AUTHORS

MASTODONS TO MISSISSIPPIANS: ADVENTURES IN NASHVILLE'S DEEP PAST (TRUTH, LIES, AND HISTORIES OF NASHVILLE) ABOUT THE BOOK "Was Nashville once home to a giant race of humans? No, but in 1845, you could have paid a quarter to see the remains of one who allegedly lived here before The Flood. That summer, Middle Tennessee well diggers had unearthed the skeleton of an American mastodon. Before it went on display, it was modified and augmented with wooden "bones" to make it look more like a human being and passed off as an antediluvian giant. Then, like so many Nashvillians, after a little success here, it went on tour and disappeared from history. But this fake history of a race of Pre-Nashville Giants isn't the only bad history of what, and who, was here before Nashville. Sources written for schoolchildren and the public lead us to believe that the first Euro-Americans arrived in Nashville to find a pristine landscape inhabited only by the buffalo and boundless nature, entirely untouched by human hands. Instead, the roots of our city extend some 14,000 years before Illinois lieutenant-governor-turned-fur-trader Timothy Demonbreun set foot at Sulphur Dell. During the period between about AD 1000 and 1425, a thriving Native American culture known to archaeologists as the Middle Cumberland Mississippian lived along the Cumberland River and its tributaries in today's Davidson County. Earthen mounds built to hold the houses or burials of the upper class overlooked both banks of the Cumberland near what is now downtown Nashville. Surrounding densely packed village areas including family homes, cemeteries, and public spaces stretched for several miles through Shelby Bottoms, and the McFerrin Park, Bicentennial Mall, and Germantown neighborhoods. Other villages were scattered across the Nashville landscape, including in the modern neighborhoods of Richland, Sylvan Park, Lipscomb, Duncan Wood, Centennial Park, Belle Meade, White Bridge, and Cherokee Park. This book is the first public-facing effort by legitimate archaeologists to articulate the history of what happened here before Nashville happened." ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aaron Deter-Wolf is a prehistoric archaeologist for the Tennessee Division of Archaeology. He is the co-editor of "The Cumberland River Archaic of Middle Tennessee" and "Baking, Bourbon, and Black Drink: Foodways Archaeology in the Southeastern United States".

ALSO A POET: FRANK O'HARA, MY FATHER, AND ME ABOUT THE BOOK When Ada Calhoun stumbled upon old cassette tapes of interviews her father, celebrated art critic Peter Schjeldahl, had conducted for his never-completed biography of poet Frank O'Hara, she set out to finish the book her father had started forty years earlier. As a lifelong O'Hara fan who grew up amid his bohemian cohort in the East Village, Calhoun thought the project would be easy, even fun, but the deeper she dove, the more she had to face not just O'Hara's past, but also her father's, and her own. The result is a groundbreaking and kaleidoscopic memoir that weaves compelling literary history with a moving, honest, and tender story of a complicated father-daughter bond. "Also a Poet" explores what happens when we want to do better than our parents, yet fear what that might cost us; when we seek their approval, yet mistrust it. In reckoning with her unique heritage, as well as providing new insights into the life of one of our most important poets, Calhoun offers a brave and hopeful meditation on parents and children, artistic ambition, and the complexities of what we leave behind. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ada Calhoun is the New York Times bestselling author of "St. Marks Is Dead", "Wedding Toasts I'll Never Give" , and "Why We Can't Sleep". She has written for the "New York Times" , the "New Republic" , and the "Washington Post" .

LURES: POEMS ABOUT THE BOOK Written almost exclusively in traditional, modified, and nonce forms, the poems in Lures renegotiate grief, trauma, southern masculinities, and fatherhood with unflinching resolve. This new collection by Adam Vines draws much of its subject matter and imagery from fishing, revealing how close observations of species, spawning cycles, predation and feeding patterns, underwater topographies, water clarity, and lure choice reflect larger themes of what it means to be lured through memories of those who have passed and those who remain present. With Lures, Vines proposes that by reconstructing the stories from our past, we gain a greater understanding of our cultural identities and inheritances from those who made an impact on our lives. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adam Vines is professor of English and director of Creative Writing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he is editor of Birmingham Poetry Review. He is the author of three collections of poetry, including Out of Speech (LSU Press, 2022), and coauthor of two collections. His work has appeared in Poetry, the Kenyon Review, and the Southern Review, among other journals.

BENEFIT STREET: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK For nearly two decades, Siva has met after work on Tuesdays with four friends at a teahouse called the Kafiye. In interrupted conversations, the women explore what it is to live engaged lives inside and outside the home. Amidst joking and complaints, while drinking too much tea and eating too many sweets, they tell of their days: a son’s ninth birthday, the bruise on the arm of an aging parent, soldiers stationed outside the school, the funeral of an opposition political leader killed in a mysterious car accident. Set in an unnamed provincial capital of an unnamed country, Benefit Street tells of a wide circle of friends—teachers, lawyers, missionaries, doctors, artisans—in a time of gathering and dispersal. It tells the story of mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, colleagues, and neighbors, as war to the East threatens and constitutional rights are daily eroded by an increasingly authoritarian regime. The ideals of youth, freedom, and coexistence are severely tested with the shocking revelation that the charismatic leader of their group has sexually abused the women under his care. The limits of reconciliation are tested as Siva makes an arduous journey into the mountains to meet an estranged mother with a genius for weaving complex rugs. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adria Bernardi is a writer and translator whose publications include an oral history, a collection of essays, a collection of short stories, and two novels. Her work has been awarded the Bakeless Prize for fiction, the Drue Heinz Literature Prize, and the Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Award. She lives in Nashville.

TWO DEGREES ABOUT THE BOOK Fire. Ice. Flood. Three climate disasters. Four kids fighting for their lives. Akira is riding her horse in the California woods when a wildfire sparks and grows scarily fast. How can she make it to safety when there are flames everywhere? Owen and his best friend, George, like spotting polar bears on the snowy Canadian tundra. But when one bear gets way too close for comfort, do the boys have any chance of surviving? Natalie hunkers down at home as a massive hurricane barrels toward Miami. When the floodwaters crash into her house, Natalie is dragged out into the storm with nowhere to hide. Akira, Owen, George, and Natalie are all swept up in the devastating effects of climate change. They are also connected in ways that will shock them and could alter their destinies forever. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alan Gratz is the #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of several highly acclaimed books for young readers, including "Ground Zero" , "Allies", "Grenad" , "Refugee", "Projekt 1065", "Prisoner B-3087", and "Code of Honor." Alan lives in North Carolina with his wife and daughter. Look for him online at alangratz.com.

THE HEARTS OF ALL ON FIRE: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Florence, 1473. An impossible murder. A bitter rivalry. A serpent in the ranks. Florentine investigator Guid'Antonio Vespucci returns to Florence from a government mission to find his dreams of success shattered. Life is good-but then a wealthy merchant dies from mushroom poisoning at Guid'Antonio's Saint John's Day table, and Guid'Antonio's servant is charged with murder. Convinced of the youth's innocence and fearful the killer may strike again, Guid'Antonio launches a private investigation into the merchant's death, unaware that at the same time powerful enemies are conspiring to overthrow the Florentine Republic-and him. A clever, richly evocative tale for lovers of medieval and Renaissance mysteries everywhere, The Hearts of All on Fire is a timeless story of family relationships coupled with themes of love, loss, betrayal and, above all, hope in a challenging world. ABOUT THE AUTHOR The author of award-winning historical mysteries set in Renaissance Florence, Italy, as well as historical fiction set in the Smoky Mountains of the 1940s, Alana White is a Nashville native with deep roots in the Nashville writing community. A founding member of the International Historical Novel Society, she is the Society’s USA Midsouth Chapter Lead, as well as a longtime member and supporter of the local chapters of the Women’s National Book Association, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Author’s Guild. She lives with her husband in a home with two feisty schnauzers and one careful cat. THE HEARTS OF ALL ON FIRE: Book II in the Guid’Antonio Mystery Series. www.alanawhite.com

LIGHTLARK (BOOK 1) ABOUT THE BOOK Welcome to the Centennial. Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons, a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm's curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die. Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling, a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial. To survive, Isla must lie, cheat, and betray, even as love complicates everything. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alex Aster is an author of YA fiction as well as award-winning middle grade fiction, including the Emblem Island series, which was published to critical acclaim. Alex graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied creative writing. Find out more on TikTok (@alex.aster) or Instagram (@byalexaster).

HOT SPOT: A DOCTOR'S DIARY FROM THE PANDEMIC ABOUT THE BOOK When Nashville identified its first case of coronavirus in March 2020, the city was between Public Health Directors and as unprepared as the rest of the world for what was to come. Dr. Alex Jahangir, a trauma surgeon acting at that time as chair of the Metro Nashville Board of Health, unexpectedly found himself head of the city’s Coronavirus Task Force and responsible for leading it through uncharted waters. What followed was a year of unprecedented challenge and scrutiny. Jahangir, who immigrated to the US from Iran at age six, grew up in Nashville. He thought he knew the city well. But the pandemic laid bare ethnic, racial, and cultural tensions that daily threatened to derail what should have been a collective effort to keep fellow residents healthy and safe. "Hot Spot" is Jahangir’s narrative during the first year of COVID, derived from his op notes (the journal-like entries surgeons often keep following operations) and expanded to include his personal reflections and a glimpse into the inner sanctums of city and state governance in crisis. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alex Jahangir, an orthopaedic trauma surgeon, is Vice-Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medicine, and Health Policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Jahangir was named to the Metro Nashville Board of Health in 2017. He served as head of the Metro Nashville Coronavirus Task Force for the entire two years of the Task Force’s existence.

THE SILENT UNSEEN: A NOVEL OF WORLD WAR II ABOUT THE BOOK A mesmerizing historical novel of suspense and intrigue about a teenage girl who risks everything to save her missing brother. Poland, July 1944. Sixteen-year-old Maria is making her way home after years of forced labor in Nazi Germany, only to find her village destroyed and her parents killed in a war between the Polish Resistance and Ukrainian nationalists. To Maria's shock, the local Resistance unit is commanded by her older brother, Tomek, who she thought was dead. He is now a Silent Unseen, a special-operations agent with an audacious plan to resist a new and even more dangerous enemy sweeping in from the East. When Tomek disappears, Maria is determined to find him, but the only person who might be able to help is a young Ukrainian prisoner and the last person Maria trusts, even as she feels a growing connection to him that she can't resist. Tightly woven, relentlessly intense, The Silent Unseen depicts an explosive entanglement of loyalty, lies, and love during wartime, from Amanda McCrina, the acclaimed author of "Traitor", a debut hailed by Elizabeth Wein as "Alive with detail and vivid with insight . . . a piercing and bittersweet story." ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amanda McCrina was homeschooled through high school and graduated from the University of West Georgia with a BA in history and political science. For three years, she taught high school English and government at an international school in Madrid, Spain, and is now a bookseller in Franklin, Tennessee. She is the author of "Traitor" and "The Silent Unseen" .

INAUGURAL BALLERS: THE TRUE STORY OF THE FIRST US WOMEN'S OLYMPIC BASKETBALL TEAM ABOUT THE BOOK From the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Strong Inside" comes the inspirational true story of the birth of women’s Olympic basketball at the 1976 Summer Games and the ragtag team that put US women’s basketball on the map. Perfect for fans of Steve Sheinkin and Daniel James Brown. A League of Their Own meets Miracle in the inspirational true story of the first US Women’s Olympic Basketball team and their unlikely rise to the top. Twenty years before women’s soccer became an Olympic sport and two decades before the formation of the WNBA, the ’76 US women’s basketball team laid the foundation for the incredible rise of women’s sports in America at the youth, collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels. Though they were unknowns from small schools such as Delta State, the University of Tennessee at Martin and John F. Kennedy College of Wahoo, Nebraska, at the time of the ’76 Olympics, the American team included a roster of players who would go on to become some of the most legendary figures in the history of basketball. From Pat Head, Nancy Lieberman, Ann Meyers, Lusia Harris, coach Billie Moore, and beyond—these women took on the world and proved everyone wrong. Packed with black-and-white photos and thoroughly researched details about the beginnings of US women’s basketball, "Inaugural Ballers" is the fascinating story of the women who paved the way for girls everywhere. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Andrew Maraniss writes sports and history-related nonfiction, telling stories with a larger social message. His first book, "Strong Inside", received the Lillian Smith Book Award for civil rights and the RFK Book Awards' Special Recognition Prize for social justice, becoming the first sports-related book ever to win either award. His young readers adaptation of "Strong Inside" was named one of the Top Biographies for Youth by the American Library Association and was named a Notable Social Studies Book by the Children's Book Council. His acclaimed second book for kids. "Games of Deception," was a Sydney Taylor Book Award Middle Grade Honor Recipient, a Junior Library Guild selection, and was praised by authors Steve Sheinkin and Susan Campbell Bartoletti. He is also the author of "Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke". Andrew is a contributor to ESPN's sports and race website, TheUndefeated.com, and is a visiting author at the Vanderbilt University Athletic Department.

LESS IS LOST: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK In the "wildly, painfully, funny" (David Sedaris) follow-up to the best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning "Less: A Novel", the awkward and lovable Arthur Less returns in an unforgettable road trip across America. “Go get lost somewhere; it always does you good.” For Arthur Less, life is going surprisingly well: he is a moderately accomplished novelist in a steady relationship with his partner, Freddy Pelu. But nothing lasts: the death of an old lover and a sudden financial crisis has Less running away from his problems yet again as he accepts a series of literary gigs that send him on a zigzagging adventure across the US. Less roves across the “Mild Mild West,” through the South and to his mid-Atlantic birthplace, with an ever-changing posse of writerly characters and his trusty duo – a human-like black pug, Dolly, and a rusty camper van nicknamed Rosina. He grows a handlebar mustache, ditches his signature gray suit, and disguises himself in the bolero-and-cowboy-hat costume of a true “Unitedstatesian”… with varying levels of success, as he continues to be mistaken for either a Dutchman, the wrong writer, or, worst of all, a “bad gay.” We cannot, however, escape ourselves—even across deserts, bayous, and coastlines. From his estranged father and strained relationship with Freddy, to the reckoning he experiences in confronting his privilege, Arthur Less must eventually face his personal demons. With all of the irrepressible wit and musicality that made "Less" a bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning, must-read breakout book, "Less Is Lost" is a profound and joyous novel about the enigma of life in America, the riddle of love, and the stories we tell along the way. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Andrew Sean Greer is the Pulitzer Prize winning author of six works of fiction, including the bestsellers "The Confessions of Max Tivoli" and "Less" . Greer has taught at a number of universities, including the Iowa Writers Workshop, been a TODAY show pick, a New York Public Library Cullman Center Fellow, a judge for the National Book Award, and a winner of the California Book Award and the New York Public Library Young Lions Award. He is the recipient of a NEA grant, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He lives in San Francisco.

THE MANY LIVES OF ANDREW YOUNG ABOUT THE BOOK From his childhood in New Orleans to Howard University as a boy of fifteen, from his work as a young pastor in Alabama to his leadership role in the SCLC, from serving as the first Black congressman from Georgia since Reconstruction to serving as the Ambassador to the United Nations, from two transformational terms as mayor of Atlanta to co-chairmanship of the 1996 Summer Olympics Games, from co-founding Good Works International to promoting human rights across the globe with the Andrew Young Foundation, "The Many Lives of Andrew Young" tells the inspiring, dramatic story of civil rights hero, congressman, ambassador, mayor, and American icon Andrew Young. Featuring hundreds of full-color photographs that capture the extraordinary life and times of Andrew Young and a captivating narrative by acclaimed "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" race reporter Ernie Suggs, filled with personal accounts from Andrew Young himself, "The Many Lives of Andrew Young" is both a tribute to and an essential chronicle of the life of a man whose activism and service changed the face of America and whose work continues to reverberate around the world today. ABOUT ANDREW YOUNG Young approaches to alleviating hunger and poverty in the U.S. and abroad. Young is the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the French Legion d' Honneur and has received honorary degrees from more than 100 colleges and universities.

