A Publication of Humanities Tennessee

The Choice Either to Wail or Smile

From the Chapter 16 archive: Chattanooga-area novelist Tim Gautreaux talks about the pitfalls of regionalism, the influence of James Dickey and Flannery O’Connor, the challenges of writing short fiction, and the imperatives of religious faith.

The Choice Either to Wail or Smile

Rivers Untamed

The Mississippi, the Ohio, the Missouri, and the Arkansas rivers loom large in American history. In Holding Back the River: The Struggle Against Nature on America’s Waterways, Tyler J. Kelley uses the stories of several memorable characters to examine the history of efforts to tame the rivers. He also considers a daunting future of crumbling levees and rising waters.

Rivers Untamed

Traumas of the Spirit

Disturbing Spirits, by historian Beverly Tsacoyianis, trains its lens on the psychological scars of war and upheaval in 20th-century Syria and Lebanon. She will discuss the book at a virtual event hosted by Novel in Memphis on June 17.

Traumas of the Spirit

A Good Man in a Nest of Evil

When Evil Lived in Laurel, by legendary journalist Curtis Wilkie, tells a story of civil rights, murder, far-right lunacy, and a brave man who stood up against injustice.

A Good Man in a Nest of Evil

Mixing Registers

In The Survival Expo, poet Caki Wilkinson guides us through an exploration of what it means to survive our past without leaving it altogether, observing it from within but also with newfound perspective. Caki Wilkinson will discuss The Survival Expo at a virtual event hosted by Novel in Memphis on June 29.

Mixing Registers

The Spaces Between People

Memphis author and bookstore owner Corey Mesler talks to Chapter 16 about his latest novel and the challenges of running a small business during the pandemic.

The Spaces Between People

Visit the Q&A archives chronologically below or search for an article

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