September 10, 2015 In the fall of 1962, James Meredith’s arrival at Ole Miss as its first African-American student sparked mob violence that left two people dead and scores injured. Riot: Witness to Anger and Change, a collection of photographs by Edwin E. Meek, documents the violence and the mood of the time that brought it about. Meek will appear at The Booksellers at Laurelwood in Memphis on September 14, 2015, at 6:30 p.m.

September 3, 2015 In his new memoir, The Wind in the Reeds: a Storm, a Play, and the City that Would Not Be Broken, New Orleans native Wendell Pierce retraces his path through the worlds of art, family, and social change. Known for his nuanced performances on The Wire and Treme, Pierce brings an actor’s empathy to this complex but ultimately hopeful account of New Orleans after Katrina. Pierce will appear at the Southern Festival of Books, held in Nashville October 9-11, 2015.

September 2, 2015 Jack London was a writer and a fighter. As Vanderbilt professor Cecelia Tichi notes, London’s writing worked to fight against the wealth inequality and labor exploitation of his day. Tichi will discuss Jack London: A Writer’s Fight for a Better America at the Southern Festival of Books, held in Nashville October 9-11, 2015.