Nonfiction | Chapter 16

Scottish Kings and Millenial Minstrelsy

Ayanna Thompson returns to Memphis to discuss Shakespeare and race

By Maria Browning | October 27, 2017

Shakespeare’s “Scottish play” has played an important role in America’s cultural confrontation with racial issues, according to Weyward Macbeth, a collection of essays that survey the play’s complex intersection with the color line. Ayanna Thompson, co-editor of the book, will speak on “Shakespeare, Race, and Performance: What We Still Don’t Know” in Hardie Auditorium at Rhodes College in Memphis on November 2 at 7 p.m.

Stars of Southern Literature Arrive in Tennessee

The SouthWord Literary Feast will convene in Chattanooga November 3-4

By Peggy Burch | October 26, 2017

SouthWord Literary Feast, a biennial book festival and reunion of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, will feature forty celebrated Southern authors, including Wendell Berry, Charles Frazier, Jill McCorkle, and Ron Rash. Seating is available for talks, readings, panel discussions, book signings, and meals November 3 and 4.

Living Honestly and Freely

Novelist Tova Mirvis writes about her decision to abandon Orthodox Judaism in The Book of Separation

By Maria Browning | October 25, 2017

As an Orthodox Jew, Tova Mirvis was taught from childhood that being a good wife and mother was her sacred duty, and her whole existence was shaped and bound by religious law. In her new memoir, The Book of Separation, she recalls her decision to leave her marriage and her faith community. Mirvis will appear at the Memphis Jewish Community Center on November 2 at 7 p.m.

Telling Stories

Hampton Sides talks about Memphis, civil rights, and why some people think he’s a CIA agent

By Clay Risen | October 23, 2017

Hampton Sides will appear in conversation with novelist John Grisham in the University Theater at Christan Brothers University in Memphis on October 26 at 7 p.m. Ticket price includes a copy of Grisham’s new novel, The Rooster Bar.

Love Prevails

Becca Stevens weaves survivor stories, devotions, and original poems into her latest self-help guide

By Win Bassett | October 19, 2017

For Becca Stevens, a love for everything good will set readers on the path of healing from whatever might ail them. Her new book is Love Heals.

A Colorful Black-and-White Life

The Authorized Roy Orbison offers a loving portrait of a rock icon

By Randy Fox | October 18, 2017

Wesley, Roy Jr., and Alex Orbison, along with writer Jeff Slate, deliver a sumptuous illustrated chronicle with their new biography, The Authorized Roy Orbison. The three Orbison brothers will read from and sign copies at Parnassus Books in Nashville on October 21 at 2 p.m.

Tias and Primas: On Knowing and Loving the Women Who Raise Us

By Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez, illustrated by Josie Del Castillo
Seal Press
304 pages
$30

“Within these pages, I found my abuela, my tías and my primas — laughing, crying, and nodding alongside me. This book is a gift of understanding, and loving one’s family, even when our families are complicated and painful. It’s a beautiful reminder of the power of storytelling and the profound connection of kinship.”

~ Paola Mendoza, author, organizer and filmmaker