FRATERNITY: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK A queer, dark academia YA story about a mysterious boarding school, a brotherhood that must stay in the shadows, and an ancient evil that could tear it all apart. In the fall of 1991, Zooey Orson transfers to the Blackfriars School for Boys hoping for a fresh start following a scandal at his last school. However, he quickly learns that he isn't the only student keeping a secret. Before he knows it, he's fallen in with a group of boys who all share the same secret, one which they can only express openly within the safety of the clandestine gatherings of the Vicious Circle: the covert club for gay students going back decades. But when the boys unwittingly happen upon the headmaster's copy of an arcane occult text, they unleash an eldritch secret so terrible, it threatens to consume them all. A queer paranormal story set during the still-raging AIDS crisis, "Fraternity" examines a time not so long ago when a secret brotherhood lurked in the shadows. What would Zooey and his friends do to protect their found family? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Andy Mientus is a writer and actor best known for his work in the Broadway musicals "Spring Awakening" , "Les Misérables" , and "Wicked" , and on television in "The Flash" , "Smash" , and the upcoming Netflix series "Grendel" . He is the author of three Backstagers novels, which are based on the BOOM! comics. He lives in New York City. @AndyMientus

TOWER: SHORT STORIES ABOUT THE BOOK The characters in the story collection "Tower" move through their lives with the sense that something is missing. When attempting to fill the void, they discover that the problem isn't what's missing, the problem invariably has to do with a truth they've been trying to avoid. In "Landslide," an unemployed father brings home a board game so he can teach his children what is good about American politics. In "Tower," a father and daughter head for Chicago to visit the Art Institute and take in a Manet exhibition. While in the city they find a way to express their feelings about the 45th President. Other stories center on gambling: "Hialeah" and "Fortune" involve characters who are trying to change the direction of their sputtering lives. While both stories take place in Miami, they happen decades apart yet feature similar traps. The stories are also set in small towns: Akron, Ohio; Steelage, West Virginia; Vicksburg, Mississippi. In "At the Democrat Museum in Madisonville, Kentucky," a middle-aged narrator visits his mother during the pandemic and tries to understand why she won't wear her face mask, even though she is a proud, lifelong Democrat. In "Mississippi," the main character returns to her hometown to assist her family with a problem, despite the fact they haven't asked for any help. The main character in "Room" routinely travels to a specific motel in an out-of-the-way town in West Virginia because he knows the proprietor there will sleep with him. As the affair grows riskier, his interest in continuing it begins to diminish. She tells him things will be all right, and reminds him that they're not in love, anyway. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Andy Plattner is assistant professor of English at Kennesaw State University. His fiction has earned a Flannery O'Connor Award, a Henfield Prize, the Dzanc Mid-Career Novel Prize, the Dr. Tony Ryan Award, gold medals in novel and novella writing from the Faulkner Society, a silver medal in literary fiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards, and The Ferrol Sams Award for Fiction.

HAINTS ON BLACK MOUNTAIN: A HAUNTED SHORT STORY COLLECTION ABOUT THE BOOK Ann Hite takes her readers back to Black Mountain with this haunted short story collection. An array of new characters on the mountain experience ghostly encounters. The collection took inspiration from her beloved readers, who provided writing prompts. "Wrinkle in the Air" features Black Mountain's Polly Murphy, a young Cherokee woman, who sees her future in the well's water. Readers encounter relatives of Polly Murphy as the stories move through time. "The Root Cellar" introduces Polly's great-grandson, who tends to be a little too frugal with his money until a tornado and Polly's spirit pays the mountain a visit. In "The Beginning, the Middle, and the End", readers meet Gifted Lark on an excessively frigid January day. This story moves back and forth between 1942 and 1986 telling Gifted and her grandmother Anna's story. This telling introduces spirits that intervene in the spookiest of ways. "The Ghost Dog" brings a young widow, who is a photographer, and her thirteen-year-old son to the foot of Black Mountain to live in a one-hundred-fifty-year-old house. Spirits from the past, inhabitants of the house, come into play. This tale is really two: one told in the present and one in 1940. How can two mothers' paths converge with decades separating them? "Take Me Home" features a young girl whisked away from Black Mountain to stay with her grandmother in a house with the infamous Georgia Central State Hospital almost in its backyard. One can only imagine what happens. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ann Hite's "Ghost on Black Mountain" won Georgia Author of the Year and was shortlisted for the Townsend Prize in 2012. Her novel "Sleeping Above Chaos" was Georgia Author of the Year 2017 Finalist. "Roll the Stone Away" became Georgia Author of the Year 2021 Honorable Mention in the memoir category.

BRIGHT UNBEARABLE REALITY: ESSAYS ABOUT THE BOOK Essays about migration, displacement, and the hope for connection in a time of emotional and geopolitical disruption by a Soviet-born writer and former war correspondent. Called a “chronicler of a world on the move” by The New York Review of Books, Anna Badkhen seeks what separates and binds us at a time when one in seven people has left their birthplace, while a pandemic dictates the direst season of rupture in humankind’s remembering. Her new essay collection, Bright Unbearable Reality, comprises eleven essays set on four continents—roving everywhere from Oklahoma to Azerbaijan—and united by a common thread of communion and longing. In these essays, Badkhen addresses the human condition in the era of such unprecedented dislocation, contemplates the roles of memory and wonder in how we relate to one another, and asks how we can soberly and responsibly counter despair and continue to develop—or at least imagine—an emotional vocabulary against depravity. The subject throughout the collection is bright unbearable reality itself, a translation of Greek enargeia, which, says the poet Alice Oswald, is “when gods come to earth not in disguise but as themselves.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anna Badkhen was born in the Soviet Union and is now an American citizen. She is the author of six previous books of nonfiction. She has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Barry Lopez Visiting Writer in Ethics and Community Fellowship, and a Joel R. Seldin Award from Psychologists for Social Responsibility for writing about civilians in war zones.

SMALL FISH IN HIGH BRANCHES ABOUT THE BOOK Without its "hue and profusion," Annette Sisson reminds us, "the world is an orphan." And often these poems seek to clothe some austere loneliness in the multiplicity of life's visions and illusions. There are dramas of the natural landscape and still lives of urban isolation. Like all good poetry, Sisson's shows that everything that matters, whether tragic, as in her poem "Eclipse," or buoyant, as in her poem "Résistance," takes place on earth, in our world. This book is a loving celebration of the connections and tensions that help us to live our lives. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Annette Sisson is a writer, primarily a poet, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Believing in the statement by George Eliot (née Mary Ann Evans), “It’s never too late to be what you might have been,” she began to make room in her life for creative writing in late 2017. Since then, she has been published in literary magazines, published a poetry chapbook, won writing awards, and completed a full-length manuscript of poetry.

UNLIKELY ANIMALS: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK A lost young woman returns to small-town New Hampshire under the strangest of circumstances in this one-of-a-kind novel of life, death, and whatever comes after from the acclaimed author of "Rabbit Cake". It was a source of entertainment at Maple Street Cemetery. Both funny and sad, the kind of story we like best. Natural-born healer Emma Starling once had big plans for her life, but she’s lost her way. A med-school dropout, she’s come back to small-town Everton, New Hampshire, to care for her father, dying from a mysterious brain disease. Clive Starling has been hallucinating small animals, as well as visions of the ghost of a long-dead naturalist, Ernest Harold Baynes, once known for letting wild animals live in his house. This ghost has been giving Clive some ideas on how to spend his final days. Emma arrives home knowing she must face her dad’s illness, her mom’s judgement, and her younger brother’s recent stint in rehab, but she’s unprepared to find that her former best friend from high school is missing, with no one bothering to look for her. The police say they don’t spend much time looking for drug addicts. Emma’s dad is the only one convinced the young woman might still be alive, and Emma is hopeful he could be right. Someone should look for her, at least. Emma isn't really trying to be a hero - but somehow she and her father set in motion just the kind of miracle the town needs. Set against the backdrop of a small town in the throes of a very real opioid crisis, "Unlikely Animals" is a tragicomic novel about familial expectations, imperfect friendships, and the possibility of resurrecting that which had been thought irrevocably lost. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Annie Hartnett is the author of novels "Rabbit Cake" and "Unlikely Animals." Unlikely Animals was the April 2022 book club selection for "Good Housekeeping" magazine and Amerie’s Book club. It received starred reviews from "Booklist" and "Bookpage", and was an April Indie Next pick. "Rabbit Cake" was listed as one of "Kirkus Reviews'" Best Books of 2017, was a finalist for the New England Book Award, an Indies Introduce and an Indie Next Pick, and was long-listed for the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize. It received starred reviews from "Publisher's Weekly", "Kirkus", and "Library Journal", and was "People" magazine's Book of the Week. It is currently under option with Amazon Studios. Annie has been awarded fellowships and residencies from the MacDowell Colony, Sewanee Writers' Conference, and the Associates of the Boston Public Library. She holds degrees from the MFA program at the University of Alabama, Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English, and Hamilton College. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog.

LANDINGS: A CROOKED FARM YEAR ABOUT THE BOOK In 130 ink-and-watercolor drawings, the story of one year on a family farm in Kentucky unfolds in captured moments of daily life: Donahue chopping wood, a cow sniffing her head, her daughter tending to goats after a hard day at school. Each visual is paired with a written reflection on the day’s doings, interwoven with the longer-arc history of her family, the farm, and their community. In telling the story of a farm family’s struggle to survive and thrive, Landings grapples with the legacy of our cultural divide between art and land, and celebrates the beauty discovered along the way. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Arwen Donahue's comics and graphic stories have been featured in The Nib, The Rumpus, The Indiana Review, and the forthcoming Field Guide to Graphic Literature. She has received grants from the Sustainable Arts Foundation, the Kentucky Foundation for Women, the Kentucky Humanities Council, and an Al Smith Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council. She lives on a farm in Kentucky, where her family has raised produce for local markets for over 20 years.

NO CHOICE: THE DESTRUCTION OF ROE V. WADE AND THE FIGHT TO PROTECT A FUNDAMENTAL AMERICAN RIGHT ABOUT THE BOOK The pieces started to fall In 2019 when a wave of anti-abortion laws went into effect. Georgia, Ohio, Mississippi, Louisiana and Kentucky banned abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, while Missouri banned the procedure at eight weeks. Alabama banned all abortions. The die was cast. And on June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and, abortion immediately became illegal in 22 states. No Choice begins by shining a light on the eerie ways in which life before Roe will be mirrored in life after. The wealthy and privileged will still have access, low-income people will suffer disproportionately, and pregnancy will be heavily policed. Then, Andrews takes us to the states and communities that have been hardest-hit by the erosion of abortion rights in this country, and tells the stories of those who are most at risk from this devastating reversal of settled law. There is a glimmer of faint hope, though. As the battle moves to state legislatures around the country, the book profiles the people who are doing groundbreaking, inspiring work to ensure safe, legal access to this fundamental part of health care. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Becca Andrews is a journalist at Mother Jones, where she writes about reproductive rights and gender. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley's School of Journalism; before attending school there, she wrote for newspapers in her home state of Tennessee.

THE LAST SLAVE SHIP: THE TRUE STORY OF HOW CLOTILDA WAS FOUND, HER DESCENDANTS, AND AN EXTRAORDINARY RECKONING ABOUT THE BOOK The incredible true story of the last ship to carry enslaved people to America, the remarkable town its survivors founded after emancipation, and the complicated legacy their descendants carry with them to this day—by the journalist who discovered the ship’s remains. Fifty years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed, the Clotilda became the last ship in history to bring enslaved Africans to the United States. The ship was scuttled and burned on arrival to hide evidence of the crime, allowing the wealthy perpetrators to escape prosecution. Despite numerous efforts to find the sunken wreck, Clotilda remained hidden for the next 160 years. But in 2019, journalist Ben Raines made international news when he successfully concluded his obsessive quest through the swamps of Alabama to uncover one of our nation’s most important historical artifacts. Traveling from Alabama to the ancient African kingdom of Dahomey in modern-day Benin, Raines recounts the ship’s perilous journey, the story of its rediscovery, and its complex legacy. Against all odds, Africatown, the Alabama community founded by the captives of the Clotilda, prospered in the Jim Crow South. Zora Neale Hurston visited in 1927 to interview Cudjo Lewis, telling the story of his enslavement in the New York Times bestseller Barracoon. And yet the haunting memory of bondage has been passed on through generations. Clotilda is a ghost haunting three communities—the descendants of those transported into slavery, the descendants of their fellow Africans who sold them, and the descendants of their American enslavers. This connection binds these groups together to this day. At the turn of the century, descendants of the captain who financed the Clotilda’s journey lived nearby—where, as significant players in the local real estate market, they disenfranchised and impoverished residents of Africatown. From these parallel stories emerges a profound depiction of America as it struggles to grapple with the traumatic past of slavery and the ways in which racial oppression continue to this day. And yet, at its heart, The Last Slave Ship remains optimistic—an epic tale of one community’s triumphs over great adversity and a celebration of the power of human curiosity to uncover the truth about our past and heal its wounds. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ben Raines is an award-winning environmental journalist, filmmaker, and charter captain. He lives with his wife in Fairhope, Alabama.

THE OTHER DR. GILMER: TWO MEN, A MURDER, AND AN UNLIKELY FIGHT FOR JUSTICE ABOUT THE BOOK Fresh out of medical residency, Dr. Benjamin Gilmer joined a rural North Carolina clinic only to find that its previous doctor shared his last name. Dr. Vince Gilmer was loved and respected by the community—right up until he strangled his ailing father and then returned to the clinic for a regular week of work. Vince’s eventual arrest for murder shocked his patients. Could their beloved doctor be capable of such violence? The deeper Benjamin looked into Vince’s case, the more he became obsessed with discovering what pushed a good man toward darkness. When Benjamin visited Vince in prison, he met a man who appeared to be fighting his own mind, constantly twitching and veering into nonsensical tangents. Sentenced to life in prison, Vince had been branded a cold-blooded killer and a “malingerer”—a person who fakes an illness. But it was obvious to Benjamin that Vince needed help. Alongside This American Life journalist Sarah Koenig, Benjamin resolved to understand what had happened to his predecessor. Time and again, the pair came up against a prison system that cared little about the mental health of its inmates—despite more than a third of them suffering from mental illness. The Other Dr. Gilmer takes readers on a thrilling and heart-wrenching journey through our shared human fallibility, made worse by a prison system that is failing our most vulnerable citizens. With deep compassion and an even deeper sense of justice, Dr. Benjamin Gilmer delves into the mystery of what could make a caring doctor commit a brutal murder. And in the process, his powerful story asks us to answer a profound question: In a country with the highest incarceration rates in the world, what would it look like if we prioritized healing rather than punishment? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Benjamin Gilmer is a family medicine physician in Fletcher, North Carolina. He is an Albert Schweitzer Fellow for Life and associate professor in the department of family medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill and at the Mountain Area Health Education Center. A former neurobiologist turned rural family practitioner, Dr. Gilmer has lectured across the country about medical ethics, rural health, and the intersection of medicine and criminal justice reform. He lives with his wife, Deirdre; their two children, Kai and Luya; and their dog, Prince Peanut Butter, in Asheville, North Carolina.

FOREVER YOUNG: THE YOUNGEST AS A WORLD'S FAIR PRESIDENT The author's autobiographical adventure chronicles his odyssey through a series of captivating events which occurred on international, national, state, and local levels, all while he held the distinction as the "youngest ever." He was the youngest: newspaper editor, governor's cabinet member, university vice president, and, most significantly, president of an international World's Fair. And, while none of the designations were intentionally sought, the author's recollection of the highlights of those moments showcases one man's unique journey across the political landscape of modern America. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Still working on determining what I would like to be when I finally grow up.....but, in the interim, the occurrence of a forthcoming significant anniversary prompted me to complete a book that I had been mulling over and thinking about for quite some time. Writing has long comprised a major portion of my career....it's what I have always done and am still doing in order to assist my clients, champion redeeming causes and communicate my humble opinions through dozens of op-ed columns published in multiple newspapers. And, now, I am doing it to relate some of my personal stories.The 40th anniversary of the highly successful, but occasionally maligned, 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, where I served as president and CEO inspired me to finally--borrowing an allusion here from my favorite hobby--select the grapes, create the blend, age the wine, bottle it, and proceed with distribution. At the time of the World's Fair, I was the youngest Fair executive on record.I was born in Ohio, raised in Tennessee, and was privileged to invoke my U.S. Air Force-earned G.I. bill in order to obtain a journalism degree from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. My life path has been circuitous and serendipitous, filled with fascinating experiences, captivating interactions, a few unforgettable instances and several keep-your-eyes-wide-open moments. While accompanying me on this readable journey, you'll discover that the youngest often occurs by happenstance and without intent. Regardless, holding the honor of being the youngest-ever Fair president, and retaining that designation 40 years later, is, I believe, fairly notable.Two enduring loves in my life are history and wine. Here's why: No matter how much you learn, there's always more and you will, almost certainly, never learn all there is to know about either subject. Together they represent a pair of enduring, unquenchable quests. One can't ask for more than that.I am lucky to have exceptional clients with whom to practice my marketing concepts and strategies, and feel fortunate to have them appear pleased to compensate me appropriately.I am open for business and comments, both positive and negative, five days a week and occasionally on weekends, at bo@robertsstrategies.com and my blogs chronicled on my website, robertsstrategies.com.

