Playwright and poet Dan O’Brien searches for meaning in the chaos of trauma
Dan O’Brien’s A Story That Happens, a collection of essays originally delivered as craft lectures at the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, weaves observations on the art of playwriting with deeply personal memoir.
Read more
Michael Sims discusses biological and literary creativity
From the Chapter 16 archive: Where do babies come from? It may be a child’s question, but the answer is far from simple, especially if we consider the baby-making processes of the whole animal kingdom, as Michael Sims does in his companion to the National Geographic Channel’s television special of the same name, In the Womb: Animals. It features ultrasound images of fetal animals that are so detailed and vivid it’s almost hard to believe they aren’t simulations.
Read more
An outdoor homage to Suttree and Knoxville’s past
On July 8 at Knoxville’s Lakeshore Park, “Suttree’s Knoxville: A Hymn to the Past in Film & Music” will combine live music, readings from Cormac McCarthy’s novel Suttree, and a film of archival footage to evoke a sense of the city as it was 70 years ago.
Read more
Corey Mesler shares a few thoughts on antiheroes, privacy, and prolificity
Memphis author and bookstore owner Corey Mesler talks to Chapter 16 about his latest novel and the challenges of running a small business during the pandemic.
Read more
Alan Lightman explores the limits of knowledge in Probable Impossibilities
Alan Lightman’s latest essay collection, Probable Impossibilities is a mix of cutting-edge science, philosophical reflection, and storytelling that celebrates rational inquiry while respecting experiences of mystery and awe.
Read more
Colin Dayan discusses the obsessions that shape her work
Colin Dayan’s Animal Quintet, as the title suggests, is an ensemble of short compositions, each with an animal motif. The collection is a potent mix of memoir and meditation, tender dreams and nightmares.
Read more
