Chapter 16 - Part 236

The Arc of Memphis History

In a new essay collection, Aram Goudsouzian and Charles W. McKinney Jr. consider race relations in the Bluff City

By Lyda Phillips | April 11, 2018

In An Unseen Light: Black Struggles for Freedom in Memphis, Tennessee, a collection of scholarly essays, editors Aram Goudsouzian and Charles W. McKinney Jr. look at the Bluff City from emancipation through the turbulent 1960s and into the present. They will discuss An Unseen Light at two Memphis events: at the National Civil Rights Museum on April 17 and Novel on May 15.

Forever Needing Something Stronger

Michal Farris Smith’s protagonist in The Fighter is shattered but persistent

By Emily Choate | April 10, 2018

In The Fighter, Michael Farris Smith’s latest tale of human struggle in the Mississippi Delta, brawler Jack Boucher is drowning in debt, dodging enemies, and losing the battle against his own fractured memory. Smith will appear at Novel in Memphis on April 16, and at Parnassus Books in Nashville on April 17.

Tentacled Treasure

Lucy Branam introduces readers to a friendly neighborhood octopus

By Julie Danielson | April 6, 2018

In the realm of children’s literature, there exists a long tradition of wild but friendly creatures making themselves comfortable in the homes of children. In Lucy Branam’s debut picture book, Roof Octopus, a young girl wakes up to find an octopus on the roof of her apartment building. Branam will appear at Union Ave. Books in Knoxville on April 14.

Calling All Whuffos

Tracy Barrett’s new YA novel explores the ups and downs of skydiving

By Sarah Carter | April 5, 2018

Through a tale of skydiving, Tracy Barrett’s new YA novel, Freefall Summer, explores the ins and outs of growing up. Barrett will appear at Parnassus Books in Nashville on April 14.

Life is Not a Bard’s Song

Madeline Miller reframes and retells the story of Homer’s Circe

By Fernanda Moore | April 3, 2018

Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles, is back with Circe, another brilliant revamp of tales and characters drawn from Homeric poetry. Miller will appear at Parnassus Books in Nashville on April 11.

At the Intersection of Real and Not Real

Leah Stewart’s latest novel shines a spotlight on the art of acting under pressure

By Tina Chambers | April 2, 2018

Ostensibly the story of a kidnapping, Leah Stewart’s clever new novel, What You Don’t Know About Charlie Outlaw, is also an examination of the cult of celebrity. Stewart, a Vanderbilt graduate, will appear at Novel in Memphis on April 11 and at Parnassus Books in Nashville on April 13.

Tias and Primas: On Knowing and Loving the Women Who Raise Us

By Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez, illustrated by Josie Del Castillo
Seal Press
304 pages
$30

“Within these pages, I found my abuela, my tías and my primas — laughing, crying, and nodding alongside me. This book is a gift of understanding, and loving one’s family, even when our families are complicated and painful. It’s a beautiful reminder of the power of storytelling and the profound connection of kinship.”

~ Paola Mendoza, author, organizer and filmmaker