Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

Love and Grief

A young mother is haunted by loss in Kimberly King Parsons’ debut novel

Kimberly King Parsons’ gritty debut novel, We Were the Universe, immerses readers in the kaleidoscopic psyche of Kit, a woman in her mid-20s, as she navigates parenting her unruly three-year-old daughter while mourning the death of her sister. Parsons will discuss the novel at the 2024 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, October 26-27.

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What Is Justice?

Preston Shipp recounts his journey from retribution to reconciliation

Preston Shipp’s Confessions of a Former Prosecutor details his transformation from an ambitious young lawyer in the Tennessee Attorney General’s office to an activist committed to reform.

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Good Old-Fashioned Murder

Michael Sims’ new anthology of short fiction presents antique whodunit gems

In his latest anthology of Victorian-era fiction, The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries, Michael Sims presents the evolution of the short-form murder mystery. Sims will appear at the 2024 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, October 26-27.

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Ghosting with Gertrude

Lawrence Wells recalls a tempestuous literary collaboration in Ghostwriter

In Ghostwriter, author and publisher Lawrence Wells embarks on an improbable journey: serving as ghostwriter to a University of Mississippi benefactor determined to prove that Edward de Vere wrote the plays attributed to William Shakespeare. Wells will appear at the 2024 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, October 26-27.

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Jesus Gets Us, But Do We Get Him?

Amy-Jill Levine makes a case for understanding the historical Jesus

In Jesus for Everyone: Not Just Christians, Vanderbilt professor Amy-Jill Levine helps readers understand Jesus as the Jewish man he was, the traditions he knew, and the messages he truly cared about.

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Everyone a Spy, Everything a Threat

Lauren Thoman’s novel uncovers grisly secrets long buried in a Pennsylvania town

Fans of Lauren Thoman’s debut novel, I’ll Stop the World, will likely enjoy You Shouldn’t Be Here, an eerie new offering that is equal parts ghost story and crime thriller. Thoman will appear at the 2024 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, October 26-27.

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