In March of 2011, Kim Brooks made a decision that upended her life: she left her four-year-old son buckled into his car seat while she ran into Target to make one quick purchase. The result of the fallout from that decision is Small Animals: Parenthood in the Age of Fear, which Brooks will discuss at the 2018 Southern Festival of Books, held in Nashville October 12-14.
In Let the People See, Elliott Gorn combines a gripping narrative of American tragedy with a clear-eyed, sensitive reading of the way the Emmett Till story has acquired different meanings over time. Gorn will appear at the 2018 Southern Festival of Books, held in Nashville October 12-14. Festival events are free and open to the public.
With righteous fury and scathing wit, Ben Fountain’s Beautiful Country Burn Again dissects the monster of American politics in the age of Donald Trump, providing what may stand as the definitive account of the 2016 election. Fountain will appear at the 2018 Southern Festival of Books, held in Nashville October 12-14.
American Prison by Shane Bauer is a searing indictment of for-profit prisons, both in his own experience and in American history. Bauer will appear at Parnassus Books in Nashville on September 22.
The principal charm of Whiskey in a Teacup is Reese Witherspoon’s narrative voice, which is so sincere, un-fussy, and personable, it’s like you’re sharing a casual chat with an old friend over a Moon Pie and an RC Cola. Witherspoon will discuss her book at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville on September 23.
Alice Bolin’s essay collection, Dead Girls, is a savvy mix of cultural critique, coming-of-age diary, and confessions of a pop-culture fangirl. Bolin will read at Novel in Memphis on September 20, at The Bookshop in Nashville on September 23, and at the 2018 Southern Festival of Books, held in Nashville October 12-14.
