Category Archives: Uncategorized

It was a real joy and challenge to review Appalachian Reckoning, a new anthology edited by Anthony Harkins and Meredith McCarroll. This book brings together a collection of responses to the huge and problematic phenomenon of J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy. I like … Continue reading →

I’m thrilled to share my Q&A with the wonderful Maurice Carlos Ruffin. I can’t express how exciting it is to see my friend’s debut novel, We Cast A Shadow, doing so well. We are both longtime members of the great … Continue reading →

I’m so excited to share my review of Cary Holladay’s new short story collection (plus one novella), Brides in the Sky. Holladay’s fiction usually dives deeply into Virginia landscapes or roams across a settler’s vision of the long-ago West. And she … Continue reading →

Reviewing Dani Shapiro’s most recent memoir, Inheritance, was a great gig. There’s so much to consider in this fascinating, quick-reading book, especially in light of her previous memoirs (Like Slow Motion, Hourglass, and Devotion), all of which touch on the very subject matter … Continue reading →

Last month, I had the opportunity to review a unique guide to energy-based spiritual practices and meditations, written by a man who has played a fascinating role in in our culture for over 20 years–Damien Echols, known as the most … Continue reading →

I had the chance to write some thoughts on the new novel from East Tennessee writer Charles Dodd White. In the House of Wilderness presses into that great territory loved by all of us Southern writers: how our landscape can nourish us … Continue reading →

Writing for Chapter 16 is such a blissy gig, especially when it entails reviewing a powerhouse talent like Tiana Clark and her debut collection, I Can’t Talk About The Trees Without The Blood. Clark is a necessary poetic voice in Southern … Continue reading →