Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

“Ascension”

Book Excerpt: Moon Jar

Ascension The blue jays lay claim to the raspberry bush arriving in groups of four or five: one holds a rubied berry in its beak and feeds it up in…

Beyond Catharsis

Stephanie Danler’s memoir disrupts the usual narrative structures found in stories of addiction

One of my favorite scenes in Stephanie Danler’s memoir, Stray, occurs when Danler is sitting in a writing workshop, sharing the early pages of what would become her bestselling novel,…

“Self-Portrait as Getting Drunk Dialed by God”

Book Excerpt: I Am Not Trying to Hide My Hungers from the World

Self-Portrait as Getting Drunk Dialed by God Oh to be shameless as a bachelorette party singing “Friends in Low Places” as they cruise 12 South in a pedal tavern. Maybe…

Traitor to Whom?

Amanda McCrina’s YA novel explores shifting allegiances in a time of conflict

In Traitor, Franklin writer Amanda McCrina’s latest young adult novel, a young man struggles to uphold his family’s beliefs as he fights for his life. This World War II-era tale,…

A Taste of Tennessee’s History

Taproots of Tennessee is equal parts history, cookbook, and travel guide

In 2010, songwriter Lynne Drysdale Patterson saw an unexpectedly life-changing film — not a blockbuster or a heartwarming biopic, but a video to promote tourism called Discover Tennessee Trails and…

Learning to Speak Silence

Pico Iyer’s observations and provocations about Japan leave quiet spaces for the reader’s voice

It’s easy to imagine a book titled A Beginner’s Guide to Japan opening with a quotation from a Japanese writer, or perhaps with a few lines from a Westerner saying…

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