300 Oakleigh Place, Mobile, AL 36604)
Events:
Play – The Truth is in the Tree, written by Mary S. Palmer
Book – Boyington Oak: A Grave Injustice, Mary S. Palmer, author
Museum Tour & Trolley /BusTour
historicmobile.org for reservations
I interviewed with the Alabama State Council of the Arts which aired on Troy Public Radio - WTSU-FM Wed. 3/17/21: Joey Brackner/Mary Palmer podcast
2020
Remembrances: a play about the unjust execution of Charles Boyington.
Performed October 24, 2020, at historic Oakleigh House Museum.
Photos from the performance.
March 13, 2020: Boyington Oak: A Grave Injustice Book Discussion & Signing
GulfQuest, 155 S Water St, Mobile, Alabama
facebook.com/events/612564379537665/
2019
November 2019: Boyington Oaks: A Grave Injustice released by Universal Publishing. Article.
Short stories published in NEGATIVE CAPABILITY anthologies:
In Secrets—“The Reverend Reminisces”
In Alabama Places in Our Hearts—“Raisin’ Cain”
October 17, 2019: I discussed the Boyington Oak book in the University of South Alabama Marx Library Auditorium in Mobile, AL.
My introduction to the ROUNDTABLE: REVISITING GEORGE WALLACE FIFTY YEARS LATER was the first article in The Alabama Review July 2019, Vol. 72, No. 3. The entire article takes up half the book. It's peer reviewed and published by the Alabama Historical Association in cooperation with The University of Mobile.
April 26, 2019: I had a book signing at MOBILE BOOKSELLER.
April 25, 2019: I did a presentation on Tourism Writing at Faulkner University's Scholars’ Day in Montgomery.
2018
November 8–11, 2018: I was a commentator for the Southern Historical Association's panel Reassessing George Wallace, along with Wallace biographer Jeff Frederick (Stand Up for Alabama).
November 8–11, 2018: I was a commentator for the Southern Historical Association's panel, along with Wallace biographer Jeff Frederick (Stand Up for Alabama), Reassessing George Wallace.
October 18 and 19, 2018: Institute of Faith and the Academy Annual Conference at Faulkner University in Montgomery, AL. My abstract was accepted and I was on the program dealing with faith and learning. The title of my speech was TOURISM WRITING: A NEW GENRE PROVIDES A CHALLENGE IN WRITING.
September 2018: Tourism Writing: A New Genre Unveiling the History, Mystery and Economy of Places and Events, the book for the Faulkner University Grant was released by the publisher, Universal Publishers, BrownWalker Press in California.
August 2018: A true biography of the daughter of a murderess that moves from crime to psychology to inspiration, titled Who Am I? Who Are You? was released.
I’ve completed Tourism Writing: A New Genre Unveiling the History, Mystery and Economy of Places and Events for the Faulkner University Grant; the publisher, Universal Publishers, BrownWalker Press in California, released it in August 2o18.
January 26, 2018: Cullman High School—Presentation on Wallace book to Science of History Class
2017
On March 31, 2017, Mary S. Palmer presented Congressman Bradley Byrne with a copy of her recent books. In TIME WILL TELL (2017) is a blurb about Byrne's presenting her with a plaque at the Mobile Carnival Museum October 15, 2014, for her short story about Mobile's Mardi Gras, RAISIN' CAIN, which won the Southeastern Literary Tourism Initiative Award of $500. Congressman Byrne also commented on the new genre of Tourism Writing on the floor of the House of Representatives and his remarks are permanently preserved in the Congressional Record Proceedings and Debates of the 113th Congress, Second Session, September 18, 2014. In addition, Mary presented him with her biography of George Wallace, GEORGE WALLACE: AN ENIGMA (2016).
2016 Hackney Literary Awards: My short story THE CONCRETE BLOCK WALL won first prize for (Alabama) short story. $600. It was published in the Birmingham Arts Journal.
Saturday, February 11,
2017: Guided Bus Tours of Blakeley’s Civil War Battlefield and Inaugural “Alabama Authors Day”
Two special events focused on Alabama’s rich history--a guided bus tour of our battlefield, site of Alabama’s largest Civil War battle and brief presentations and discussions with several accomplished local authors who have recently published works based in Alabama’s storied past. Book signings followed the presentations. Authors at this special event included Mary S. Palmer, Faulkner University English Lecturer:
George Wallace: An Enigma.
The second edition of the science-fiction thriller TIME WILL TELL was released February 3, 2017, by Decadent Publishing.
2016
George Wallace: An Enigma
GEORGE WALLACE: AN ENIGMA, a factual account of the life of Alabama’s most controversial and divisive governor, has been released by Intellect Publishing in hardcover, paperback, and for Kindle; see GeorgeWallaceBook.com.