SHIFT WORK: POEMS ABOUT THE BOOK "Shift Work" gathers a chorus from the storytelling working classes of the Upper South. In narrative poems made of sinewy, Whitmanesque lines, Bobby C. Rogers composes portraits of dwellers in the small towns, unincorporated communities, and hard-edged cities they have flown to, always packing their past with them, an inheritance as ephemeral as vapor, made mostly of memory even as it was being lived. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bobby C. Rogers is the author of "Social History" and "Paper Anniversary". His honors include a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and a Witter Bynner Fellowship at the Library of Congress. He teaches at Union University and lives in Memphis.

AFTER DARK WITH ROXIE CLARK ABOUT THE BOOK As a member of the supposedly-cursed Clark family, most of Roxie Clark's ancestors have met tragic ends, including her mother. Instead of fearing the curse, however, Roxie has combined her flair for performance and her gruesome family history into a successful ghost tour. But her tour never covers the most recent death--her sister Skylar's boyfriend, found murdered in a cornfield. A year later, Roxie's desperate to help Skylar find closure. Instead, Skylar becomes fixated on finding the killer. But the more lies the sisters uncover about that night, the more Roxie starts to wonder if some scary stories might be better left untold. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brooke Lauren Davis grew up in rural Southern Ohio. Now she lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where she spends her time dreaming up more stories about small towns with big secrets. She is also the author of "The Hollow Inside". brookelaurendavis.com Instagram: @brookelaurendavis

THE DISPLACEMENTS: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK To all appearances, the Larsen-Hall family has everything: healthy children, a stable marriage, a lucrative career for Brantley, and the means for Daphne to pursue her art full-time. Their deluxe new Miami life has just clicked into place when Luna, the world's first category 6 hurricane, upends everything they have taken for granted. When the storm makes landfall, it triggers a descent of another sort. Their home destroyed, two of its members missing, and finances abruptly cut off, the family finds everything they assumed about their lives now up for grabs. Swept into a mass rush of evacuees from across the American South, they are transported hundreds of miles to a FEMA mega shelter where their new community includes an insurance-agent-turned-drug dealer, a group of vulnerable children, and a dedicated relief worker trying to keep the peace. Will 'normal' ever return? A suspenseful read plotted on a vast national tapestry, "The Displacements" thrillingly explores what happens when privilege is lost and resilience is tested in a swiftly changing world. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bruce Holsinger is the author of "The Gifted School" , which won the Colorado Book Award. He teaches at the University of Virginia and is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.

PUNISHMENT WITHOUT TRIAL: WHY PLEA BARGAINING IS A BAD DEAL ABOUT THE BOOK When Americans think of the criminal justice system, the image that comes to mind is a trial-a standard court­room scene with a defendant, attorneys, a judge, and most important, a jury. It's a fair assumption. The right to a trial by jury is enshrined in both the body of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It's supposed to be the foundation that undergirds our entire justice system. But in "Punishment Without Trial: Why Plea Bargaining Is a Bad Deal", University of North Carolina law professor Carissa Byrne Hessick shows that the popular conception of a jury trial couldn't be further from reality. That bed­rock constitutional right has all but disappeared thanks to the unstoppable march of plea bargaining, which began to take hold during Prohibition and has skyrocketed since 1971, when it was affirmed as constitutional by the Supreme Court. Nearly every aspect of our criminal justice system encourages defendants-whether they're innocent or guilty-to take a plea deal. "Punishment Without Trial " showcases how plea bargaining has undermined justice at every turn and across socioeconomic and racial divides. It forces the hand of lawyers, judges, and defendants, turning our legal system into a ruthlessly efficient mass incarceration machine that is dogging our jails and pun­ishing citizens because it's the path of least resistance. Professor Hessick makes the case against plea bargaining as she illustrates how it has damaged our justice system while presenting an innovative set of reforms for how we can fix it. An impassioned, urgent argument about the future of criminal justice reform, "Punishment Without Trial" will change the way you view the criminal justice system. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Carissa Byrne Hessick is the Ransdell Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she also serves as the director of the Prosecutors and Politics Project. Before joining the faculty at UNC, she taught at the law schools of Arizona State, Harvard, and the University of Utah. Her work on the criminal justice system has been published by the " Los Angeles Times" , the "Philadelphia Inquirer" , "Slate" , and numerous academic journals. She also has one of the most informative and useful Twitter accounts for anyone interested in criminal justice. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

ROAD TO THE GALLIANO CLUB ABOUT THE BOOK RUTH CROSS: After escaping a dead-end Pennsylvania coal mining town, Ruth fulfils her dreams of dancing on Broadway, but is tripped up by a ruined reputation and prison time. Opening a dancing school above the Galliano Club is key to reinventing her life, but can the club be the sanctuary she needs? LUCA LOMBARDO: From a bitter upbringing in Italy to the heartbreaking death of his wife and child in a New York City tenement, Luca loses everything he’s ever cared about. The Galliano Club is the one exception. It’s the home he never had. Nothing and no one is going to take it away. BENNY ROTOLO: A member of Chicago’s violent North Side gang, Benny learns how to succeed in the crime business until the day he’s chased out of town by Al Capone. Determined to build his own bootlegging empire, he wants to seize the Galliano Club and turn it into the finest speakeasy north of Manhattan. The blue-collar Galliano Club is the mainstay of Italian immigrants in Lido, New York. After long days building America’s skyscrapers, ships, and electrical grid, thirsty mill workers head there to play cards, argue over the news, and drink the beer hidden in the cellar. It’s a comfortable place where no one is ready for the coming storm of murder, blackmail, and revenge. Bursting with authentic details, the Galliano Club series was inspired by author Carmen Amato’s grandfather who was a deputy sheriff of Oneida County, New York, during Prohibition. Crime always took center stage in his tales of immigrant rivalries, bootlegger ingenuity, and old scores being settled. America’s growing pains during the early 20th century provide a vibrant backdrop for the series. New immigrants file through Ellis Island as George M. Cohan lights up Broadway, Sacco and Vanzetti go on trial, women swoon over Rudolph Valentino’s The Sheik, Chicago gangsters shoot to kill, skyscrapers sprout from cement and sweat, and the first flight over the North Pole is celebrated around the world. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Carmen Amato is the author of the Detective Emilia Cruz police series set in Acapulco, the Galliano Club historical thrillers, and standalone novels of suspense. A 30-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency, her personal experiences are occasionally disguised as fiction. A recipient of both the National Intelligence Award and the Career Intelligence Medal, Carmen has been a judge for the BookLife Prize and Killer Nashville’s Claymore Award. Her nonfiction has appeared in Criminal Element, The Rap Sheet, Publishers Weekly, Mamiverse, and other national-level publications.

DIARY OF A MISFIT: A MEMOIR AND A MYSTERY ABOUT THE BOOK When Casey Parks came out as a lesbian in college back in 2002, she assumed her life in the South was over. Her mother shunned her, and her pastor asked God to kill her. But then Parks's grandmother, a stern conservative who grew up picking cotton, pulled her aside and revealed a startling secret. "I grew up across the street from a woman who lived as a man," and then implored Casey to find out what happened to him. "Diary of a Misfit" is the story of Parks's life-changing journey to unravel the mystery of Roy Hudgins, the small-town country singer from grandmother's youth, all the while confronting ghosts of her own. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Casey Parks is a reporter for "The Washington Post" who covers gender and family issues. She was previously a staff reporter at the "Jackson (Miss.) Free Press" and spent a decade at "The Oregonian" , where she wrote about race and LGBTQ+ issues and was a finalist for the Livingston Award. Her articles have appeared in "The New York Times Magazine", "The New Yorker", "The Oxford American", "ESPN", "USA Today", and "The Nation" . A former Spencer Fellow at Columbia University, Parks was most recently awarded the 2021 J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award for her work on "Diary of a Misfit". Parks lives in Portland.

NOT XANADU: POEMS ABOUT THE BOOK Cathryn Hankla's tenth collection, "Not Xanadu", confronts the recurring imprint of the past--culturally, environmentally, and personally. In innovative poems that reclaim and reinvent traditional forms, reversing haikus and truncating sonnets, Hankla's recognition of resonance and presence evolves as a runner moves through a familiarly strange landscape evoking memory without evading keen observation. The poet reminds us that things are not what they seem on the surface or at first glance, not the coal train, nor the sparrow, nor the lover, and over time even the surest meanings and interpretations shift. In these cogent, lyrical poems, Hankla invites the reader's feeling, introspection, and renewal, in acknowledging the natural world as both balm and responsibility, mysterious and fragile. A trusted seer, fellow traveler, and witness to wonders, Hankla presents the urgency of lives, human and not, at fraught intersections of place and time. What this world is not and what this world can be: Like a divining rod, her powerful poems find the living water, enter and possess you, offering rare moments of irrevocable possibility and spiritual lucidity. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cathryn Hankla is the author of fifteen books, including "Fortune Teller Miracle Fish", "Galaxies", and "Lost Places: On Losing and Finding Home". She is Hollins University professor emerita of English and Creative Writing. Hankla serves as Poetry editor of "The Hollins Critic", exhibits visual art at Market Gallery in Roanoke, Virginia, and offers writing consultation.

A YEAR WITHOUT MONTHS ABOUT THE BOOK This collection of fourteen essays by Charles Dodd White—praised by Silas House as “one of the best prose stylists of Appalachian literature”—explores the boundaries of family, loss, masculinity, and place. Contemplating the suicides of his father, uncle, and son, White meditates on what it means to go on when seemingly everything worth living for is lost. What he discovers is an intimate connection to the natural world, a renewed impulse to understand his troubled family history, and a devotion to following the clues that point to the possibility of a whole life. Avoiding easy sentiment and cliché, White’s transformative language drives toward renewal. A Year without Months introduces lively and memorable characters, as the author draws on a wide range of emotions to analyze everything, including himself. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Charles Dodd White is the recipient of the Chaffin Award and the Appalachian Book of the Year Award for his fiction. He teaches English at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tennessee.

MIGRATIONS: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Franny Stone has always been the kind of woman who is able to love but unable to stay. Leaving behind everything but her research gear, she arrives in Greenland with a singular purpose: to follow the last Arctic terns in the world on what might be their final migration to Antarctica. Franny talks her way onto a fishing boat, and she and the crew set sail, traveling ever further from shore and safety. But as Franny’s history begins to unspool―a passionate love affair, an absent family, a devastating crime―it becomes clear that she is chasing more than just the birds. When Franny's dark secrets catch up with her, how much is she willing to risk for one more chance at redemption? Epic and intimate, heartbreaking and galvanizing, Charlotte McConaghy's Migrations is an ode to a disappearing world and a breathtaking page-turner about the possibility of hope against all odds. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Charlotte McConaghy is the author of the novels Migrations, a national bestseller that is being translated into over twenty languages, and Once There Were Wolves. She is based in Sydney, Australia.

THE ADVICE KING ANTHOLOGY ABOUT THE BOOK Since the fall of 2014, The Advice King has been one of the most widely read sections of alt-weekly the "Nashville Scene". "The Advice King Anthology" contains the best of those columns, with new In-the-Meantime notes, a new introduction, and a foreword by writer Tracy Moore. If you are looking for traditional advice, this might not be the book for you. But if you care to find the incendiary, subversive, and hilarious alongside actual thoughts about addiction, depression, gentrification, politics, poetry, music, economic policy, living in New Nashville, and (inevitably) romance, the Advice King has much to offer. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chris Crofton is a writer, musician, stand-up comedian, and actor. He stopped drinking alcohol in 2012, and it saved his life. He has been writing the Advice King column since 2014.

THE THREE DEATH SENTENCES OF CLARENCE HENDERSON: A BATTLE FOR RACIAL JUSTICE AT THE DAWN OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA ABOUT THE BOOK "The Three Death Sentences of Clarence Henderson" is the story of Clarence Henderson, a wrongfully accused Black sharecropper who was sentenced to die three different times for a murder he didn't commit, and the prosecution desperate to pin the crime on him despite scant evidence. His first trial lasted only a day and featured a lackluster public defense. The book also tells the story of Homer Chase, a former World War II paratrooper and New England radical who was sent to the South by the Communist Party to recruit African Americans to the cause while offering them a chance at increased freedom. And it's the story of Thurgood Marshall's NAACP and their battle against not only entrenched racism but a Communist Party--despite facing nearly as much prejudice as those they were trying to help--intent on winning the hearts and minds of Black voters. The bitter battle between the two groups played out as the sides sparred over who would take the lead on Henderson's defense, a period in which he spent years in prison away from a daughter he had never seen. Through it all, "The Three Death Sentences of Clarence Henderson" is a portrait of a community, and a country, at a crossroads, trying to choose between the path it knows is right and the path of least resistance. The case pitted powerful force--?often those steering legal and journalistic institutions--attempting to use racism and Red-Scare tactics against a populace that by and large believed the case against Henderson was suspect at best. But ultimately, it's a hopeful story about how even when things look dark, some small measure of justice can be achieved against all the odds, and actual progress is possible. It's the rare book that is a timely read, yet still manages to shed an informative light on America's past and future, as well as its present. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chris Joyner is an investigative reporter with the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" with more than two decades of experience in journalism, ranging from community newspapers to national and international news and wire services. He reported from the scene of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010. As an investigative reporter, he focuses on uncovering hidden communities and has written about street gangs and life inside a supermax prison, the hidden world of government lobbying, and a white-collar criminal network built around a drug testing lab. He lives in Atlanta.

THE GLEAMING OF THE BLADE: POEMS ABOUT THE BOOK Christian J. Collier's poems of witness have the kind of keen insight that slices to the heart of the subject. THE GLEAMING OF THE BLADE examines Black masculinity in the contemporary American South, alongside the lingering ghosts of the past, and how it feels to be Black in a country whose divisions and struggles could signal the end of civilization. These poems never shy away, interrogating harsh injustices and contending with the truth of today's America, a truth sometimes beautiful, sometimes biting. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Christian J. Collier is a Black, Southern writer, arts organizer, and teaching artist who resides in Chattanooga, TN. His works have appeared or are forthcoming in Hayden's Ferry Review, The Michigan Quarterly Review, Atlanta Review, Grist Journal, and elsewhere. A 2015 Loft Spoken Word Immersion Fellow, he is also the winner of the 2020 ProForma Contest and the 2019-2020 Seven Hills Review Poetry Contest.

WE WERE KINGS ABOUT THE BOOK Twenty years ago, eighteen-year-old Francis Quick was convicted of murdering her best friend, Cora King, and sentenced to death. Now the highly debated Accelerated Death Penalty Act has passed giving Frankie thirty final days to live. Surprising everyone, one of the King family members sets out to challenge the woefully inadequate evidence and potential innocence of Frankie Quick. The at-first reluctant but soon-fiery Nyla and her unexpected ally—handsome country island boy Sam Stack—bring Frankie’s case to the international stage through her YouTube channel, Death Daze. They step into fame and a hometown battle that someone’s still willing to kill over. But who? The senator? The philanthropist? The pawn shop owner? Nyla’s own mother? Best advice: Don’t go to family dinner at the Kings’ estate. More people will leave in body bags than on their own two feet. And as for Frankie Quick, she’s a gem . . . even if she’s guilty. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Court Stevens grew up among rivers, cornfields, churches, and gossip in the small-town South. She is a former adjunct professor, youth minister, and Olympic torchbearer. These days she writes coming-of-truth fiction and is the community outreach manager for Warren County Public Library in Kentucky. She has a pet whale named Herman, a bandsaw named Rex, and several novels with her name on the spine: The June Boys, Faking Normal, The Lies About Truth, the e-novella The Blue-Haired Boy, Dress Codes for Small Towns, and Four Three Two One. Find Court online at CourtneyCStevens.com; Instagram: @quartland; Facebook: @CourtneyCStevens; Twitter: @quartland.

