Editor’s Notes

This week, Chapter 16 looks at three very different books that explore big questions. In her review of Susannah Felts’ new novel, The Come Apart, Bianca Sass writes that the protagonist, an aspiring musician, struggles with an “age-old and universal” dilemma: “Is it enough to make art for the sake of self-expression, or is external recognition what endows art (and life)…

Alex Haley’s Pultizer Prize-winning Roots was published 50 years ago, and the book, along with its widely viewed miniseries adaptation, had a lasting effect on American culture and our shared understanding of the country’s history. This week at Chapter 16, Lucas L. Johnson II discusses his new book, Remembering Roots, which surveys Haley’s multi-faceted impact. “Roots,” he notes, “inspired people –…

Okay, we know we’re getting a little ahead of the solstice, but June is almost upon us, and it’s been feeling a lot like summer here in Middle Tennessee. The hot months aren’t traditionally a big season for book releases, but there are some exciting titles from Tennessee authors on the horizon, including fiction by Susannah…

If you’re in the Nashville area, now’s the time to RSVP for the Southern Festival of Books reveal party on June 18. Be the first to hear about this year’s stellar lineup of authors.  And just a reminder: The Humanities Tennessee spring fundraising campaign is underway through June 18. Please give to support the festival and other HT programs, including Chapter 16.  Today…

Humanities Tennessee has launched its spring fundraising campaign “to build a more curious, connected, and civil Tennessee for ourselves and future generations.” The goal is to raise $25,000 by June 18 to support the Southern Festival of Books, the Shared Futures Lab, and other vital programs, including Chapter 16. To donate and find out more about the campaign, see the donation page at…

It’s May already. How did that happen? Hard to believe that we’re not even six full months away from the 2026 Southern Festival of Books, but it’ll be here before we know it, and planning is already well underway. If you subscribe to the newsletters for Humanities Tennessee and the festival, you already know that the reveal party will be…