Features | Chapter 16

In Praise of Strong Women

By Fernanda Moore

November 4, 2013

November 4, 2013 Two years after the publication of Catherine the Great, Robert K. Massie still finds his subject’s political example instructive, and he often notes parallels between Catherine’s public reputation and the treatment of today’s female leaders. Prior to his Nashville visit to accept the 2013 Nashville Public Library Literary Award, Massie spoke with Chapter 16 about his career and inspiration. He will give a lecture on November 9, 2013, at 10 a.m. at the University School of Nashville. Massie will also appear—with novelist Suzanne Kingsbury—at the Nashville Public Library on November 10 at 2 p.m. as part of the Nashville Writers Circle series. Both events are free and open to the public.

American-Made and the Nature of Community

By Susan Gregg Gilmore

October 25, 2013

October 25, 2013 Wages for skilled cut-and-sew workers have risen faster than those of the average job, but young Americans aren’t interested in garment manufacturing. Experts say the work just isn’t glamorous enough to attract their attention. I wish some of them could have joined me recently when I spent an afternoon in an old shirt factory in Dunlap, Tennessee, about twenty miles northwest of Chattanooga.

Book Excerpt: Clay Risen’s American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye

By Clay Risen

October 17, 2013

October 17, 2013 Chapter 16’s own Clay Risen, author of A Nation on Fire: America in the Wake of the King Assassination, will launch his new book, American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye, at a whiskey-tasting event at Barista Parlor in East Nashville October 25, 2013, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35 and include a copy of the book. All proceeds benefit Humanities Tennessee. Today Chapter 16 is publishing an excerpt from the book, as well as Q&A with Risen, but to get a real taste for American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye, you’ll need to reserve your spot at Barista Parlor by clicking here.

Going Way Back Together

By Cindy McCain

October 11, 2013

October 11, 2013 It’s time again for the Southern Festival of Books, and I can’t wait. My students tease that I’ll tailgate the night before. I might actually do it. Celebrating its twenty-fifth year, the three-day festival will be a real homecoming for readers and writers alike. The Southern Festival of Books will be held at Legislative Plaza in Nashville today through Sunday. Click here for a schedule of 2013 festival sessions and here for a complete list of participating authors. All events at the Southern Festival of Books are free and open to the public. No reservations are required.

Borrow or Buy

By Sarah Norris

September 27, 2013

September 27, 2013 The third annual Bookstock festival will showcase forty Memphis-area authors representing multiple genres: fiction, poetry, current affairs, children’s books, and more. This free, family-friendly event, which features talks, book signings, live music, cooking demonstrations, and assorted activities for children, will be held at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library in Memphis on October 5, 2013, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The keynote speech will be delivered by counterterrorism expert Philip Mudd, author of Takedown: Inside the Hunt for Al Qaeda.

A Writing Conference to Sink Your Teeth Into

By Sarah Norris

September 4, 2013

September 4, 2013 On September 28, 2013, The Writer’s Loft at MTSU in Murfreesboro will sponsor a new opportunity for aspiring writers in the mid-state: the first annual Middle Tennessee Writers’ Conference. Celebrated novelist Kevin Wilson will give the keynote address, and other speakers booked for the day-long event include nonfiction writer Holly Tucker, poet Bill Brown, fiction writer Linda Busby Parker, and playwright Claudia Barnett. Registration is open to the public through September 10.