Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

A Marriage of History and Romance

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin offers an intimate perspective on a dramatic decade

In An Unfinished Love Story, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin remembers her long marriage to speechwriter and presidential advisor Richard Goodwin and explores the complex symbiosis of the two administrations they championed. Doris Kearns Goodwin will discuss the book with Jon Meacham at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville on June 18.

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A Queerness Full of Appalachian Grit and Spirit

Zane McNeill discusses Y’all Means All, an anthology of emerging queer voices

FROM THE CHAPTER 16 ARCHIVE: In the anthology Y’all Means All: The Emerging Voices Queering Appalachia, editor Z. Zane McNeill curates a collection “full of a very specific Appalachian grit and spirit.” 

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That Eerie Southern Magic

Twin sisters unravel a town’s haunting folklore in The Pecan Children

In The Pecan Children, the two authors behind the pen name Quinn Connor capture the eerie magic of a small Southern town and the twin sisters at the center of its spell. Robyn Barrow and Alexandra Cronin will appear at Novel in Memphis on June 11.

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Maple Syrup and Mustachioed Men

Jeff Mann reflects on life as a gay Appalachian

Jeff Mann’s Loving Mountains, Loving Men, a hybrid work of poetry and memoir, explores the struggle and resilience of the LGBTQ community in Appalachia. Mann will discuss the book at Union Ave. Books in Knoxville on June 9.

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Forging an Autonomous Path

Music critic Ann Powers shows us how Joni Mitchell made her own way

Ann Powers’ Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell weaves research, reportage, and analysis to tell the iconic singer-songwriter’s story in a conversational way. Powers will appear at Parnassus Books in Nashville on June 12.

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River Gods

Boyce Upholt explores the long history of the Mississippi River

In The Great River, Boyce Upholt chronicles the long history of how the U.S. government has sought to control and shape the Mississippi River, exploring its social and environmental impacts. Upholt will discuss the book at Novel in Memphis on June 25.

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