Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

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.

Read more

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.”

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

The Love-Rack

David Madden’s inventive biography details the writing life of an American noir master

David Madden’s The Voice of James M. Cain tells the story of his mentor’s development as writer, from young journalist to hard-boiled icon who believed in giving readers what they want.

Read more

Boy Meets Girl

Insatiable lust and blind love torment the protagonist of Corey Mesler’s latest novel

Camel’s Bastard Son, the new novel from Memphis author Corey Mesler, is equal parts bizarre, hilarious, and sexually explicit.

Read more
TAKE THE SHORT READER SURVEY! CHAPTER 16 SURVEYOR SURVEYING