THE SOUTHERNIZATION OF AMERICA: A STORY OF DEMOCRACY IN THE BALANCE ABOUT THE BOOK In 1974 John Egerton published his seminal work, "The Americanization of Dixi"e. Pulitzer Prize-winner Cynthia Tucker and award-winning author Frye Gaillard carry Egerton's thesis forward in "The Southernization of America", a compelling series of linked essays considering the role of the South in shaping America's current political and cultural landscape. They dive deeper, examining the morphing of the Southern strategy of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan into the Republican Party of today, the racial backlash against President Obama, family separation on our southern border, the rise of the Christian right, the white supremacist riots in Charlottesville, the death of George Floyd, and the attack on our nation's capitol. They find hope in the South too, a legacy rooted in the civil rights years that might ultimately lead the nation on the path to redemption. Tucker and Gaillard bring a multiracial perspective and years of political reporting to bear on a critical moment in American history, a time of racial reckoning and democracy under siege. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cynthia Tucker is a Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist who has spent most of her career in journalism, having previously worked for the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" as an editorial page editor and as a Washington-based political columnist. She has also been featured as a political commentator on television and radio. Tucker's work as a journalist has been celebrated by the National Association of Black Journalists (who inducted her into its hall of fame), Harvard University, and the Alabama Humanities Foundation. She spent three years as a visiting professor at the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and is currently the journalist-in-residence at the University of South Alabama.

PLEADING OUT: HOW PLEA BARGAINING CREATES A PERMANENT CRIMINAL CLASS ABOUT THE BOOK Most Americans believe that the jury trial is the backbone of our criminal justice system. But in fact, the vast majority of cases never make it to trial: almost all criminal convictions are the result of a plea bargain, a deal made entirely out of the public eye. Law professor and civil rights lawyer Dan Canon argues that plea bargaining may swiftly dispose of cases, but it also fuels an unjust system. This practice produces a massive underclass of people who are restricted from voting, working, and otherwise participating in society. And while innocent people plead guilty to crimes they did not commit in exchange for lesser sentences, the truly guilty can get away with murder. With heart-wrenching stories, fierce urgency, and an insider's perspective, "Pleading Out" exposes the ugly truth about what's wrong with America's criminal justice system today and offers a prescription for meaningful change. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dan Canon is a civil rights lawyer and a law professor at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. In his practice, he has served as counsel for plaintiffs in the US Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges , which brought marriage equality to all fifty states, and in a number of other high-profile cases. He lives in southern Indiana.

THE EVANGELIST: POEMS ABOUT THE BOOK Acclaimed novelist and memoirist David Armand's first full-length collection of poetry, "The Evangelist", contains poems that are at once deceptively simple, clear, and colloquial, yet dense with meaning and universal significance. Drawing upon everyday incidents, Armand fashions poems of great lyrical beauty and potent symbolism that remind his readers of the importance of memory and of a shared language. But these poems are also a series of emotional meditations on fatherhood, growing up poor, and the legacies we leave behind for our families. Deftly using his own experiences, then casting them out into the world so that they become a part of the universal exploration of life and all its intricacies, Armand paints an honest and devastating portrait of what it means to be a father, a husband, and a son. The collection concludes with a series of poetic responses to some of the folk art and traditions of his native South, where he reimagines the remarkable photography of Birney Imes, as well as providing lamentations on the humble beginnings and tragic life of Elvis Presley, a poet and an evangelist in his own right. ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Armand was born and raised in Louisiana. From 2017-2019, he served as writer-in-residence at Southeastern Louisiana University, where he is currently assistant professor of Creative Writing. Armand has published four novels, two collections of poetry, a memoir, and a collection of essays.

A DARK ROOM IN GLITTER BALL CITY: MURDER, SECRETS, AND SCANDALL IN OLD LOUISVILLE ABOUT THE BOOK This true crime saga—with an eccentric Southern backdrop—introduces the reader to the story of a murder in a crumbling Louisville mansion and the decades of secrets and corruption that live within the old house’s walls. On June 18, 2010, police discover a body buried in the wine cellar of a Victorian mansion in Old Louisville. James Carroll, shot and stabbed the year before, has lain for 7 months in a plastic storage bin—his temporary coffin. Homeowner Jeffrey Mundt and his boyfriend, Joseph Banis, point the finger at each other in what locals dub The Pink Triangle Murder. On the surface, this killing appears to be a crime of passion, a sordid love tryst gone wrong in a creepy old house. But as author David Dominé sits in on the trials, a deeper story emerges: the struggle between hope for a better future on the one hand and the privilege and power of the status quo on the other. As the court testimony devolves into he-said/he-said contradictions, David draws on the confidences of neighbors, drag queens, and other acquaintances within the city's vibrant LGBTQ community to piece together the details of the case. While uncovering the many past lives of the mansion itself, he enters a murky underworld of gossip, neighborhood scandal, and intrigue. ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Domine is the author of twelve other books, and he is particularly drawn to writing about the Old Louisville neighborhood, known as much for its Victorian mansions and elegance, as its eccentric, bohemian characters. His paranormal and true crime projects have been featured nationally on shows such as The Dead Files on The Travel Channel, Ghost Hunters on SyFy, and A&E's The First 48. He’s also received coverage in the New York Times, the Economist, Chicago Tribune, and the Washington Post. He lives in Louisville, where he teaches at Bellarmine University.

SOUNDS WILD AND BROKEN: SONIC MARVELS, EVOLUTION'S CREATIVITY, AND THE CRISIS OF SENSORY EXTINCTION ABOUT THE BOOK We live on a planet alive with song, music, and speech. David Haskell explores how these wonders came to be. In rain forests shimmering with insect sound and swamps pulsing with frog calls we learn about evolution's creative powers. From birds in the Rocky Mountains and on the streets of Paris, we discover how animals learn their songs and adapt to new environments. Below the waves, we hear our kinship to beings as different as snapping shrimp, toadfish, and whales. In the startlingly divergent sonic vibes of the animals of different continents, we experience the legacies of plate tectonics, the deep history of animal groups and their movements around the world, and the quirks of aesthetic evolution. Starting with the origins of animal song and traversing the whole arc of Earth history, Haskell illuminates and celebrates the emergence of the varied sounds of our world. In mammoth ivory flutes from Paleolithic caves, violins in modern concert halls, and electronic music in earbuds, we learn that human music and language belong within this story of ecology and evolution. Yet we are also destroyers, now silencing or smothering many of the sounds of the living Earth. Haskell takes us to threatened forests, noise-filled oceans, and loud city streets, and shows that sonic crises are not mere losses of sensory ornament. Sound is a generative force, and so the erasure of sonic diversity makes the world less creative, just, and beautiful. The appreciation of the beauty and brokenness of sound is therefore an important guide in today's convulsions and crises of change and inequity. "Sounds Wild and Broken" is an invitation to listen, wonder, belong, and act. ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Haskell's work integrates scientific, literary, and contemplative studies of the natural world. He is a professor of biology and environmental studies at the University of the South and a Guggenheim Fellow. His 2017 book "The Songs of Trees" won the John Burroughs Medal for Outstanding Nature Writing. His 2012 book "The Forest Unseen" was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, and won the 2013 Best Book Award from the National Academies, the National Outdoor Book Award, and the Reed Environmental Writing Award.

THE MONSTER'S BONES: THE DISCOVERY OF T. REX AND HOW IT SHOOK OUR WORLD ABOUT THE BOOK In the dust of the Gilded Age Bone Wars, two vastly different men emerge with a mission to fill the empty halls of New York's struggling American Museum of Natural History: Henry Fairfield Osborn, a privileged socialite whose reputation rests on the museum's success, and intrepid Kansas-born fossil hunter Barnum Brown. When Brown unearths the first Tyrannosaurus Rex fossils in the Montana wilderness, forever changing the world of paleontology, Osborn sees a path to save his museum from irrelevancy. With four-foot-long jaws capable of crushing the bones of its prey and hips that powered the animal to run at speeds of 25 miles per hour, the T. Rex suggests a prehistoric ecosystem more complex than anyone imagined. As the public turns out in droves to cower before this bone-chilling giant of the past and wonder at the mysteries of its disappearance, Brown and Osborn together turn dinosaurs from a biological oddity into a beloved part of culture. Vivid and engaging, "The Monster's Bones" journeys from prehistory to present day, from remote Patagonia to the unforgiving badlands of the American West to the penthouses of Manhattan. With a wide-ranging cast of robber barons, eugenicists, and opportunistic cowboys, "New York Times" best-selling author David K. Randall reveals how a monster of a bygone era ignited a new understanding of our planet and our place within it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR David K. Randall is the" New York Times" best-selling author of "Dreamland" and a senior reporter at Reuters. A California native, he now lives outside of New York City.

NOBODY'S MAGIC: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK In this glittering triptych novel, Suzette, Maple and Agnes, three Black women with albinism, call Shreveport, Louisiana home. At the bustling crossroads of the American South and Southwest, these three women find themselves at the crossroads of their own lives. Suzette, a pampered twenty-year-old, has been sheltered from the outside world since a dangerous childhood encounter. Now, a budding romance with a sweet mechanic allows Suzette to seek independence, which unleashes dark reactions in those closest to her. In discovering her autonomy, Suzette is forced to decide what she is willing to sacrifice in order to make her own way in the world. Maple is reeling from the unsolved murder of her free-spirited mother. She flees the media circus and her judgmental grandmother by shutting herself off from the world in a spare room of the motel where she works. One night, at a party, Maple connects with Chad, someone who may understand her pain more than she realizes, and she discovers that the key to her mother's death may be within her reach. Agnes is far from home, working yet another mind-numbing job. She attracts the interest of a lonely security guard and army veteran who's looking for a traditional life for himself and his young son. He's convinced that she wields a certain 'magic,' but Agnes soon unleashes a power within herself that will shock them both and send her on a trip to confront not only her family and her past, but also herself. This novel, told in three parts, is a searing meditation on grief, female strength, and self-discovery set against a backdrop of complicated social and racial histories. "Nobody's Magic" is a testament to the power of family-the ones you're born in and the ones you choose. And in these three narratives, among the yearning and loss, each of these women may find a seed of hope for the future. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Destiny O. Birdsong's writing has appeared in "The Paris Review" , "African American Review" , and "Catapult" , among other publications. She has received the Academy of American Poets Prize and the Richard G. Peterson Poetry Prize. Her critically-acclaimed debut collection of poems, "Negotiations" , was longlisted for the 2021 PEN/Voelcker Award and published by Tin House Books.

FENCING WITH THE KING: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK A mesmerizing breakthrough novel of family myths and inheritances by the award-winning author of "Crescent". The King of Jordan is turning 60! How better to celebrate the occasion than with his favorite pastime, fencing, and with his favorite sparring partner, Gabriel Hamdan, who must be enticed back from America, where he lives with his wife and his daughter, Amani. Amani, a divorced poet, jumps at the chance to accompany her father to his homeland for the King's birthday. Her father's past is a mystery to her-even more so since she found a poem on blue airmail paper slipped into one of his old Arabic books, written by his mother, a Palestinian refugee who arrived in Jordan during World War I. Her words hint at a long-kept family secret, carefully guarded by Uncle Hafez, an advisor to the King, who has quite personal reasons for inviting his brother to the birthday party. In a sibling rivalry that carries ancient echoes, the Hamdan brothers must face a reckoning, with themselves and with each other-one that almost costs Amani her life. With sharp insight into modern politics and family dynamics, taboos around mental illness, and our inescapable relationship to the past, "Fencing with the King" asks how we contend with inheritance: familial and cultural, hidden and openly contested. Shot through with warmth and vitality, intelligence and spirit, it is absorbing and satisfying on every level, a wise and rare literary treat. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Abu-Jaber is the award-winning author of seven books of fiction and nonfiction, including "Crescent" and "The Language of Baklava" . She lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

A NAME FROM THE SKY ABOUT THE BOOK Growing up in Germany, like so many children around the world, Diane Kruger felt like she stood out from the other kids. There was the pet bunny she talked to like a friend, her love of books, and even her name, which was unusual for her country. But then Diane's mother tells her the origin of her name, and everything changes! Inspired by Diana, goddess of the hunt and magical protector of animals, Diane learns that she, too, will find her own special powers someday. On a trip to England, Diane and her mother visit the theater, and she is spellbound, realizing she's meant to be an actress. This warm and relatable autobiographical story comes full circle when Diane explains how she chose her own daughter's name, and invites readers to learn the meaning behind their own name and discover their own special powers. Illustrated in a classic storybook style by fine artist Christa Unzner, this book is sure to instill wonder as it inspires children to follow their dreams and passions. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diane Kruger is an internationally renowned actor who grew up in Germany and has lived in London, Paris, and New York, where she currently resides with her partner, Norman Reedus, and their daughter. Before becoming an actress she studied ballet with the Royal Ballet in London. This is her first book.

TAKE MY HAND: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Montgomery, Alabama, 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend intends to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she hopes to help women shape their destinies, to make their own choices for their lives and bodies. But when her first week on the job takes her along a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, Civil is shocked to learn that her new patients, Erica and India, are children-just eleven and thirteen years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling the family's welfare benefits, that's reason enough to have the girls on birth control. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica, and their family into her heart. Until one day she arrives at their door to learn the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them. Decades later, with her daughter grown and a long career in her wake, Dr. Civil Townsend is ready to retire, to find her peace, and to leave the past behind. But there are people and stories that refuse to be forgotten. That must not be forgotten. Because history repeats what we don't remember. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dolen Perkins-Valdez is the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Wench" and "Balm" . She was a finalist for two NAACP Image Awards and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for fiction, and she was awarded the First Novelist Award by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. She lives in Washington, DC with her family.

DOUG THE PUG AND THE KINDNESS CREW ABOUT THE BOOK Doug the Pug makes his picure book debut in this original illustrated story. Doug the Pug loves pizza, posing for paw-traits, and above all else, spreading paw-sitivity. Join the Kindness Crew and follow Doug as he embarks on an adventure across town to share kindness with everyone he meets. With messages of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion, this beautifully illustrated picture book is perfect for Doug the Pug's youngest fans and anyone looking to make the world a kinder place. ABOUT DOUG THE PUG Doug loves the simple things in life. A good nose boop, a long nap. And, if we’re being honest… he also likes the perks of being the world’s most famous pug. The red carpets, the celebrity belly rubs, the designer bandanas — and, of course, the food. Pizza! Pinot! Pasta!

