Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

From Fur Traders to Chart Toppers

Hidden History of Music Row dives into the history of Nashville’s most iconic neighborhood

Hidden History of Music Row by Brian Allison, Elizabeth Elkins, and Vanessa Olivarez is a deep dive into the history one of Nashville’s most magnetic areas. From early fur traders to fringe, this book details the guts, glam, and glory of Nashville’s most iconic neighborhood and the people who made it famous.

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An Uptick in Fondness for the World

George Saunders shares his passion for 19th-century Russian masters of the short story

In A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, George Saunders relates the insights he has gathered from 20 years of teaching 19th-century Russian short stories to aspiring writers. Saunders will discuss the book at a ticketed virtual event hosted by Parnassus Books in Nashville on January 19.

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Future Farms

A science writer traveled to the fields and labs where agriculture is changing

Nashville-based science writer Amanda Little talks with Chapter 16 about The Fate of Food, the result of five years of research in 15 countries. A paperback edition of the book has just been released.

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An Unbroken Thread

Poet Jesse Graves discusses his fourth collection, Merciful Days

In haunting lyric poems and traditional narratives, Jesse Graves’ Merciful Days shows us the ‘ghost-lives’ that shaped the boy learning the rough language of cows and that imprint the returning adult who walks the fence line now without his father. Graves talks with Chapter 16 about the experiences and influences that inform his work.

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Why Am I Alive?

Michael Farris Smith imagines the troubled pre-Gatsby years of Fitzgerald’s Nick Carraway

In Nick, a new novel depicting the life of Nick Carraway before the turbulent summer of The Great Gatsby, Michael Farris Smith drags his hero through war, heartbreak, and the violent underworld of New Orleans.

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This Is How I Saved Myself

Tina Turner shares her spiritual practice of 50 years

Tina Turner, an American entertainment icon whose influence extends across generations, now adds life coach to her list of accomplishments. In her latest book, she turns the spotlight on her spiritual life — specifically her 50 years as a practicing Buddhist — which she credits for much of her success: “This is how I saved myself,” she says. “This is how I made my wildest dreams come true.”

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