Poet William Woolfitt considers his West Virginia heritage in The Night the Rain Had Nowhere to Go
William Woolfitt’s new poetry collection, The Night the Rain Had Nowhere to Go, pays homage to generations of his people in mine-riddled West Virginia. Woolfitt will appear with Linda Parsons, Earl S. Braggs, Rita Quillen, Susan O’Dell Underwood, and others at “A Gathering of Madville Poets” at Addison’s Bookstore in Knoxville on September 7.
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Keith Wood paints a portrait of a Memphis baseball team and the Black community that loved it
Keith Wood, a leading scholar of sports in Memphis, reconstructs the history of the Memphis Red Sox, a longstanding team in the Negro Leagues and a pillar of the city’s Black community.
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Rachel Khong’s Real Americans explores identity and ambition
Real Americans, Rachel Khong’s second novel, explores the lives of two families of vastly different socioeconomic status. This vivid, multigenerational tale delves into the heart of what it means to be American and the paths of aspiration, success, and disappointment that come to define a life. Khong will appear at the 2024 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, October 26-27.
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There Is Happiness offers bittersweet confirmation of Brad Watson’s storytelling genius
Four years ago, the literary world unexpectedly lost a beloved and widely acclaimed writer, Brad Watson. This year, W.W. Norton revives a legend with This Is Happiness, a posthumous collection including previously unpublished work that reinforces the strength of Watson’s gifts and the generosity of his spirit. Watson’s editor, Alane Salierno Mason, will discuss There Is Happiness at the 2024 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, October 26-27.
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Andrea Ringer rewrites the history of the circus from the workers’ perspective
From trapeze artists to roustabouts to elephants, the golden age of the American circus depended on its workers. Andrea Ringer’s Circus World tells their story.
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Wei Tchou’s experimental memoir speaks several languages at once
Wei Tchou’s Little Seed weaves the author’s personal history with forays into the natural history of ferns, creating a deeply unconventional memoir.
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