DON'T CALL ME A HURRICANE ABOUT THE BOOK Told in stunning verse, "Don't Call Me a Hurricane" is a love story for the people and places we come from, and a journey to preserve what we love most about home. It's been five years since a hurricane ravaged Eliza Marino's life and home in her quiet town on the Jersey shore. Now a senior in high school, Eliza is passionate about fighting climate change-starting with saving Clam Cove Reserve, an area of marshland that is scheduled to be turned into buildable lots. When Eliza meets Milo Harris at a party, she tries to hate him. Milo is one of the rich tourists who flock to the island every summer. But after Eliza reluctantly agrees to give Milo surfing lessons, she can't help falling for him. Still, Eliza's not sure if she's ready to risk letting an outsider into the life she's rebuilt. Especially once she discovers that Milo is keeping a devastating secret. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ellen Hagan is a writer, performer, and educator. She is the author of "Don't Call Me a Hurricane" , "Reckless, Glorious, Girl", and the co-author with Renée Watson of "Watch Us Rise." Her poetry collections include "Blooming Fiascoes", "Hemisphere", and "Crowned". Ellen is the Director of the Poetry & Theatre Departments at the DreamYard Project and directs their International Poetry Exchange Program with Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. She co-leads the Alice Hoffman Young Writer's Retreat at Adelphi University. Raised in Kentucky, she now lives in New York City with her family. www.ellenhagan.com

MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME: THE ASTONISHING LIFE AND RECKONING OF AN ICONIC AMERICAN SONG ABOUT THE BOOK "My Old Kentucky Home", from its enormous success in the early 1850s, written by a white man, considered the father of American music, about a Black man being sold downriver, performed for decades by white men in blackface, and the song, an anthem of longing and pain, turned upside down and, over time, becoming a celebration of happy plantation life. It is the state song of Kentucky, a song that has inhabited hearts and memories, and in perpetual reprise, stands outside time; sung each May, before every Kentucky Derby, since 1930. Written by Stephen Foster nine years before the Civil War, "My Old Kentucky Home" made its way through the wartime years to its decades-long run as a national minstrel sensation for which it was written; from its reference in the pages of Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind" to being sung on "The Simpsons" and "Mad Men". Originally called "Poor Uncle Tom, Good-Night!" and inspired by America's most famous abolitionist novel, it was a lament by an enslaved man, sold by his "master," who must say goodbye to his beloved family and birthplace, with hints of the brutality to come: 'The head must bow and the back will have to bend / Wherever the darky may go / A few more days, and the trouble all will end / In the field where the sugar-canes grow . . .' In "My Old Kentucky Home", Emily Bingham explores the long, strange journey of what has come to be seen by some as an American anthem, an integral part of our folklore, culture, customs, foundation, a living symbol of a 'happy past.' But "My Old Kentucky Home" was never just a song. It was always a song about slavery with the real Kentucky home inhabited by the enslaved and shot through with violence, despair, and degradation. Bingham explores the song's history and permutations from its decades of performances across the continent, entering into the bloodstream of American life, through its twenty-first-century reassessment. It is a song that has been repeated and taught for almost two hundred years, a resonant changing emblem of America's original sin whose blood-drenched shadow hovers and haunts us still. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Emily Bingham is the author of "Irrepressible: The Jazz Age Life of Henrietta Bingham" and "Mordecai: An Early American Family" . She lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

UNMASKED: COVID, COMMUNITY, AND THE CASE OF OKOBOJI ABOUT THE BOOK "Unmasked" is the story of what happened in Okoboji, a small Iowan tourist town, when a collective turn from the coronavirus to the economy occurred in the COVID summer of 2020. State political failures, local negotiations among political and public health leaders, and community (dis)belief about the virus resulted in Okoboji being declared a hotspot just before the Independence Day weekend, when an influx of half a million people visit the town. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Emily Mendenhall is a professor of global health in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She is the author of "Rethinking Diabetes: Entanglements of Trauma, Poverty, and HIV" and "Syndemic Suffering: Social Distress, Depression, and Diabetes among Mexican Immigrant Women" and co-editor of "Global Mental Health: Anthropological Perspectives ."

THE RESTLESS DARK ABOUT THE BOOK The Cloudkiss Killer is dead. Now a true-crime podcast is hosting a contest to find his bones. Lucy was almost the serial killer's final victim. Carolina is a true-crime fan who fears her own rage. Maggie is a psychology student with a little too much to hide. All of them are looking for answers, for a new identity, for a place to bury their secrets. But there are more than bones hiding in the shadows-sometimes the darkness inside is more frightening than anything the dead leave behind. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Erica Waters grew up in the pine woods of rural Florida, though she now resides in Nashville. She has a Master's degree in English and works as a university writing tutor. When she's not writing books, you can find her hanging out with her two dogs, Nutmeg and Luna, and forgetting to practice her banjo. You can visit her online at www.ericawaters.com.

THE MANY LIVES OF ANDREW YOUNG ABOUT THE BOOK From his childhood in New Orleans to Howard University as a boy of fifteen, from his work as a young pastor in Alabama to his leadership role in the SCLC, from serving as the first Black congressman from Georgia since Reconstruction to serving as the Ambassador to the United Nations, from two transformational terms as mayor of Atlanta to co-chairmanship of the 1996 Summer Olympics Games, from co-founding Good Works International to promoting human rights across the globe with the Andrew Young Foundation, The Many Lives of Andrew Young tells the inspiring, dramatic story of civil rights hero, congressman, ambassador, mayor, and American icon Andrew Young. Featuring hundreds of full-color photographs that capture the extraordinary life and times of Andrew Young and a captivating narrative by acclaimed Atlanta Journal-Constitution race reporter Ernie Suggs, filled with personal accounts from Andrew Young himself, The Many Lives of Andrew Young is both a tribute to and an essential chronicle of the life of a man whose activism and service changed the face of America and whose work continues to reverberate around the world today. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ernie Suggs has been a reporter at the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" since 1997, currently covering race and culture. At the AJC, he is also the publisher of the paper's weekly, Black-oriented newsletter, "Unapologetically AT"L .

BLACK COUNTRY MUSIC: LISTENING FOR REVOLUTIONS ABOUT THE BOOK After a century of racist whitewashing, country music is finally reckoning with its relationship to Black people. In this timely work, the first book on Black country music by a Black writer, Francesca Royster uncovers the Black performers and fans, including herself, who are exploring the pleasures and possibilities of the genre. Informed by queer theory and Black feminist scholarship, Royster's book elucidates the roots of the current moment found in records like Tina Turner's first solo album, Tina Turns the Country On! She reckons with Charley Pride and Darius Rucker, then chases ghosts into the future with Valerie June. Indeed, it is the imagination of Royster and her artists that make this music so exciting for a genre that has long been obsessed with the past. The futures conjured by June and others can be melancholy, and are not free of racism, but by centering Black folk Royster begins to understand what her daughter hears in the banjo music of Our Native Daughters and the trap beat of Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road.' A Black person claiming country music may still feel a bit like a queer person coming out, but, collectively, Black artists and fans are changing what country music looks and sounds like-and who gets to love it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Francesca T. Royster is a professor of English at DePaul University, author of "Sounding Like a No-No: Queer Sounds and Eccentric Acts in the Post-Soul Era" and "Becoming Cleopatra: The Shifting Image of an Icon" , and coeditor of "Uncharted Country," a special issue of the Journal of Popular Music Studies on race and country music.

THE SOUTHERNIZATION OF AMERICA: A STORY OF DEMOCRACY IN THE BALANCE ABOUT THE BOOK In 1974 John Egerton published his seminal work, "The Americanization of Dixie". Pulitzer Prize-winner Cynthia Tucker and award-winning author Frye Gaillard carry Egerton's thesis forward in "The Southernization of America", a compelling series of linked essays considering the role of the South in shaping America's current political and cultural landscape. They dive deeper, examining the morphing of the Southern strategy of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan into the Republican Party of today, the racial backlash against President Obama, family separation on our southern border, the rise of the Christian right, the white supremacist riots in Charlottesville, the death of George Floyd, and the attack on our nation's capitol. They find hope in the South too, a legacy rooted in the civil rights years that might ultimately lead the nation on the path to redemption. Tucker and Gaillard bring a multiracial perspective and years of political reporting to bear on a critical moment in American history, a time of racial reckoning and democracy under siege. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Frye Gaillard is an award-winning journalist with more than thirty published works on Southern history and culture, including "Watermelon Wine" ; "Cradle of Freedom": "Alabama and the Movement that Changed America" ; "The Books That Mattered: A Reader's Memoir" ; "Journey to the Wilderness: War, Memory, and a Southern Family's Civil War Letters" ; "Go South to Freedom" ; "A Hard Rain: America in the 1960s, Our Decade of Hope, Possibility, and Innocence Lost"; and "The Slave Who Went to Congress" . "A Hard Rain" was selected as one of NPR's Best Books of 2018. Writer-in-residence at the University of South Alabama, he is also John Egerton Scholar in Residence at the Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi. He is the winner of the Clarence Cason Award for Nonfiction Writing, the Lillian Smith Book Award, and the Eugene Current-Garcia Award For Distinction in Literary Scholarship. In 2019, Gaillard was awarded the Alabama Governor's Arts Award for his contributions to literature.

THE QUIET BEFORE: ON THE UNEXPECTED ORIGINS OF RADICAL IDEAS ABOUT THE BOOK We tend to think of revolutions as loud: frustrations and demands shouted in the streets. But the ideas fueling them have traditionally been conceived in much quieter spaces, in the small, secluded corners where a vanguard can whisper among themselves, imagine alternate realities, and deliberate about how to achieve their goals. This extraordinary book is a search for those spaces, over centuries and across continents, and a warning that-in a world dominated by social media-they might soon go extinct. Gal Beckerman, an editor at" The New York Times Book Review", takes us back to the seventeenth century, to the correspondence that jump-started the scientific revolution, and then forward through time to examine engines of social change: the petitions that secured the right to vote in 1830s Britain, the zines that gave voice to women's rage in the early 1990s, and even the messaging apps used by epidemiologists fighting the pandemic in the shadow of an inept administration. In each case, Beckerman shows that our most defining social movements-from decolonization to feminism-were formed in quiet, closed networks that allowed a small group to incubate their ideas before broadcasting them widely. But Facebook and Twitter are replacing these productive, private spaces, to the detriment of activists around the world. Why did the Arab Spring fall apart? Why did Occupy Wall Street never gain traction? Has Black Lives Matter lived up to its full potential? Beckerman reveals what this new social media ecosystem lacks-everything from patience to focus-and offers a recipe for growing radical ideas again. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Gal Beckerman is the senior editor for books at "The Atlantic". Formerly an editor at "The New York Times Book Review", he is the author of the widely acclaimed "When They Come for Us, We'll Be Gone", which won the National Jewish Book Award and the Sami Rohr Prize and was named a best book of the year by "The New Yorker" and "The Washington Post" . He has a PhD in media studies from Columbia University and writes for many publications, including "The New Republic" and "The Wall Street Journal" . He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their two daughters.

THISTLEFOOT ABOUT THE BOOK The Yaga siblings—Bellatine, a young woodworker, and Isaac, a wayfaring street performer and con artist—have been estranged since childhood, separated both by resentment and by wide miles of American highway. But when they learn that they are to receive a mysterious inheritance, the siblings are reunited—only to discover that their bequest isn’t land or money, but something far stranger: a sentient house on chicken legs. Thistlefoot, as the house is called, has arrived from the Yagas’ ancestral home in Russia—but not alone. A sinister figure known only as the Longshadow Man has tracked it to American shores, bearing with him violent secrets from the past: fiery memories that have hidden in Isaac and Bellatine’s blood for generations. As the Yaga siblings embark with Thistlefoot on a final cross-country tour of their family’s traveling theater show, the Longshadow Man follows in relentless pursuit, seeding destruction in his wake. Ultimately, time, magic, and legacy must collide—erupting in a powerful conflagration to determine who gets to remember the past and craft a new future. An enchanted adventure illuminated by Jewish myth and adorned with lyrical prose as tantalizing and sweet as briar berries, Thistlefoot is an immersive modern fantasy saga by a bold new talent. ABOUT THE AUTHOR GennaRose Nethercott is a writer and folklorist. Her first book, The Lumberjack’s Dove, was selected by Louise Glück as a winner of the National Poetry Series, and whether authoring novels, poems, ballads, or even fold-up paper cootie catchers, her projects are all rooted in myth—and what our stories reveal about who we are. She tours nationally and internationally performing strange tales (sometimes with puppets in tow) and composing poems-to-order for strangers on an antique typewriter with her team, the Traveling Poetry Emporium. She lives in the woodlands of Vermont, beside an old cemetery. Thistlefoot is her debut novel.

THE KINGDOMS OF SAVANNAH: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK It begins quietly on a balmy Southern night as some locals gather at Bo Peep’s, one of the town’s favorite watering holes. Within an hour, however, a man will be murdered and his companion will be “disappeared.” An unlikely detective, Morgana Musgrove, doyenne of Savannah society, is called upon to unravel the mystery of these crimes. Morgana is an imperious, demanding, and conniving woman, whose four grown children are weary of her schemes. But one by one she inveigles them into helping with her investigation, and soon the family uncovers some terrifying truths―truths that will rock Savannah’s power structure to its core. Moving from the homeless encampments that ring the city to the stately homes of Savannah’s elite, Green’s novel brilliantly depicts the underbelly of a city with a dark history and the strangely mesmerizing dysfunction of a complex family. ABOUT THE AUTHOR George Dawes Green, founder of The Moth, is an internationally celebrated author. His first novel, The Caveman’s Valentine, won the Edgar Award and became a motion picture starring Samuel L. Jackson. The Juror was an international bestseller in more than twenty languages and was the basis for the movie starring Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin. Ravens was chosen as one of the best books of 2009 by the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Daily Mail of London, and many other publications. George Green grew up in Georgia and now lives in Brooklyn, New York.

YOU WANT MORE: SELECTED STORIES OF GEORGE SINGLETON ABOUT THE BOOK With his signature darkly acerbic and sharp-witted humor, George Singleton has built a reputation as one of the most astute and wise observers of the South. Now Tom Franklin introduces this master of the form with a compilation of acclaimed and prize-winning short fiction spanning twenty years and eight collections, including stories originally published in outlets like the "Atlantic Monthly", "Harper's", "Playboy", the "Georgia Review", the "Southern Review", and many more. A lovelorn and chatty euthanasia vet arrives at a couples' house to put down their dog, Probate; a father-to-be searches his workplace-a bar-for a replacement sonogram after recording an episode of Bonanza over the original; an unlikely romance sparks between a librarian and a professional bowler while they compete to win an RV; a father takes his son to visit the many ex-girlfriends that could have been his mother. These stories bear the influence of Flannery O'Connor and Raymond Carver, at other times Lewis Nordan and Donald Barthelme, and touch on the mysteries of childhood, the complexities of human relationships, and the absurdity of everyday life, its inexorable defeats and small triumphs. Assembled here for the very first time, "You Want More" showcases the body of work, hilarious and incisive, that has cemented George Singleton's place among the South's greatest living writers. ABOUT THE AUTHOR George Singleton has published eight collections of stories, two novels, and a book of writing advice. More than 200 of his stories have appeared in magazines such as the "Atlantic Monthly", "Harper's", "Playboy", the "Georgia Review", the "Southern Review", the "Cincinnati Review", and elsewhere. He is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize, a Guggenheim fellowship, the Hillsdale Award from the Fellowship of Southern Writers, and the Corrington Award for Literary Excellence. He lives in Spartanburg, SC.

SOME OF THEM WILL CARRY ME ABOUT THE BOOK A debut collection that ranges in length, style, and tone—Some of Them Will Carry Me is a collage of social commentary, surrealism, recipes, folklore, and art. What brings these stories together is a focus on the experiences of Black women in moments of dislocation, and a cinematic prose style saturated with detail: a child’s legs bent upon the small bosom of their mother, three-piece suits floating in a river, a man holding a rotting banana during sex, wet cardboard, a woman walking naked through a traffic tunnel. In language that is lyrical, minimal, and often absurd, the stories in Some of Them Will Carry Me deconstruct contemporary life while building a surprising new reality of language, intimacy, and loss. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Giada Scodellaro was born in Naples, Italy and raised in the Bronx, New York. She is a writer, photographer, and translator who holds an MFA in Fiction from The New School. Giada’s work has appeared in or is forthcoming from Granta, BOMB, and The White Review. Her debut collection, Some of Them Will Carry Me, will be published by Dorothy, a publishing project in October 2022.

OVER MY DEAD BODY: THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF AMERICA'S CEMETERIES ABOUT THE BOOK The summer before his senior year in college, Greg Melville worked at the cemetery in his hometown, and thanks to hour upon hour of pushing a mower over the grassy acres, he came to realize what a rich story the place told of his town and its history. Thus was born Melville's lifelong curiosity with how, where, and why we bury and commemorate our dead. Melville's "Over My Dead Body" is a lively (pun intended) and wide-ranging history of cemeteries, places that have mirrored the passing eras in history but have also shaped it. Cemeteries have given birth to landscape architecture and famous parks, as well as influenced architectural styles. They've inspired and motivated some of our greatest poets and authors-Emerson, Whitman, Dickinson. They've been used as political tools to shift the country's discourse and as important symbols of the United States' ambition and reach. But they are changing and fading. Embalming and burial is incredibly toxic, and while cremations have just recently surpassed burials in popularity, they're not great for the environment either. "Over My Dead Body" explores everything-history, sustainability, land use, and more-and what it really means to memorialize. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Greg Melville has worked as an outdoor journalist and a former editor at "Men's Journal" and Hearst magazines. He has strong connections with magazines and newspapers, and his writing has appeared in "Outside" , "National Geographic Traveler", "Men's Health", and the "Boston Globe Magazine" . His work was also listed in "The Best American Sportswriting" 2017 . He is a decorated veteran who served in Afghanistan and is in the Navy Reserve, where he is a public affairs officer, with the rank of lieutenant commander. He has taught English and writing at the United States Naval Academy, where he was given the school's Instructor of the Year Award in 2019, and journalism at St. Michael's College in Vermont. He lives with his wife and two kids in Delaware.

