Q & A | Chapter 16

Profound Activities of the Mind

Prior to her Memphis appearance, Shakespearean scholar Marjorie Garber talks with Chapter 16 about the pleasures of reading and the value of the humanities

By Sean Kinch | March 20, 2014

March 20, 2014 Marjorie Garber believes that the way we read Shakespeare’s plays tells us as much about ourselves as it does about the Bard himself. In an interview with Chapter 16, Garber discusses her approach to Shakespeare, her love of literature, and her commitment to intellectual speculation. She will speak at Rhodes College in Memphis on March 27, 2014, at 7 p.m. Her talk, “Occupy Shakespeare: Shakespeare and/in the Humanities,” is free and open to the public.

Giving Gifts to Keep As Long as You Live

Stephen Wade discusses the stories behind the classic folk recordings in his book, The Beautiful Music All Around Us

By Randy Fox | March 18, 2014

March 18, 2014 In The Beautiful Music All Around Us: Field Recordings and the American Experience, Stephen Wade unearths the stories behind classic Library of Congress folk recordings. In thirteen involving narratives, he demonstrates how cultural forces and personal experiences combined in a few brief moments behind a microphone to create powerful musical legacies.

Wild Ride

Rocker Graham Nash talks to Chapter 16 about his new autobiography, Wild Tales, his political activism, and his often tumultuous life as a member of both The Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

By Paul V. Griffith | March 17, 2014

March 17, 2013“> According to rocker Graham Nash, the harmony that gave the world songs like “Carry On,” “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” and “Teach Your Children”––songs that defined an era––emerged fully formed. In Wild Tales: A Rock & Roll Life, Nash documents his time with Crosby, Stills, Nash, and sometimes Young, and describes the rise of his earlier band, The Hollies. In an event cosponsored by Parnassus Books and the Nashville Public Library, Nash will appear on March 21, 2014, at the downtown library for a brief talk and book signing. The talk is free, but book purchase is required to enter the signing line.

A Door She Might Not Want to Open

Bestselling author Anita Shreve discusses her new novel, Stella Bain, which explores a woman’s memory loss during World War I

By Sarah Norris | February 11, 2014

February 11, 2014 Set against the rich and tragic backdrop of World War I, Anita Shreve’s newest novel, Stella Bain, traces her protagonists’s attempt to piece together her true life and the events leading up to the desperate, shell-shocked state in which wakes. Anita Shreve will discuss Stella Bain at Parnassus Books on February 13, 2014, at 6:30 p.m.

The Rock of Real Life

Anna Quindlen talks with Chapter 16 about writing fiction grounded in reality

By Tina LoTufo | January 29, 2014

January 29, 2014 In Still Life with Bread Crumbs, the new novel by Pulitzer Prizewinner Anna Quindlen, Rebecca Winter is famous for a single photograph she took years earlier. But fame doesn’t pay the bills indefinitely, and Rebecca sets out to find new inspiration in some unlikely places. Quindlen will discuss the book on February 5, 2014, at 6:15 p.m. in Ingram Hall at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. The event, part of the Salon@615 series, is free and open to the public.

Delicate Prose, Fearless Storytelling

Christine Schutt talks with Chapter 16 about her new novel, Prosperous Friends

By Maria Browning | January 21, 2014

January 21, 2014 In Prosperous Friends, her third novel, Christine Schutt surveys the marriage of Ned and Isabel, a deeply unhappy pair. Through a succession of exquisitely wrought scenes, she conveys the yearning sadness of a love that never quite happens. Schutt—a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize—recently answered questions from Chapter 16 via email. She will give a free public reading at Vanderbilt University in Nashville on January 23, 2014, at 7 p.m. in Buttrick Hall Room 102.

Tias and Primas: On Knowing and Loving the Women Who Raise Us

By Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez, illustrated by Josie Del Castillo
Seal Press
304 pages
$30

“Within these pages, I found my abuela, my tías and my primas — laughing, crying, and nodding alongside me. This book is a gift of understanding, and loving one’s family, even when our families are complicated and painful. It’s a beautiful reminder of the power of storytelling and the profound connection of kinship.”

~ Paola Mendoza, author, organizer and filmmaker