Editor’s Notes

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…

Writers looking for a spell of literary community in a revered locale should note that registration is currently open for The Yok Shop conference in Oxford, Mississippi, which will take place June 5-7. Faculty for this year’s conference will include Michael Knight, M.O. Walsh, and Olivia Clare Friedman. For established and aspiring playwrights, the STAAR Theatre in Pulaski is seeking submissions for…

This Saturday, April 25th, will be the 13th Annual Independent Bookstore Day. Stores around the U.S. are planning special events for the occasion, so check the national map for a participating store near you — or see our list of Tennessee bookstores for destinations here in the 16th state.  Today at the site, Sean Kinch reviews the latest story collection by Irish…

Submissions for the 2026 Porchlight Prize in Poetry are now open. The winner will receive a minimum $300 award, as well as publication in Porchlight and a planned anthology. The deadline for submissions is May 31.  And speaking of deadlines, it’s not too late to apply for this year’s Young Writers’ Workshop, held at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville and open to students age…