Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

Rediscovering the Delta

A long-lost study of the Mississippi Delta reveals the source of the blues

Lost Delta Found, edited by Robert Gordon and Bruce Nemerov, uncovers a long-lost account of the lives and music of African Americans in the Mississippi Delta region.

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The Self Without Boundary

An intimate consideration of Walt Whitman

In What Is the Grass: Walt Whitman in My Life, celebrated poet and memoirist Mark Doty explores the life and prophetic influence of Walt Whitman. 

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Honoring the Struggle

Fred Arroyo’s Sown in Earth offers a tender understanding of the immigrant experience

In a powerful collection of essays, MTSU professor Fred Arroyo remembers his immigrant father and considers his own evolution as a writer.

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Chaotic, Mysterious, Unfathomable

Blue Marlin is a rollicking road trip through author Lee Smith’s own fictional history

The latest offering from iconic Southern writer Lee Smith is Blue Marlin, a sweet and funny novella loosely based on her family. Smith says in an afterword, “Of all the stories I’ve ever written, this one is dearest to me, capturing the essence of my own childhood.”

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An Eloquent Migration Story

Yuyi Morales’ Dreamers is the 2020 Nashville Reads selection

Yuyi Morales’ bestselling, award-winning picture book is a true tale of immigration and the transformative power of finding one’s creative voice.

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Monsters, Murders, and Midlife

Bram Stoker Award-winning author Grady Hendrix pits housewives against an immortal villain

In his latest horror-comedy mashup, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, Grady Hendrix plumbs vampire legends and suburban expectations to create an original, terrifying, and inexplicably heartwarming tale.

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