Two books of Afrofuturist fiction envision Black possibility and protest
Black Panther: Panther’s Rage by Sheree Renée Thomas and the anthology Africa Risen, which Thomas coedited, imagine worlds rich in Black life and agency. Sheree Renée Thomas will appear at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City on March 27.
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Past and present mingle in collections by Loving, Shockley, and Underwood
In their recently published collections, poets Denton Loving, Evie Shockley, and Susan O’Dell Underwood each find an original expression for the mingling of past and present that presses at the edges of contemporary life. Susan O’Dell Underwood and Denton Loving will appear at the 2024 Tennessee Mountain Writers Conference in Oak Ridge, April 4-6
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Percival Everett’s James builds a new story from an old one
Prolific, critically acclaimed writer Percival Everett offers a new take on a controversial classic with his latest novel, James. Everett will appear at Parnassus Books in Nashville on March 25.
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In Edgar Kunz’s Fixer, plain language makes way for depth of meaning
Images of ordinary life convey warmth, grief, and complicated emotion in Edgar Kunz’s second poetry collection, Fixer. Edgar Kunz will appear at Vanderbilt University in Nashville on March 21.
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Freedom Faith examines the little-known influence of civil rights leader Prathia Hall
FROM THE CHAPTER 16 ARCHIVE: Prathia Hall was a minister, activist, and academic who played a critical but largely unknown role in the civil rights movement. Memphis church historian Courtney Pace recounts her pivotal influence in Freedom Faith: The Womanist Vision of Prathia Hall.
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Claire Jiménez’s debut novel explores the impact of a family tragedy
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez, the debut novel by Claire Jiménez, is both a fast-paced, engrossing mystery and a deep look at the complexities of identity and sisterhood. Jiménez will appear at Vanderbilt University on March 21.
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