Pulpwood Queens - Girlfriend Weekend

Girlfriend Weekend

Its annual convention, Girlfriend Weekend, is held each January. Pat Conroy, author of Prince of Tides and South of Broad, was a keynote speaker at the 2010 conference. Conroy returned in 2011 and was joined by 40 other authors, including New York Times bestsellers Fannie Flagg, author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe, Jamie Ford, who penned Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and Jeannette Walls, whose first book, The Glass Castle, stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 100 weeks. As a result, the 2011 event sold out.

The final night of Girlfriend Weekend is The Great Big Ball of Hair Ball, where club members and authors wear costumes based on a theme. In 2010, the party celebrated The Wizard of Oz. In 2011, the costumes were based on the event's theme: "It's all about the story." Attendees dressed as characters out of their favorite books.

In a February 2010 article, the Texas Observer described the weekend as "fast becoming one of the most important literary events in America." And the Marshall News Messenger, in Marshall, Texas, wrote that the event is for men too, with members known as the Timber Guys.