SHIT CASSANDRA SAW: STORIES ABOUT THE BOOK Cassandra may have seen the future, but it doesn't mean she's resigned to telling the Trojans everything she knows. In this ebullient collection, virgins escape from being sacrificed, witches refuse to be burned, whores aren't ashamed, and every woman gets a chance to be a radioactive cockroach warrior who snaps back at catcallers. Gwen E. Kirby experiments with found structures--a Yelp review, a WikiHow article--which her fierce, irreverent narrators push against, showing how creativity within an enclosed space undermines and deconstructs the constraints themselves. When these women tell the stories of their triumphs as well as their pain, they emerge as funny, angry, loud, horny, lonely, strong protagonists who refuse to be secondary characters a moment longer. From "The Best and Only Whore of Cym Hyfryd, 1886" to the "Midwestern Girl Is Tired of Appearing in Your Short Stories," Kirby is playing and laughing with the women who have come before her and they are telling her, we have always been this way. You just had to know where to look. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Gwen E. Kirby is a native San Diegan and graduate of Carleton College. She has an MFA from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD from the University of Cincinnati. Her stories appear in "One Story", "Tin House" , "Guernica", "Mississippi Review" , "Ninth Letter" , "SmokeLong Quarterly" , and elsewhere. Guest editor Aimee Bender selected her story "Shit Cassandra Saw . . ." for Best Small Fictions 2018 and it also appears in the 2018 Wigleaf Top 50. Her story "Midwestern Girl Is Tired of Appearing in Your Short Stories" won the 2017 DISQUIET Literary Prize for Fiction and she was the 2018-2019 George Bennett Fellow at Phillips Exeter Academy. Currently, she is the associate director of programs and finance for the Sewanee Writers? Conference at the University of the South, where she also teaches creative writing.

ROSA PARKS BEYOND THE BUS ABOUT THE BOOK Rosa Parks Beyond the Bus: Life, Lessons, and Leadership is a collection of inspiring and instructive memories compiled from the decade that Mrs. Parks was a guest in author H.H. Leonard’s Washington, DC home. During those years, Mrs. Leonards was able to know the heart, mind, and spirit of the woman who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama city bus on December 1, 1955. The author uses the book as a forum to share her remembrances, both delightful and somber, in a way that offers readers an intimate and personal glimpse into the personhood of Mrs. Parks. Rosa Parks Beyond the Bus is a personal look into Mrs. Parks’ life, her thoughts, her beliefs, and her immense wisdom that moved people—from world leaders Nelson Mandela, Deepak Chopra, and Pope John Paul II—to the smallest of children to seek and revere her presence. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Author H. H. Leonards is founder and chair of the Mansion on O Street and the O Street Museum Foundation, headquartered in Washington, DC. She is a wife, mother of three, and friend to celebrities and everyday people alike. The Purdue University alumna established The Mansion in 1980 to provide a unique and eclectic forum where clients learn from one another and foster the development of diversity, the creative process, and the human spirit.

INSURRECTION: REBELLION, CIVIL RIGHTS, AND THE PARADOXICAL STATE OF BLACK CITIZENSHIP ABOUT THE BOOK A brilliant debut by lawyer and critic Hawa Allan on the paradoxical state of black citizenship in the United States. The little-known and under-studied 1807 Insurrection Act was passed to give the president the ability to deploy federal military forces to fend off lawlessness and rebellion, but it soon became much more than the sum of its parts. Its power is integrally linked to the perceived threat of black American equity in what lawyer and critic Hawa Allan demonstrates is a dangerous paradox. While the Act was initially used to repress rebellion against slavery, during Reconstruction it was invoked by President Grant to quell white-supremacist uprisings in the South. During the civil rights movement, it enabled the protection of black students who attended previously segregated educational institutions. Most recently, the Insurrection Act has been the vehicle for presidents to call upon federal troops to suppress so-called “race riots” like those in Los Angeles in 1992, and for them to threaten to do so in other cases of racial justice activism. Yet when the US Capitol was stormed in January 2021, the impulse to restore law and order and counter insurrectionary threats to the republic lay dormant. Allan’s distinctly literary voice underscores her paradigm-shifting reflections on the presence of fear and silence in history and their shadowy impact on the law. Throughout, she draws revealing insight from her own experiences as one of the only black girls in her leafy Long Island suburb, as a black lawyer at a predominantly white firm during a visit from presidential candidate Barack Obama, and as a thinker about the use and misuse of appeals to law and order. Elegant and profound, deeply researched and intensely felt, Insurrection is necessary reading in our reckoning with structural racism, government power, and protest in the United States. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Hawa Allan is an attorney and author whose work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Review of Books, Lapham’s Quarterly, and the Baffler, among other publications. She lives and works in New York City.

THE PROMISE OF LOST THINGS: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Russ Griffin has always wanted to be a fantastic medium. Growing up in the town of St. Hilaire, where most residents make their living by speaking to the dead, means there's a lot of competition, and he's always held his own. But Russ knows the town he loves is corrupt, and he's determined to save it before the sinister ruling body, The Guild, ruins all he's ever wanted. Willow Rogers is St. Hilaire royalty. An orphan, raised by The Guild, she's powerful and mysterious. But she has secrets that might change everyone's fate. She's done with St. Hilaire, done with helping spirits move on. She wants to end the cycle for good and rid the town of ghosts, even if that means destroying the only home she's ever known. Asher Mullen lost his sister, and his parents can't get over her death. They sought answers in St. Hilaire and were turned away. Now they want revenge. Asher is tasked with infiltrating the town, and he does that by getting to know Russ. The only problem is, he might be falling for him, which will make betraying him that much harder. Russ, Willow, and Asher all have their own agendas for St. Hilaire, but one thing's for certain, no one will be resting in peace. ABOUT THE BOOK Helene Dunbar is the author of several novels for young adults including These Gentle Wounds, What Remains, Boomerang, We Are Lost and Found, and Prelude for Lost Souls. Over the years, she's worked as a drama critic, journalist, and marketing manager, and has written on topics as diverse as Irish music, court cases, and theater. She lives in Nashville with her husband and daughter. Visit her online at helenedunbar.com

ABOUT IMANI BLACK Imani is an African American oyster farmer building a career in the rapidly growing aquaculture industry. She was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and her love for conservation and restoration on the Chesapeake Bay started at a young age. Imani comes from a long family history of watermen from Rock Hall, Crisfield and Cambridge, MD that dates back over 200 years. Imani attended Old Dominion University and graduated with a Marine Biology degree and was a Division 1 student athlete in lacrosse. During college, Imani interned for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s VA Oyster Restoration Team which started her journey into oyster restoration and shellfish aquaculture. Following graduation, Imani was selected to participate in the VIMS’ Aquaculture Genetics & Breeding Technology Center’s (ABC), Oyster Aquaculture Training (OAT) program which targets those pursuing careers in all aspects of oyster aquaculture, from hatchery operations to grow-out and processing. Imani continued to work for oyster companies in VA and MD. For the last 2 years, Imani has served at the first privately-owned hatchery in Maryland as a lead Hatchery Technician and Assistant Manager. Imani’s passion for the aquaculture industry lead her to launch “Minorities In Aquaculture” (MIA). Through MIA, Imani seeks to promote the benefits and sustainability of aquaculture, both in the Chesapeake Bay and worldwide. By sharing her experiences, she works to educate and encourage minorities to pursue a career in all aspects of aquaculture.

SOUTH TO AMERICA: A JOURNEY BELOW THE MASON-DIXON LINE TO UNDERSTAND THE SOUL OF AMERICA ABOUT THE BOOK An essential, surprising journey through the history, rituals, and landscapes of the American South—and a revelatory argument for why you must understand the South in order to understand America We all think we know the South. Even those who have never lived there can rattle off a list of signifiers: the Civil War, "Gone with the Wind", the Ku Klux Klan, plantations, football, Jim Crow, slavery. But the idiosyncrasies, dispositions, and habits of the region are stranger and more complex than much of the country tends to acknowledge. In South to America, Imani Perry shows that the meaning of American is inextricably linked with the South, and that our understanding of its history and culture is the key to understanding the nation as a whole. This is the story of a Black woman and native Alabaman returning to the region she has always called home and considering it with fresh eyes. Her journey is full of detours, deep dives, and surprising encounters with places and people. She renders Southerners from all walks of life with sensitivity and honesty, sharing her thoughts about a troubling history and the ritual humiliations and joys that characterize so much of Southern life. Weaving together stories of immigrant communities, contemporary artists, exploitative opportunists, enslaved peoples, unsung heroes, her own ancestors, and her lived experiences, Imani Perry crafts a tapestry unlike any other. With uncommon insight and breathtaking clarity, South to America offers an assertion that if we want to build a more humane future for the United States, we must center our concern below the Mason-Dixon Line. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Imani Perry is the Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University. Perry is the author of "Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry", winner of the 2019 Bograd-Weld Biography Prize from the Pen America Foundation. She is also the author of "Breathe: A Letter to My Sons"; "Vexy Thing: On Gender and Liberation"; and "May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem". Perry, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, who grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Chicago, lives outside Philadelphia with her two sons.

DIRTBAG, MASSACHUSETTS: A CONFESSIONAL ABOUT THE BOOK Isaac Fitzgerald has lived many lives. He's been an altar boy, a bartender, a fat kid, a smuggler, a biker, a prince of New England. But before all that, he was a bomb that exploded his parents' lives-or so he was told. In "Dirtbag, Massachusetts", Fitzgerald, with warmth and humor, recounts his ongoing search for forgiveness, a more far-reaching vision of masculinity, and a more expansive definition of family and self. Fitzgerald's memoir-in-essays begins with a childhood that moves at breakneck speed from safety to violence, recounting an extraordinary pilgrimage through trauma to self-understanding and, ultimately, acceptance. From growing up in a Boston homeless shelter to bartending in San Francisco, from smuggling medical supplies into Burma to his lifelong struggle to make peace with his body, Fitzgerald strives to take control of his own story: one that aims to put aside anger, isolation, and entitlement to embrace the idea that one can be generous to oneself by being generous to others. Gritty and clear-eyed, loud-hearted and beautiful, "Dirtbag, Massachusetts" is a rollicking book that might also be a lifeline. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Isaac Fitzgerald appears frequently on "The Today Show" and is the author of the bestselling children's book "How to Be a Pirate" as well as the co-author of "Pen & Ink" and "Knives & Ink" (winner of an IACP Award). His writing has appeared in the "New York Times", the "Guardian" , the "Best American Nonrequired Reading" , and numerous other publications. He lives in Brooklyn.

THIS USED TO BE NASHVILLE ABOUT THE BOOK First settled in 1779, Nashville has grown into what the New York Times calls America’s “It City.” From frontier outpost to cosmopolitan city of today, Nashville has a rich history to celebrate. Have you ever wandered through Nashville and wondered about the stories of the different buildings? This Used to Be Nashville is your photographic journey into the past to learn the histories behind the places. Learn about the Ryman Auditorium, which started as a religious revival hall, and the seamy Climax Saloon, which is now a boutique hotel. Greenbrier Distillery, once the very dominant Tennessee whiskey brand, closed in 1908 due to state prohibition, but it was reborn when descendants of the original family found their roots and relaunched the brand with the original formula. Visit Belmont, the home of one of the country’s wealthiest women and now the crown jewel of a university campus. Local curator James Hoobler brings together an impressive collection of stories of the highs and lows of the past in what is now one of the country’s most visited tourist destinations. You’ll never look at a building in Nashville the same way again. ABOUT THE AUTHOR James Hoobler is the former director of the Tennessee Historical Society, Curator of the Tennessee State Capitol, and Senior Curator of Art & Architecture of the Tennessee State Museum, as well as the Curators Committee Chair of the American Alliance of Museums. He has served on many historical boards in Nashville, and is the author of books, catalogues, and articles on the city. His love for his city comes through in these pages, and you will want to visit it again and again.

I CAME ALL THIS WAY TO MEET YOU: WRITING MYSELF HOME ABOUT THE BOOK In this brilliant, fierce, and funny memoir of transformation, Jami Attenberg?described as a 'master of modern fiction' ("Entertainment Weekly") and the 'poet laureate of difficult families' ("Kirkus Reviews") reveals the defining moments that pushed her to create a life, and voice, she could claim for herself. What does it take to devote oneself to art? What does it mean to own one's ideas? What does the world look like for a woman moving solo through it? As the daughter of a traveling salesman in the Midwest, Attenberg was drawn to a life on the road. Frustrated by quotidian jobs and hungry for inspiration and fresh experiences, her wanderlust led her across the country and eventually on travels around the globe. Through it all she grapples with questions of mortality, otherworldliness, and what we leave behind. It is during these adventures that she begins to reflect on the experiences of her youth-the trauma, the challenges, the risks she has taken. Driving across America on self-funded book tours, sometimes crashing on couches when she was broke, she keeps writing: in researching articles for magazines, jotting down ideas for novels, and refining her craft, she grows as an artist and increasingly learns to trust her gut and, ultimately, herself. Exploring themes of friendship, independence, class, and drive, "I Came All This Way to Meet You" is an inspiring story of finding one's way home-emotionally, artistically, and physically-and an examination of art and individuality that will resonate with anyone determined to listen to their own creative calling. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jami Attenberg is the "New York Times" bestselling author of seven books of fiction, including "The Middlesteins" and "All This Could Be Yours ". She has contributed essays to the "New York Times Magazine" , the "Wall Street Journal" , the "Sunday Times" , and the "Guardian" , among other publications. She lives in New Orleans.

TWELFTH ABOUT THE BOOK Twelve-year-old Maren is sure theater camp isn?t for her. Theater camp is for loud, confident, artsy people: people like her older sister, Hadley-the last person Maren wants to think about-and her cinema-obsessed, nonbinary bunkmate, Theo. But when a prank goes wrong, Maren gets drawn into the hunt for a diamond ring that, legend has it, is linked to the camp's namesake, Charlotte 'Charlie' Goodman, a promising director in Blacklist Era Hollywood. When Maren connects the clues to Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", she and her new friends are off searching through lighting booths, orchestra pits and costume storages, discovering the trail and dodging camp counselors. But they're not the only ones searching for the ring, and with the growing threat of camp closing forever, they're almost out of time. ABOUT THE AUTHOR When Janet Key was twelve, she sang and danced onstage, stayed up too late reading Shakespeare, and had a closet full of themed, handsewn vests. This is her first novel.

SOMEWHERE IN THE BAYOU ABOUT THE BOOK Simple, subtle, and drolly funny, the Pumphrey brothers' newest picture book is a layered exploration of the foolishness of making assumptions and the virtue of curiosity. When four swamp creatures looking to cross a river come upon a log that would allow for precisely that, they can't believe their luck. But a questionable tail adjacent to that log gives them second thoughts. Opossum believes it's a sneaky tail and that they must pass it quietly. Squirrel thinks it's a scary tail that can be cowed by intimidation. Rabbit decides it's a mean tail that deserves a taste of its own medicine. As the critters exhaust approaches one by one, Mouse, the smallest of the lot, observes their folly and adjusts accordingly. But is it the mouse or the tail that will defy expectations? Pairing their iconic illustration style with a wry irreverence, the Pumphrey brothers have crafted a delightful tale that reminds us to think before we act. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Jarrett has been a storyteller most his life, both on his own and in collaboration with Jerome. While their earliest work remains locked in a drawer-the key long lost for good measure-their first co-authored book, "Creepy Things Are Scaring Me" , was published by HarperCollins in 2003. Since then, Jarrett has been honing his skills of storytelling as an entrepreneur. He's served as creative director for multiple technology companies and, most recently, as co-founder and CEO of a startup in the high-tech world of clear removable orthodontics. During his time there, he and his team crafted a compelling story, built a brand around it, and then sold it all in late 2017 . A member of SCBWI, Jarrett now spends his time writing and drawing in his home near Austin, TX, where he lives with his wife, their two boys, and a dog named Whiskey. When he's not writing or drawing, you might find him fishing on a river somewhere or tinkering under the hood of his new old F100 . Jerome is a designer, illustrator , and writer, originally from Houston, TX. He studied graphic design at the Art Institute of Austin and has worked as a technical writer, freelance graphic designer, and illustrator. Since 2016 he has been a graphic designer at The Walt Disney Company where he uses design and illustration to visually tell stories in print, digital, and immersive experiences for Disney global business development. He works primarily from his home office near Clearwater, FL, where he lives with his wife, daughter, and son. Jerome is a member of the SCBWI and shares a previous author credit with Jarrett for "Creepy Things Are Scaring Me ", which they wrote as teenagers.

