Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

Master Class

In Morning, Noon, and Night, Arnold Weinstein writes a moving testament to the persistent power of literature

May 10, 2011 Library shelves are heavy with testimonials to the value of literature: more recently, Harold Bloom’s The Western Canon and How to Read and Why, or, for the previous generation, the works of Northrop Frye or Charles Van Doren, to name only a few. Arnold Weinstein’s Morning, Noon, and Night deviates from the formula chiefly by steering away from pedagogical sermons and, instead, inviting its readers to examine themselves through life’s stages—growing up and growing old; innocence and experience; love and death—with a verve and generosity atypical of literary criticism. In fact, it’s almost unfair to call Morning, Noon, and Night a work of criticism; it stands more as an act of interpretive advocacy.

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Hip-Hop Homeboys

Ben Westhoff’s new book finds hip-hop born again in the South

May 9, 2011 In the introduction to his new book, Dirty South, Ben Westhoff outlines the New York origins of rap, its transformation into a unique West Coast style, and the deadly rivalries that created real body counts between the warring factions. But the real focus of Dirty South is the rise of a third front that finds artists and groups from below the Mason-Dixon Line dominating the charts and soaking up the spotlights. It’s a style that emphasizes danceable bass and favors grunts and chants over metaphor-heavy lyrics. More than just a music book, Dirty South is an exploration of the racism, poverty, joie de vivre, and pride that are all a part of the art and lives of some of the biggest rap artists in the South and the world. Along the way, Westhoff plays equal parts flatfoot reporter and gonzo journalist, immersing himself—and his readers—in a culture that is as vibrant and provocative as the music it’s become known for. Westhoff will discuss Dirty South at DK Booksellers in Memphis on May 9 at 6 p.m.

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The Unionist in East Tennessee: Captain William K. Byrd and the Mysterious Raid of 1861

The Unionist in East Tennessee: Captain William K. Byrd and the Mysterious Raid of 1861

The Unionist in East Tennessee: Captain William K. Byrd and the Mysterious Raid of 1861

by Marvin Byrd
The History Press
192 pages
$21.99

During the Civil War, Tennessee was perhaps the most conflicted state in the Confederacy. Allegiance to either side could mean life or death, as Union militia captain and longtime Tennessee native William K. Byrd discovered in the fall of 1861 when he and his men were ambushed by a band of Confederate sympathizers and infantrymen. This unauthorized raid led to the arrest of thirty-five men and the death of several others. Details of this mysterious skirmish have remained buried in archives and personal accounts for years. Now, for the first time, A Unionist in East Tennessee uncovers a dramatic yet forgotten chapter of Civil War history.

–From the Publisher

Quitter

Quitter

Quitter

By Jon Acuff
Lampo Press
256 pages
$19.99

Have you ever felt caught between the tension of a day job and a dream job? That gap between what you have to do and what you d love to do?

–From the Publisher

Civil Rights History from the Ground Up: Local Struggles, a National Movement

Civil Rights History from the Ground Up: Local Struggles, a National Movement

Civil Rights History from the Ground Up: Local Struggles, a National Movement

Edited by Emilye Crosby
University of Georgia Press
510 pages
$26.95

“Engaging and accessible for nonspecialists and thought provoking for scholars, this well-written, feisty book offers cutting-edge historiography, tools for teachers, and insights for all of us. It is a must read for anyone interested in the freedom struggle and in a just, democratic society.”

–Julian Bond, founding member of SNCC and former chair of the NAACP

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