Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

Morey Hill

A Comedy Show in Music City?

If pedal taverns could make it here, surely a live talk show was a lock

The idea was simple: we’d host a live comedy talk show in a theater every week and interview people from around town. Just like Letterman if Letterman was broadcast from a tiny theater in Nashville—or, really, just like Letterman if Letterman wasn’t actually broadcast.

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Car Trouble

There are times when the only recourse to automotive despair is Neil Diamond

April 24, 2015 It started off with a low, quiet groan. The kind of noise my roommate, Chet, makes when I mention things like “utility bills” or “soap.” Although something clearly wasn’t right, I just didn’t want to spend the money to get it fixed. It was a subtle noise, and my approach was to drown it out—I turned up the radio.

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Coffee Dates

A liberal-arts graduate endures the indignities of a job search

March 6, 2014 It’s important to clarify one thing: there’s a big difference between a job search and a Google search. I’ve done a fair amount of Googling, and I can report that if you’re typing things like “jobs Nashville” into Google, you are on the road to nowhere. Either that or you’re making great progress toward becoming a foot-fetish model for single men in Antioch. You’d be amazed at the need for foot-fetish models in Antioch, Tennessee.

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More to Say than Songs Allow

Critics love I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive, the debut novel by veteran songwriter Steve Earle

August 19, 2011 Steve Earle, a former Nashville songwriter, has already received bountiful recognition for his wide range of artistic occupations, including songwriter, playwright, and actor. With the publication of his new book, I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive—released in conjunction with an album of the same name—he’s now earning accolades as a novelist.

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A Blues Man's Biography

Philip Ratcliffe documents the life and music of legendary blues artist Mississippi John Hurt

August 3, 2011 Philip Ratcliffe was enthralled with the music of Mississippi John Hurt from the moment he first heard one of Hurt’s recordings in 1970. After a trip to Mississippi in 2003, Ratcliffe decided to document Hurt’s life. It took six years of research and writing, but Ratcliffe finally completed the first biography of the legendary blues artist. Mississippi John Hurt: His Life, His Times, His Blues chronicles the man’s musical career and captures his warm, unaffected character. Ratcliffe will discuss and sign his biography at The Booksellers at Laurelwood in Memphis on August 4 at 6 p.m.

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Early Recognition

Tennessee writer Kevin Wilson is earning widespread acclamation for The Family Fang—and the book isn’t even out yet

July 29, 2011 Critics are raving about Kevin Wilson’s remarkably original debut novel, The Family Fang, which centers on a somewhat dysfunctional family of performance artists.

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