DROWNED TOWN: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Drowned Town explores the multigenerational impact caused by the loss of home and illuminates the joys and sorrows of a group of people bound together by western Kentucky's Land Between the Lakes and the lakes that lie on either side of it. The linked stories are rooted in a landscape forever altered by the mid-twentieth-century impoundment of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers and the seizing of property under the power of eminent domain to create a national recreation area on the narrow strip of land between the lakes. The massive federal land and water projects completed in quick succession were designed to serve the public interest by providing hydroelectric power, flood control, and economic progress for the region―at great sacrifice for those who gave up their homes, livelihoods, towns, and history. The narrative follows two women whose lives are shaped by their friendship and connection to the place, and their stories go back and forth in time to show how the creation of the lakes both healed and hurt the people connected to them. In the process, the stories emphasize the importance of sisterhood and family, both blood and created, and how we cannot separate ourselves from our places in the world. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jayne Moore Waldrop, a western Kentucky native, is the author of Retracing My Steps, a finalist in the 2018 New Women's Voices Chapbook Contest, and Pandemic Lent: A Season in Poems. Waldrop's work has appeared in the Anthology of Appalachian Writers, Still: The Journal, Appalachian Review, New Madrid Review, Deep South Magazine, New Limestone Review, Women Speak, and other literary journals. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky.

WATERMARK: POEMS ABOUT THE BOOK At the heart of Jeff Hardin's inventive seventh collection "Watermark", a devotional, philosophical faith seeks "to know what can't be known," to step into, as if a sanctuary, "some deeper / deep / than what our words / can touch." In each poem, his meditations stitch back through a visible, vertical phrase-a whispered prayer, a "watermark"-that serves not only to anchor thought but also to align and to re-align the purpose of thought within "this bent and broken world." Born from Frost, Dickinson, Rilke, Whitman, and others, these phrases bind us and bless us at a time "when it seems the words / to enter others' lives / are disappearing." In an age in which it is increasingly difficult to "sort out what is true," Hardin's poems invite us to wake to the mystery all around us, to time's revelatory unfolding, and to how our minds might find healing, if not communion, if only we listened intently enough to hear "the intercessions / made on our behalf." ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jeff Hardin is the author of six previous collections of poetry, most recently "A Clearing Space in the Middle of Being", "No Other Kind of World", and "Small Revolution". His work has been honored with the Nicholas Roerich Prize, the Donald Justice Poetry Prize, and the X. J. Kennedy Prize. Originally from Savannah, Tennessee, he has taught for almost three decades at Columbia State Community College in Columbia, Tennessee.

MARRYING THE KETCHUPS: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Here are the three things the Sullivan family knows to be true: the Chicago Cubs will always be the underdogs; historical progress is inevitable; and their grandfather, Bud, founder of JP Sullivan's, will always make the best burgers in Oak Park. But when, over the course of three strange months, the Cubs win the World Series, Trump is elected president, and Bud drops dead, suddenly everyone in the family finds themselves doubting all they hold dear. Take Gretchen for example, lead singer for a '90s cover band who has been flirting with fame for a decade but is beginning to wonder if she's too old to be chasing a childish dream. Or Jane, Gretchen's older sister, who is starting to suspect that her fitness-obsessed husband who hides the screen of his phone isn't always 'working late.' And then there's Teddy, their steadfast, unfailingly good cousin, nursing heartbreak and confusion because the guy who dumped him keeps showing up for lunch at JP Sullivan's where Teddy is the manager. How can any of them be expected to make the right decisions when the world feels sideways-and the bartender at JP Sullivan's makes such strong cocktails? Outrageously funny and wickedly astute, "Marrying the Ketchups" is a delicious confection by one of our most beloved authors. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jennifer Close is the best-selling author of "Girls in White Dresses", "The Smart One", and "The Hopefuls". Born and raised on the North Shore of Chicago, she is a graduate of Boston College and received her MFA in Fiction Writing from the New School. She now lives in Washington, DC, and teaches creative writing at Catapult.

LIES LIKE WILDFIRE ABOUT THE BOOK In Gap Mountain, California, everyone knows about fire season. And no one is more vigilant than 18-year-old Hannah Warner, the sheriff's daughter and aspiring FBI agent. That is until this summer. When Hannah and her best friends accidentally spark an enormous and deadly wildfire, their instinct is to lie to the police and the fire investigators. But as the blaze roars through their rural town and towards Yosemite National Park, Hannah's friends begin to crack and she finds herself going to extreme lengths to protect their secret. Because sometimes good people do bad things. And if there’s one thing people hate, it’s liars. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jennifer Lynn Alvarez is the author of two middle grade fantasy series,The Guardian Herd and Riders of the Realm, and she holds a degree in English from UC Berkeley. She lives in Sonoma County, California and consulted with the Sonoma County Fire District Deputy Chief and a detective at the San Francisco District Attorney's office in relation to this novel. You can follow her on Instagram @jennifer_lynn_alvarez or Twitter @Jenniferdiaries. Visit her online at jenniferlynnalvarez.com.

TENNESSEE LANDSCAPE WITH BLIGHTED PINES: POEMS ABOUT THE BOOK First released in 2011, "Tennessee Landscape with Blighted Pine" was the debut poetry collection from Tennessee poet Jesse Graves and was awarded the 2011 Weatherford Award in Poetry from Berea College, the Book of the Year in Poetry Award from the Appalachian Writers' Association, and the Thomas and Lillie D. Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing. The poems in "Tennessee Landscape with Blighted Pine" take part in many of the traditions of lyric poetry, including elegies for lost loved ones, odes to the beauty of family and the natural world, expressed through a range of poetic forms and techniques. The 10th Anniversary Expanded Edition includes twelve new poems and an introduction by Matthew Wimberley. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jesse Graves grew up in Sharps Chapel, Tennessee, where his ancestors settled in the 1780s. He is the author of several books, including "Tennessee Landscape with Blighted Pine" , "Basin Ghosts" , "Specter Mountain" , and has edited several volumes of poetry and scholarship, including "The Southern Poetry Anthology" and "Conversations with Robert Morgan" . Graves received the 2014 Philip H. Freund Prize for Creative Writing from Cornell University, and the 2015 James Still Award for Writing about the Appalachian South from the Fellowship of Southern Writers. In 2015, he was inducted into the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame.

BABY'S HERE! ABOUT THE BOOK Baby's Here! is a sweet interactive board book with a unique shape that encourages toddlers and big siblings to be to cradle, rock, and play with the babies in the pages. Gift this board book to little ones who love babies or baby dolls, or are expecting a new baby sister or brother themselves! Toddlers will delight in the brief, rhyming text and invitations to interact with the cuddly babies in the pages. Sure to inspire repeat reads and independent play, this book will capture the imagination of baby-loving 'big kids.' ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jessica Young grew up in Ontario, Canada and now lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is an art teacher and writer.

THE TACKY SOUTH ABOUT THE BOOK As a way to comment on a person’s style or taste, the word “tacky” has distinctly southern origins, with its roots tracing back to the so-called “tackies” who tacked horses on South Carolina farms prior to the Civil War. The Tacky South presents eighteen fun, insightful essays that examine connections between tackiness and the American South, ranging from nineteenth-century local color fiction and the television series Murder, She Wrote to red velvet cake and the ubiquitous influence of Dolly Parton. Charting the gender, race, and class constructions at work in regional aesthetics, The Tacky South explores what shifting notions of tackiness reveal about US culture as a whole and the role that region plays in addressing national and global issues of culture and identity. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jill E. Anderson is Associate Professor of English and Women's Studies at Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN, USA. She teaches American literature and researches queer, ecocriticism, and postWWII horror. Jill is also the author of Homemaking for Apocalypse: Domestic Horror in Atomic Age Media and Literature (2021), co-editor of Beyond the Haunted House: Shirley Jackson and Domesticity as well as articles on gender and the environment. She is currently at work on an edited collection of critical approaches to "The Golden Girls."

TWO WHEELS GOOD: THE HISTORY AND MYSTERY OF THE BICYCLE ABOUT THE BOOK The bicycle is a vestige of the Victorian era, seemingly at odds with our age of smartphones and ride-sharing apps and driverless cars. Yet we live on a bicycle planet. Across the world, more people travel by bicycle than any other form of transportation. Almost anyone can learn to ride a bike—and nearly everyone does. In Two Wheels Good, journalist and critic Jody Rosen reshapes our understanding of this ubiquitous machine, an ever-present force in humanity’s life and dream life—and a flash point in culture wars—for more than two hundred years. Combining history, reportage, travelogue, and memoir, Rosen’s book sweeps across centuries and around the globe, unfolding the bicycle’s saga from its invention in 1817 to its present-day renaissance as a “green machine,” an emblem of sustainability in a world afflicted by pandemic and climate change. Readers meet unforgettable characters: feminist rebels who steered bikes to the barricades in the 1890s, a prospector who pedaled across the frozen Yukon to join the Klondike gold rush, a Bhutanese king who races mountain bikes in the Himalayas, a cycle-rickshaw driver who navigates the seething streets of the world’s fastest-growing megacity, astronauts who ride a floating bicycle in zero gravity aboard the International Space Station. Two Wheels Good examines the bicycle’s past and peers into its future, challenging myths and clichés while uncovering cycling’s connection to colonial conquest and the gentrification of cities. But the book is also a love letter: a reflection on the sensual and spiritual pleasures of bike riding and an ode to an engineering marvel—a wondrous vehicle whose passenger is also its engine. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jody Rosen is a contributing writer for "The New York Times Magazine". His work has appeared in "Slate", "New York", "The New Yorker", and many other publications. He lives in Brooklyn with his family.

FLUX LINES ABOUT THE BOOK here are two constants in the poetry of John Mannone: love and science… And they are intertwined – his poems flow effortlessly between poles of desire and precious, precise knowledge. In the world of poetry there is no one who can mine science for metaphor the way Mannone does. Nor move to love so naturally. ~Roald Hoffmann, chemist and writer, professor emeritus at Cornell University and co-recipient of the 1981 Nobel Prize in Chemistry ABOUT THE AUTHOR John C. Mannone is the poetry editor forSilver Blade, Liquid Imagination, Abyss & Apex, and American Diversity Report. Curated by Grace Writers, he was awarded the 2020 Carol Owen Memorial Fiction Award and 2nd place for the 2021 Excellence in Poetry Award. He’s recipient of the 2017 Jean Ritchie Fellowship in Appalachian literature and has won the 2015 and 2017 Joy Margrave award for creative nonfiction as well as the 2015 poetry award, and the 2018 children’s literature award, all curated by Tennessee Mountain Writers. Outside literary circles, he has been a professor of physics and a nuclear consultant. He is active in astronomy outreach and research and has served as a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador for the Great State of Tennessee (2008-2014). He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee.

For his work in chronicling and championing the cause of civil rights in America, and for his contribution to our understanding of the power of the common table, the John Egerton Prize recognizes artists, writers, scholars, and others–including artisans and farmers and cooks–whose work, in the American South, addresses issues of race, class, gender, and social and environmental justice, through the lens of food. The prize identifies people whose work would benefit from greater freedom, support, and exposure.

FROM BATBOY TO CONGRESSMAN: THIRTY YEARS IN THE U.S. HOUSE ABOUT THE BOOK On October 10, 2002, Congressman John J. Duncan Jr. cast a vote in the U.S. House that he thought might end his political career. Going against his own party, he was one of only six House Republicans who voted against the Iraq War resolution. Constituents in his district were shocked, but over time Duncan felt his least popular vote became his most popular one—and probably the most significant in his thirty-year political career. Congressman Duncan served as U.S. Representative for Tennessee’s Second Congressional district from 1988 to 2019. While he could have written a dense political memoir, in From Batboy to Congressman, Duncan employs a journalistic flair to provide just the right insight into a series of anecdotes from his storied life. Duncan’s family, early life, and time as a lawyer and judge all figure into the generous narrative, shared with both warmth and a self-deprecating sense of humor. He details unique experiences meeting celebrities, presidents, and sports stars; and, of course, he shares insights into the decisions that charted his Congressional career on issues such as Iraq, NAFTA, and concern for fiscal responsibility. Over his decades-long career, Duncan was known for his commitment to constituent service—even among constituents who disagreed with his views—so he offers a refreshing perspective on bipartisanship and connections across the aisle; indeed, he names conservatives, moderates, and liberals alike among his closest friends. While this book contains timely reflections on issues of war and poverty, of leadership and the lack of it, of the proper relationship between citizens and government, its intention is to highlight moments in a singular career. “As you will read in this book,” writes Congressman Duncan, “every job gave me strange, funny, unusual stories.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR John J. Duncan, Jr., served as a respected criminal defense lawyer and judge before being elected to the US House of Representatives in a special election in 1988 to replace his father, who had died in office.

COOK AND CELEBRATE! A COLLECTION OF SOUTHERN CULINARY AND PARTY TRADITIONS ABOUT THE BOOK "Cook and Celebrate!" takes readers from the Commonwealth of Virginia, down to the Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry, over to Mobile Bay, and on jaunts in between to showcase the favorite dishes-and the stories behind them-Southerners use to fete the holidays, and one another. Memories abound with Hoppin' John and collards at New Year's, fried chicken and potato salad on Independence Day, sweet, cloud-like coconut cakes at Easter, and the veritable Tom Turkey and cornbread dressing which crown dining tables at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Barrett shares these recipes, and 100+ more, while introducing in each chapter friends and loved ones along the way. And besides their enthusiasm for the holidays, Southerners, with their ingrained sense of graciousness, are also known for toasting life and one another with a variety of appetizing affairs. Barrett relates herein with a sampling of delightful soirees and dinners, some as casual as a fish-fry-to others with four courses and your grandmother's silver and china. This is a wonderful, delectable, and nostalgic read that will invoke warm, festive memories and inspire you to celebrate life in the kitchen. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Johnathon Scott Barrett is a seventh-generation Georgian, and grew up amongst a family that placed high value on fresh, farm-to-table food. He held onto those roots and became a renowned cook and host in his home state. Barrett currently serves as the executive director of the Georgia 4-H Foundation and is an avid reader, fisherman, and gardener.

INGRAMSPARK ABOUT INGRAMSPARK IngramSpark is an online self-publishing company that allows you to print, globally distribute, and manage your print and ebooks. Bring your story to life! ABOUT JOSH Josh promotes the growth, sales, and brand of the IngramSpark platform to independent authors and publishers along with providing education to the industry on how best to utilize Ingram’s Publish-On-Demand services for bringing a new book to market or for breathing life into an out-of-print title. Josh received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Technology and Industrial Studies and a minor in Business Administration from Middle Tennessee State University.

THE NETANYAHUS: AN ACCOUNT OF A MINOR AND ULTIMATELY EVEN NEGLIGIBLE EPISODE IN THE HISTORY OF A VERY FAMOUS FAMILY ABOUT THE BOOK Corbin College, not-quite-upstate New York, winter 1959-1960: Ruben Blum, a Jewish historian--but not an historian of the Jews--is co-opted onto a hiring committee to review the application of an exiled Israeli scholar specializing in the Spanish Inquisition. When Benzion Netanyahu shows up for an interview, family unexpectedly in tow, Blum plays the reluctant host, to guests who proceed to lay waste to his American complacencies. Mixing fiction with non-fiction, the campus novel with the lecture, "The Netanyahus" is a wildly inventive, genre-bending comedy of blending, identity, and politics--"An Account of A Minor and Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family" that finds Joshua Cohen at the height of his powers. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joshua Cohen was born in 1980 in Atlantic City. His books include the novels "Moving Kings" , "Book of Numbers" , "Witz" , "A Heaven of Others" , and "Cadenza for the Schneidermann Violin Concerto" ; the short fiction collection "Four New Messages" , and the non-fiction collection "Attention: Dispatches from a Land of Distraction" . Called 'a major American writer' by the "New York Times" , 'maybe America's greatest living writer' by the "Washington Post" , and 'an extraordinary prose stylist, surely one of the most prodigious at work in American fiction today' by the "New Yorker" , Cohen was awarded Israel's 2013 Matanel Prize for Jewish Writers, and in 2017 was named one of "Granta's" Best Young American Novelists. In 2022, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for "The Netanyahus" . He lives in New York City.

