Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

Susannah Felts

Anything But Bland

Amber Wilson’s For the Love of the South began as a website of the same name

Like many beautiful books these days, Amber Wilson’s For the Love of the South began as a website of the same name—”a place,” she writes, “where I shared my love for the food, characters, and culture that helped shape who I am.” She will appear at Parnassus Books in Nashville on March 13 and at Novel in Memphis on March 15.

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Holy Ground

Writers across the state—and the nation—are grieving the loss of Rivendell Writers’ Colony

Rivendell Writers’ Colony, established in 2013, is closing its doors at the end of March. I’m still in shock at the news because Rivendell was flourishing, on course to be a nationally known residency program, but its benefactor has now made other plans for the property.

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In Barbecue As in Life

The Proffitts of Ridgewood is a look at one of the most beloved restaurants in the Southeast

In The Proffitts of Ridgewood, Fred W. Sauceman tells the story of his favorite barbecue joint and the Appalachian family behind it.

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The Way and the Truth of Creative Living

A Chapter 16 writer takes Elizabeth Gilbert’s new writing guide, Big Magic, out for a spin

In her guide to creativity, Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert’s positivity is infectious not just because she’s funny, irreverent, and frank about her foibles, but because steely discipline and determination have been the mainstays of her creative life. The 2017 Nashville Public Library Literary Award honoree, Gilbert will give a free public lecture at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville on November 11 at 10 a.m.

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A Simple, Gentle Joy

A novelist reflects on the pleasures of the Southern Festival of Books, opening today in Nashville

Every year, I’m reminded of how refreshing it is to be among folks who love the sorcery of the written word. The Southern Festival of Books draws a diverse crowd, a vast spectrum of ages and ethnicities. Some gobble up mysteries; some nip at the syllables of poetry. Some are there to share their work, some are there to support those who share their work, and all of us are there because we have fallen under the spell of what can be done with words on a page.

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Something for Everyone

The annual Rose Glen Literary Festival in Sevierville just keeps growing in size and stature

Over in Sevierville, the folks at the Chamber of Commerce got the brilliant idea to create a welcoming environment for book lovers in the curl-up-by-the-fire-with-a-good-book depths of an Appalachian February. The Rose Glen Literary Festival will take place in Sevierville on February 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.

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