Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

When It All Falls Down

Toya Wolfe’s debut novel depicts girlhood friendship in a doomed housing project

Toya Wolfe pens a tribute to the public housing project where she grew up in her outstanding debut, Last Summer on State Street. Through the eyes of 12-year-old Fe Fe, we bear witness to the realities of Chicago’s infamous Robert Taylor Homes in this heartfelt coming-of-age novel. Wolfe will appear at the 2022 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 14-16.

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The Displaced

Adria Bernardi’s Benefit Street is a lyrical tale of exile

At the heart of Adria Bernardi’s third novel are five female friends, displaced from their homes and trying to carry on in a new place. Bernardi will appear at the 2022 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 14-16 and at The Porch in Nashville on November 9.

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Secrets and Questions

Julia Watts’ latest novel takes on faith, sexuality, and family loyalty

FROM THE CHAPTER 16 ARCHIVE: Kody, the 16-year-old protagonist of Julia Watts’ Needlework, secretly enjoys dressing up like his idol, Dolly Parton. When he receives a Facebook message from a young woman who claims to be his sister, Kody finds himself forced to keep more and more secrets from those he loves. Julia Watts will appear with Susan Underwood and Marianne Worthington at Union Ave. Books in Knoxville on September 25 and at the 2022 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 14-16.

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When Home Is a Place You’ve Fled

Casey Parks examines her own life through a mysterious figure from the past

When journalist Casey Parks’ grandmother revealed fond memories of “a woman who lived as a man” in her rural Louisiana hometown, Parks undertook a decade-long search for the truth behind this elusive figure — an odyssey she documents in Diary of a Misfit: A Memoir and a Mystery. Parks will discuss Diary of a Misfit at the 2022 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 14-16.

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The Spirit of ‘76

Andrew Maraniss tells the story of a pioneering women’s basketball team

Andrew Maraniss’ Inaugural Ballers, a new nonfiction book for teen and young adult readers, describes the formation of the first U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team and the challenges they overcame on their way to making history. Maraniss will discuss Inaugural Ballers at Parnassus Books in Nashville on September 13 and the 2022 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 14-16.

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“Molly in a Red Wig Plays a Fiddle”

Book Excerpt: In the Backhoe’s Shadow

Thomas Alan Holmes is a professor of English at East Tennessee State University. In the Backhoe’s Shadow is his first collection of poetry. He’ll read from his work at Union Ave. Books in Knoxville on September 11 and at the 2022 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 14-16.

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