Contemporary Appalachian writers profile one another in Step into the Circle
…of spirit permeates this book, owing to the deep respect these profilers show for their subjects. Most of the essays portray fond friendship between two writers, underpinned by mutual, complex…
Communing with the dead is good business in Helene Dunbar’s Prelude for Lost Souls
…brutal schedule and the death of her beloved mentor, Dmitry Petrov, Annie stumbles into St. Hilaire quite unexpectedly when her train breaks down nearby. Obsessed with an unfinished musical composition…
Ashleigh Bryant Phillips weaves a transcendent tapestry of stories in Sleepovers
…to ask for prayers about the unspeakable.” Phillips’ characters have rich interior lives that don’t always translate gracefully into their communities. Several stories in Sleepovers feature characters who aren’t from…
Acclaimed children’s author Renée Watson talks about inspiration, collaboration, and activism
…the Ramona series (and all of Beverly Cleary’s books). The setting of those books is Portland, which is where I grew up. Those books were special to me because I…
Erica Wright takes a sympathetic look at serpents in Snake
…works to ease her readers’ potential fear of the snake just as her own slowly dissipates. Certainly, she achieves this on one level by mentioning the ecological and medical good…
In Vesper Flights, Helen Macdonald explores the interconnectedness of humans and wildlife
…even to experienced falconers. This extraordinary exchange between human and animal changed Macdonald’s life and turned her into one of our most vital advocates for recognizing and respecting the points…