Launch parties:
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Barnes & Noble, Eastern Shore Center, AL
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Page & Palette Book Cellar, 32 S. Section St., Fairhope, AL 36532
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016
Faulkner University Library, 5345 Atlanta Hwy, Montgomery, AL 36109
2016 Hackney Literary Awards: My short story THE CONCRETE BLOCK WALL won first prize for (Alabama) short story. $600. It was published in the Birmingham Arts Journal.
WKRG-TV (Channel 5) interview at Barnes & Noble, Eastern Shore Center, Dec. 3, 2016: wkrg.com/2016/12/03/local-author-pens-book-on-enigmatic-wallace
History Personified podcast interview with Mary: http://www.historypersonified.com/2016/12
2015
Saturday, October 10: Pensters Writing Group Presentation, Campus of the University of South Alabama in Fairhope, AL. Topic: You Can if You Think You Can—The focus is on motivation for entering writing contests and coauthoring advantages and disadvantages.
June 3: Presentation in Pascagoula, MS to the Mississippi Retired Teachers' Assn.
May 20: Presentation to a group at the Country Club of Mobile, AL
April 11: My story Mama Made It was featured on a BTS Book Reviews’ Free Read Friday—read it here: http://btsemag.com/editorials/mama-made-it-by-mary-s-palmer/
TIME WAS, the third installment in my science-fiction trilogy, was released by Musa Publishing Company January 2, 2015. In it, extraterrestrials needing help from Earthling's to save their leader's life send a meteor to Earth to force the issue. People from around the United States and from other countries have shown a great interest in it. Some have the first two in the series—TIME WILL TELL and QUESTION OF TIME and they seem eager to read this one.
2014
October 11, 2014: My play ONE LIFE, MUCH INFLUENCE, about Fr. Francis Murphy, an Irish priest in Mobile, was a huge success and the 93-year-old priest, now Msgr. Frank Murphy of St. Dominic Parish, immensely enjoyed reliving his life. It was a sellout of about 250 people.
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Also, the Awards Presentation, held October 15, 2014, for my story “Raisin’ Cain” was very well attended—about 50 people came to it at the Mobile Carnival Museum. Congressman Bradley Byrne presented me with a plaque as the Winner of the 2014 Selti Award. Archbishop Thomas Rodi, Mobile City Councilman Fred Richardson, FSCC Language Arts Chairperson Dr. Maria Willis and FU Director at Mobile, Dr. Sue Walker of USA, a former Poet Laurete of Alabama, Mrs. Diane Newell, the Director at the Mobile Campus of Faulkner University, Patrick Miller, Selti Founder, and Kathryn Lang, Director of Selti, were present, along with other people. (See selti.org to read the story).
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Dr. Sue Walker from the University of South Alabama is going to include Tourism Fiction in her course next fall; it’s the first time the subject will be taught in college.
Tourism Award
Mary S. Palmer and Dr. Sue Brannan Walker were recognized for promoting tourism by U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne from the floor of Congress on September 18.
Palmer’s short story, “Raisin’ Cain,” won the Southeastern Literary Tourism Initiative (SELTI) award. “Professor Palmer’s story highlighted the family-friendly nature of Mobile’s Mardi Gras,” Byrne said.
“Dr. Walker,” he said, “is using the examples of tourism writing to challenge her students to compose original short works of literature that encourage readers to visit the places included in the stories.”
Dr. Walker, an English professor at the University of South Alabama, is a former Poet Laureate of Alabama. Mary Palmer, a professor at Faulkner University, is the author of nine novels and an officer in the Baldwin Writers Group.
According to the Alabama Tourism Department, which co-sponsors the contest, $11 billion was spent by over 24 million visitors last year in Alabama. SELTI director Patrick Miller manages the literary content and can be contacted at literary tourism@aol.com.
(from Great Days Outdoors Magazine-Nov. 2014—By John Nolan White)
Read “Raisin’ Cain”
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My Mardi Gras-themed short story “Raisin’ Cain” is the first-place winner of the Mobile Bay SELTI Tourism Writing Contest, sponsored by the Southeastern Literary Tourism Initiative and the Alabama Tourism Department.
My story “Double Indemnity” was published in Faulkner University’s literary journal, Images in Ink. I also judged a poetry contest for Faulkner University's Mobile Campus.
2013 and earlier
Toginet Radio Interview with Mary about Chance for Redemption
My play, MURDER MOST SOUTHERN was produced in 2013 by the Mobile Mystery Dinner Theater.
A fantasy novella, JOE AND JO, which was originally a screenplay, was awarded Third Place in the 2005 Eugene Walter Writer’s Fest.