Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

Am I the Bad Guy?

In her novel Privilege, Mary Adkins explores the aftermath of sexual assault on a college campus

Mary Adkins’s Privilege weaves together the stories of three young women whose lives are shaken by a sexual assault on an elite college campus. Adkins will discuss Privilege at Parnassus Books in Nashville on March 10.

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Dangerous Stranger

Rita Sims Quillen delivers a thoughtful thriller

In Rita Sims Quillen’s Wayland, a mysterious stranger invades the lives of a family in Depression-era Appalachia. Quillen will discuss the novel at Union Ave. Books in Knoxville on March 1.

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Shooting for Freedom

Sidney Thompson’s historical novel delivers an unforgettable character based on a true American hero

The true story of Bass Reeves, an enslaved Arkansan who became a frontier lawman, is the inspiration for Sidney Thompson’s historical novel Follow the Angels, Follow the Doves. The first volume in a planned trilogy, the book relates Reeves’ early years, before his legendary career as a U.S. marshal. Sidney Thompson will discuss Follow the Angels, Follow the Doves at Novel in Memphis on March 6.

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What Could and Could Not Be

A close bond between cousins is tested in Susan Beckham Zurenda’s debut novel

In Susan Beckham Zurenda’s debut novel, Bells for Eli, narrator Delia Green describes her close relationship through the years with her cousin Eli, whose family lives across the street in the small town of Green Branch, South Carolina. Their bond endures in the wake of an accident that changes both their lives forever. Zurenda will discuss Bells for Eli at The Arts Building in Chattanooga on March 2.

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Light in Their Darkest Hour

Erik Larson brings Churchill and the Blitz to life

In The Splendid and the Vile, bestselling author Erik Larson explains how Winston Churchill inspired the British people to keep fighting through the dark days when Britain stood alone against the Nazis. 

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To Celebrate Being Alive

An award-winning poet reflects on the importance of daily practices

In Dailiness: Essays on Poetry, Mark Jarman considers canonical and contemporary writers while reflecting on the kinship of prayers and poems.

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