Editor's Note
If you follow Parnassus Books on social media (and who doesn’t?), you’ve probably seen Ann Patchett‘s video announcing her matching campaign in support of Humanities Tennessee. She’s urging her followers to donate $20 — the price of a paperback book — to save HT’s many programs, including Chapter 16 and the Southern Festival of Books. She’ll be personally matching those gifts up to $10,000. The link to contribute is here
The response so far has been fantastic, and we are deeply grateful to Ann Patchett, Parnassus Books, and all the generous book lovers who have chipped in to save Humanities Tennessee. The campaign continues until May 9, so please help us spread the word and forward the links to anyone who might be interested in helping.
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We’re making the switch to weekly publication today at Chapter 16, and we have a great trio of pieces to kick off the new schedule. Lou Turner considers World Without End, a collection of essays on science and faith by Martha Park, and Peggy Burch reviews Charles B. Fancher’s debut novel, Red Clay. Regular Chapter 16 contributor David Wesley Williams offers a tribute to the inspirational power of the humble typewriter in his essay “Play That Thing.”
Last week, Aram Goudsouzian interviewed Andrew Donnelly about his book Confederate Sympathies, which looks at the nature and importance of romantic friendship between men during the Civil War. We revisited two archive pieces in conjunction with upcoming events: Tina Chambers’ 2022 review of Bomb Shelter, a memoir in essays by Mary Laura Philpott, who’ll appear at a fundraiser for The Porch in Nashville on May 2; and Susannah Felts’ 2024 Q&A with Crystal Wilkinson about her culinary memoir, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts. Wilkinson will lead the nonfiction workshop at this year’s Tremont Writers Conference.
News Roundup
- John Jeremiah Sullivan recalled an encounter with Pope Francis for The New York Times.
- The Children’s Festival of Reading will take place in Knoxville on May 17, with featured guests including Aisha Saeed, Elliott Smith, Kate Messner, and more.
- SoLit, in partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, will honor the winners of the 2025 Young Southern Student Writers contest at a ceremony on April 28.
- Poetry by Lisa Dordal and an excerpt from Margaret Renkl’s The Comfort of Crows appeared in Narrative.
