Ed Tarkington talks about the class conflicts at the heart of his second novel, The Fortunate Ones
Midway through Ed Tarkington’s novel The Fortunate Ones is a telling exchange between Vanessa, a 20-something product of new Nashville wealth, and Charlie, the outsider artist who has loved her…
Margaret Renkl discusses her new essay collection, Graceland, at Last
Margaret Renkl, founding editor of Chapter 16 and author of Graceland, at Last: Notes on Hope and Heartache from the American South, is living the fantasy life of many a…
A tribute to Vereen Bell (1934-2021)
…with us as golden. [Vereen Bell has a featured role in Kate Daniels’ 2016 essay “Phil Levine and the Burger Bitch.” Vanderbilt’s remembrance of Bell can be read here.]…
Little objects touch something tucked far away in the recesses of our hearts
It was one of those objects that would probably not fetch more than a dime at a yard sale. The aluminum measuring cup was scuffed from so many years of…
Former governor Bill Haslam discusses the role of faith in government
A hearty guffaw comes from former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam when he’s asked about the remarkable lack of cynicism in his first book, Faithful Presence: The Promise and the Peril…
I kept sinning despite my best efforts
Some of my earliest memories involve guilt. Coupled with the guilt comes the fear of hell. As soon as I was old enough to know I should be good, I…
