Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

Seventy-Six Pounds of Wet Hair and Poor Decisions

Rick Bragg’s canine love story about the worst dog in the world

FROM THE CHAPTER 16 ARCHIVE: Rick Bragg’s The Speckled Beauty is about finding the heart to love the most wayward and aggravating dog imaginable, who also turns out to be smart, tenacious, loyal, fearless, full of life, and just what the doctor ordered for a man who is learning new lessons about losing and letting go. Bragg will appear at the 2022 Southern Festival of Books, held in Nashville on October 14-16.

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Sitting in the Memories

Kendra Allen’s unconventional memoir reckons with trauma and personhood 

The stories in Kendra Allen’s memoir Fruit Punch are delivered in a lyrical mix of poetry and prose that can make you forget the story she’s telling is her own. Allen will appear at the 2022 Southern Festival of Books, held in Nashville on October 14-16.

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Illuminating the Invisible Work

Jami Attenberg reveals the writing life

In her new book, I Came All This Way to Meet You, bestselling novelist Jami Attenberg presents a stellar collection of essays about the writing life. She will appear at the 2022 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 14-16.

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Wonders and Weirdness and Hope

Magical adventures await a heroine who refuses to be defined by her disability

Natalie Lloyd’s signature style shines throughout Hummingbird, a delightful yet poignant mashup of reality and fantasy, highlighting the heartbreak of the body’s physical limitations versus a soaring spirit and boundless imagination. Natalie Lloyd will discuss Hummingbird at Parnassus Books in Nashville on August 3.

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Humanities Tennessee Announces Lineup for the 34th Annual Southern Festival of Books

Literary gathering returns to downtown Nashville

Humanities Tennessee today announced the initial lineup of award-winning, bestselling authors who will headline the 34th Annual Southern Festival of Books, taking place at War Memorial Plaza and the Nashville Public Library’s main branch on October 14-16. The festival will feature appearances by more than 200 authors, offering attendees the opportunity to connect with their favorite writers through a series of live events, panels, book signings and more. 

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