Author Ann Patchett, winner of both the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award welcomed PLA to her hometown of Nashville, starting first with an apology for Thursday’s rainy, tornado-producing weather.

Seeking refuge from the storm turned out to be a theme of Ms. Patchett’s talk as she told tales of people in today’s difficult economic circumstances seeking comfort at home, with family and, not surprising from an author speaking to this audience, through books. She observed that for people stretched to the limit, libraries are shining places, models of equality that exist no where else in our government. Everyone is welcome in the library and the books are free. This, she said, was something we should all be most proud of.

Books offer life lessons and Ms. Patchett told her audience that in these uncertain times not a few of the classics stand to remind today’s stressed out readers how not to live their lives. Those thinking of turning to alcohol to dull of the pain of a severely diminished 401(k) might just want to pick up Malcolm Lowry’s Under the Volcano. Those thinking extra-marital affair will reconsider after a few volumes of Updike or Roth or a re-reading of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. However, Patchett warned against picking up Gabriel García Márquez at this time.

She mentioned a few of her own recent favorite escapes, books that left her bereft when forced out of them and back into the real world:Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh; Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi; Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke and The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa.

Patchett concluded her talk with advice on amazing things to see while visiting Nashville. First was Nashville’s Parthenon, especially the Athena. At almost 42’ and an estimated 12 tons, she is the largest piece of indoor sculpture in the Western World. The Natchez Trace was another favorite Patchett urged librarians to see while in town. Also on Patchett’s list was local BBQ place Hog Heaven. Though a vegetarian, Patchett, who writes for Gourmet magazine, was asked to review BBQ restaurants. She held a taste-testing and Hog Heaven won out. Another local restaurant and Nashville institution is Monell’s, a place Patchett has been visiting since childhood. Finally, though she admits that she resisted for a long while and is more of a blue grass fan, she recommended the Country Music Hall of Fame. Patchett said it took the coaxing of her friend and Nashville Public Library director Donna Nicely to finally get her there and she should have visited sooner.

Ann Patchett’s appearance at the PLA Spring Symposium was organized at the last minute when the author originally scheduled, Adriana Trigiani, had to cancel due to illness. Despite the short notice, Patchett pulled it together with a great talk, concluding by saying that she appreciated the support librarians have given her and was happy to have the chance to support librarians. PLA thanks sponsor HarperCollins for their sponsorship of the event. Patchett’s new book is Run.