Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

History Happens

Drew Gilpin Faust recalls growing up in the 1950s and ‘60s

In Necessary Trouble: Growing Up at Midcentury, former Harvard University president Drew Gilpin Faust recalls her privileged Virginia childhood in the 1950s and her growing involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Faust will appear at the 2023 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 21-22.

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Carrying the Torch

Lee Smith on lunch with Dolly, the transformative power of words, and the Southern Festival of Books

Chapter 16 talks with master storyteller Lee Smith about her writing process and her fond memories of the annual Southern Festival of Books in Nashville. Smith will appear at this year’s festival on October 21-22.

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Wide Awake

Rough Sleepers is a compelling narrative and call to action

Rough Sleepers, the latest book by Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Kidder, follows Dr. Jim O’Connell, a physician who has spent his career providing care for homeless people in Boston. Tracy Kidder will appear at the 2023 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 21-22.

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Art and Intimacy

Tom Lake is Ann Patchett at her best

The protagonist of Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake tells her daughters the full story of her past. Or does she? Patchett will discuss Tom Lake at Harpeth Hall School in Nashville on July 31, Novel in Memphis on August 18, and the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 21-22.

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Southern Festival of Books Announces 2023 Lineup of Award-Winning Authors, Poets, and Literary Legends

More than 150 authors to appear for panels, book signings, readings, and discussions

Timothy Egan, Terrance Hayes, Ann Patchett, Lee Smith, and Etaf Rum are just a few of the authors on the roster for the 35th annual Southern Festival of Books, held in Nashville on October 21-22. Friday, October 20, will be a Student Day, with featured authors including Carl Hiaasen.

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All That Glitters

A Hollywood gossip columnist wrestles with her high-stakes role in a scandal for the ages

In Lindsay Lynch’s debut novel Do Tell, a gossip columnist confronts the dark reality behind the glittery screens of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Lynch will appear at Parnassus Books in Nashville on July 11, The Book & Cover in Chattanooga on July 19, and Novel in Memphis on August 18.

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