A BEND OF LIGHT: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Five years after the war, Amie Stilwell, a photo interpreter for an Allied unit in England, returns to her hometown in Maine. Jobless and discouraged but stubbornly resourceful, she’s starting over in the same coastal village where her life once went so wrong. Waiting for her is Shibby Travis, the surrogate mother with whom Amie never lost touch. But the unexpected also awaits… A silent, abandoned boy is found with a note from a stranger pleading that he be watched over. Amie and Shibby take him in, but the mysteries multiply when a Boston socialite is found dead in a nearby barn and an old friend, believed to be a casualty of war, suddenly reappears. Trained to see what others cannot, to scan for clues, and to expose enemies, Amie uses her skills to protect a child, solve a crime, and find the motive behind a veteran’s masquerade. But through the hazy filter of a town’s secrets, Amie must also confront her own painful past. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joy Jordan-Lake is the #1 Amazon bestselling author of nine books, including Under A Gilded Moon; A Tangled Mercy, an Editors’ Choice recipient from the Historical Novel Society; Blue Hole Back Home, winner of the Christy Award for Best First Novel; and two children’s books. Raised in the foothills of the southern Appalachians, she lived nearly a decade of her young adult years in New England, which she still misses―and jumps at every chance to visit. She holds two master’s degrees and a PhD in English and has taught literature and writing at several universities. Now living outside Nashville, she and her husband are startled to find the kids in college and launching careers, with only the ferocious ten-pound rescue pup still living at home full-time. Joy loves to connect with readers. You can visit her at www.joyjordanlake.com.

NEEDLWORK ABOUT THE BOOK In rural Kentucky, a sixteen-year-old boy with a love of quilting, cooking and Dolly Parton helps his grandma care for his opioid-addicted mother, until the discovery of a family secret upends everything he has ever believed. While other sixteen-year-old boys in Morgan, Kentucky, love hunting and football, Kody prefers to spend his time quilting with his grandmother (“Nanny”), watching Golden Girls reruns, and listening to old Dolly Parton albums. Nanny is Kody’s main caregiver, but it takes both Nanny and Kody to take care of Kody’s mother, whose drug problem is spinning out of control. Between looking after Mommy and trying to survive in a place that doesn’t look kindly on feminine boys, Kody already has a hard time making sense of his life. But then he uncovers a family secret that will change everything in his life. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Julia Watts is the author of thirteen novels for adults and young adults, all published by independent presses. Her books, which are set in Appalachia and often depict the lives of LGBT people in the Bible Belt, have won a loyal following and several awards. Her novel Finding H.F. (Alyson Press, 2001) won the Lambda Literary Award in the Children’s/Young Adult category, and her historical YA novel Secret City (Bella Books, 2013) was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award, a winner of a Golden Crown Literary Award, and a selection for the 2015 ALA Rainbow List.

THE MEMORY INDEX: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK In an alternative 1987, a disease ravages human memories. There is no cure, only artificial recall. The lucky ones—the recollectors—need the treatment only once a day. Freya Izquierdo isn’t lucky. The high school senior is a “degen” who needs artificial recall several times a day. Plagued by blinding half-memories that take her to her knees, she’s desperate to remember everything that will help her investigate her father’s violent death. When her sleuthing almost lands her in jail, a shadowy school dean selects her to attend his Foxtail Academy, where five hundred students will trial a new tech said to make artificial recall obsolete. She’s the only degen on campus. Why was she chosen? Freya is nothing like the other students, not even her new friends Ollie, Chase, and the alluring Fletcher Cohen. Definitely not at all like the students who start to vanish, one by one. And nothing like the mysterious Dean Mendelsohn, who has a bunker deep in the woods behind the school. Nothing can prepare Freya and her friends for the truth of what that bunker holds. And what kind of memories she’ll have to access to survive it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Julian R. Vaca has been a creative writer for over a decade. He's a staff writer on PBS's Reconnecting Roots, a nationally broadcast show that drew in millions of viewers over its first two seasons. He's also the co-writer of Pencil Test, a feature-length documentary that's being executive produced by Disney animation legend Tom Bancroft (Earnest Films, 2023). Julian lives in Nashville with his family. Connect with him at JulianRayVaca.com; Instagram: @JulianRayVaca; Twitter: @JulianRVaca; and Facebook: @JulianRVaca.

THE SWIMMERS: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK The swimmers are unknown to one another except through their private routines (slow lane, medium lane, fast lane) and the solace each takes in their morning or afternoon laps. But when a crack appears at the bottom of the pool, they are cast out into an unforgiving world without comfort or relief. One of these swimmers is Alice, who is slowly losing her memory. For Alice, the pool was a final stand against the darkness of her encroaching dementia. Without the fellowship of other swimmers and the routine of her daily laps, she is plunged into dislocation and chaos, swept into memories of her childhood and the Japanese American incarceration camp in which she spent the war. Alice's estranged daughter, reentering her mother's life too late, witnesses her stark and devastating decline. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Julie Otsuka was born and raised in California. She is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and her first novel, "When the Emperor Was Divine," won the 2003 Asian American Literary Award and the 2003 American Library Association's Alex Award. Her second novel, "The Buddha in the Attic", was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2011 and won the 2012 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the 2011 Langum Prize in American Historical Fiction. "The Buddha in the Attic" was an international best seller and the winner of the prestigious Prix Femina Étranger in 2012, and the Albatros Literaturpreis in 2013. She lives in New York City.

THE TRUTH KEEPERS: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK "The Truth Keepers" s a historical novel that tells the tale of a torn family and the struggles of a young nation. Set primarily on Jekyll Island, Georgia, in the nineteenth-century, it is based on the true story of Henri du Bignon, his wife, and his long-time mistress. Henri, the younger and favored du Bignon son, is portrayed through the eyes of his French wife, Amelia Nicolau, and his English mistress, Sarah Aust, both of whom have reasons for regret. Once well-respected in local social and business circles, Henri shocks the entire coastal community following his wife's death, with unexpected actions that ultimately drive him from the island to begin a new life elsewhere. The story begins with a fictionalized account, based on recently discovered documents of the Nicolau family in Bordeaux, France, who live through the revolution in their native land before coming to America and settling on the Georgia coast. As it explores the issues and limitations faced especially by women in nineteenth-century America, the story takes us from the French Revolution through the Civil War and its aftermath, when nearby Brunswick residents encounter many hardships, among them having to evacuate their town to the invading Union army. The novel ends in 1877, followed by a poignant epilogue set in the 1950s. ABOUT THE AUTHOR June Hall McCash is a two-time winner of the Georgia Author of the Year Award. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from Emory University. Much of her academic career was spent at Middle Tennessee State University, where she received university awards for distinguished research, outstanding career, and teaching.

MILES MORALES: STRANGER TIDES ABOUT THE BOOK When Miles Morales is invited to a launch for a brand-new video game, things go sideways fast. Anyone who plays the game is frozen, and it's all because of a villain named the Stranger. He's judged humanity and found it lacking, and his idea of justice is extreme. Left with the fate of the world in his hands, the clock is ticking on Miles. Can he turn old foes to friends and find the answers he needs in time? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Justin A. Reynolds has always wanted to be a writer. "Opposite of Always" , his debut novel, was an Indies Introduce selection, a School Library Journal Best Book, has been translated into seventeen languages, and is being developed for film with Paramount Players. He hangs out in northeast Ohio with his family and likes it, and is probably somewhere, right now, dancing terribly. His second YA novel," Early Departures", published September 2020, and his first middle grade novel," It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit" , released in April 2022. You can find him at justinareynolds.com.

THE PEOPLE'S PLAZA: SIXTY-TWO DAYS OF NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE ABOUT THE BOOK From June 12, 2020, until the passage of the state law making the occupation a felony two months later, peaceful protesters set up camp at Nashville's Legislative Plaza and renamed it for Ida B. Wells. Central to the occupation was Justin Jones, a student of Fisk University and Vanderbilt Divinity School whose place at the forefront of the protests brought him and the occupation to the attention of the Tennessee state troopers, state and US senators, and Governor Bill Lee. The result was two months of solidarity in the face of rampant abuse, community in the face of state-sponsored terror, and standoff after standoff at the doorsteps of the people's house with those who claimed to represent them. In this, his first book, Jones describes those two revolutionary months of nonviolent resistance against a police state that sought to dehumanize its citizens. The People's Plaza is a rumination on the abuse of power, and a vision of a more just, equitable, anti-racist Nashville-a vision that kept Jones and those with him posted on the plaza through intense heat, unprovoked arrests, vandalism, theft, and violent suppression. It is a first-person account of hope, a statement of intent, and a blueprint for nonviolent resistance in the American South and elsewhere. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Justin Jones is an activist, graduate student, and community organizer in Nashville. He came to Fisk University in 2013, where he received the John R. Lewis Scholarship for Social Activism. Inspired by its legacy of the student-led movement for civil rights, Jones became involved on campus and in community groups and spent the past nine years in Tennessee organizing campaigns for the expansion of healthcare in Tennessee, the repeal of restrictive state voter ID laws, the removal of confederate monuments, and community accountability in cases of police violence.

RIDING WITH THE GHOST: A MEMOIR ABOUT THE BOOK When Justin Taylor was thirty, his father, Larry, drove to the top of the Nashville airport parking garage to take his own life. Thanks to the intervention of family members, he was not successful, but the incident forever transformed how Taylor thinks of his father, and how he thinks of himself as a son. Moving back and forth in time from that day, "Riding with the Ghost" captures the past's power to shape, strengthen, and distort our visions of ourselves and one another. We see Larry as the middle child in a chilly Long Island family; as a beloved Little League coach who listens to kids with patience and curiosity; as an unemployed father struggling to keep his marriage together while battling long-term illness and depression. At the same time, Taylor explores how the work of confronting a family member's story forces a reckoning with your own. We see Taylor as a teacher, modeling himself after his dad's best qualities; as a caregiver, attempting to provide his father with emotional and financial support, but not always succeeding; as a new husband, with a dawning awareness of his own depressive tendencies. With raw intimacy, "Riding with the Ghost" lays bare the joys and burdens of loving a troubled family member. It's a memoir about fathers and sons, teachers and students, faith and illness, and the pieces of our loved ones that we carry with us always. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Justin Taylor is the author of the short-story collections "Everything Here Is the Best Thing Ever" and "Flings" , and the novel "The Gospel of Anarchy" . His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in "The New Yorker", "Harper's", "The Sewanee Review", "n+1", "The New York Times Book Review" , and "Literary Hub" . He lives in Portland, Oregon and serves as Director of the School of Letters at the University of the South.

ANOTHER CELEBRATION OF WORDS ABOUT THE BOOK In depth essays featuring personal interviews with Michael Connelly, James Lee Burke, Jeannette Walls and Horton Foote. Kowars weaves the narratives of his friendship with each author, providing readers a unique insight into the creative process of writing. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kacey Kowars has been the host of The Kacey Kowars Show since June 2004. Mr. Kowars has interviewed over 100 prominent American authors (several multiple times.) He recently retired from teaching Language Arts from 2007-2022 at The First Academy in Orlando, Florida. HIs book “Another Celebration of Words” features literary essays of interviews he has done with Michael Connelly, James Lee Burke, Jeannette Walls, and Horton Foote.

THE TACKY SOUTH ABOUT THE BOOK As a way to comment on a person’s style or taste, the word “tacky” has distinctly southern origins, with its roots tracing back to the so-called “tackies” who tacked horses on South Carolina farms prior to the Civil War. The Tacky South presents eighteen fun, insightful essays that examine connections between tackiness and the American South, ranging from nineteenth-century local color fiction and the television series Murder, She Wrote to red velvet cake and the ubiquitous influence of Dolly Parton. Charting the gender, race, and class constructions at work in regional aesthetics, The Tacky South explores what shifting notions of tackiness reveal about US culture as a whole and the role that region plays in addressing national and global issues of culture and identity. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Katharine A. Burnett, associate professor of English at Fisk University, is the author of Cavaliers and Economists: Global Capitalism and the Development of Southern Literature, 1820–1860.

THE STORYTELLER: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK It’s not every day you discover you might be related to Anastasia…or that the tragic princess actually survived her assassination attempt and has been living as the woman you know as Aunt Anna. For Jess Morgan, who is growing tired of living her life to please everyone else, discovering her late aunt’s diaries shows her she’s not the only one struggling to hide who she really is. But was her aunt truly a Romanov princess? Or is this some elaborate hoax? With the help of a supremely dorky but undeniably cute local college student named Evan, Jess digs into the century-old mystery. But soon Jess realizes there’s another, bigger truth waiting to be revealed: Jess Morgan. Because if she’s learned anything from Aunt Anna, it’s that only you can write your own story. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kathryn Williams is the author of five books, including four young adult novels. From the South originally, she lives with her family near Portland, Maine, and teaches at The Telling Room, a nonprofit creative writing center for kids and teens, where she helps youth find and tell their own stories.

THE PULPWOOD QUEENS CELEBRATE 20 YEARS ABOUT THE BOOK Part book club meeting, part costume party, part come-as-you-are, the Pulpwood Queens annual Girlfriend Weekend is an extravaganza none who've ever attended will forget. This 20th anniversary commemorative book is like Girlfriend Weekend itself--a warm, wise, tender celebration of friends, reading, and all the ways books bring us together. --Lisa Wingate, New York Times best-selling author of Before We Were Yours In 2020, the Pulpwood Queens--and their male counterparts, the Timber Guys--are celebrating twenty years as the world's largest meeting-and-discussing bookclub, with over 750 local clubs internationally. The fact that many of these women also wear tiaras, leopard prints, and bright pink to their meetings gives us a peek into their exuberant love for life, which is reflected in their love for books and each other. This collection of essays by authors, book club members, and supporters of the Queens, is a love letter to the founder and director, Kathy L. Murphy, and an ode to the written word and the place that literature and reading play in all of our lives. Kathy Murphy and her Pulpwood Queens are a source of much-needed inspiration and big-heartedness in the world of books and book clubs. The tales here are as wise as they are entertaining, a testament to living large and joyfully in a sisterhood of storytelling. --Paula McLain, New York Times best-selling author of The Paris Wife and Love and Ruin ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kathy L. Murphy is the CEO and Founder of The Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys book clubs. She is also a painter whose works is exhibited throughout the South.

THE WHISPERING DARK ABOUT THE BOOK Delaney Meyers-Petrov is tired of being seen as fragile just because she's Deaf. So when she's accepted into a prestigious program at Godbole University that trains students to slip between parallel worlds, she's excited for the chance to prove herself. But her semester gets off to a rocky start as she faces professors who won't accommodate her disability, and a pretentious upperclassman fascinated by Delaney's unusual talents. Colton Price died when he was nine years old. Quite impossibly, he woke several weeks later at the feet of a green-eyed little girl. Now, twelve years later, Delaney Meyers-Petrov has stumbled back into his orbit, but Colton's been ordered to keep far away from the new girl... and the voices she hears calling to her from the shadows. Delaney wants to keep her distance from Colton -- she seems to be the only person on campus who finds him more arrogant than charming -- yet after a Godbole student turns up dead, she and Colton are forced to form a tenuous alliance, plummeting down a rabbit-hole of deeply buried university secrets. But Delaney and Colton discover the cost of opening the doors between worlds when they find themselves up against something old and nameless, an enemy they need to destroy before it tears them -- and their forbidden partnership -- apart. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kelly Andrew lost her hearing when she was four years old. She's been telling stories ever since. Kelly lives in New England with her husband, two daughters, and a persnickety Boston Terrier.

2 A.M. IN LITTLE AMERICA ABOUT THE BOOK From 'an important writer in every sense' (David Foster Wallace), a novel that imagines a future in which sweeping civil conflict has forced America's young people to flee its borders, into an unwelcoming world. One such American is Ron Patterson, who finds himself on distant shores, working as a repairman and sharing a room with other refugees. In an unnamed city wedged between ocean and lush mountainous forest, Ron can almost imagine a stable life for himself. Especially when he makes the first friend he has had in years-a mysterious migrant named Marlise, who bears a striking resemblance to a onetime classmate. Nearly a decade later-after anti-migrant sentiment has put their whirlwind intimacy and asylum to an end-Ron is living in 'Little America,' an enclave of migrants in one of the few countries still willing to accept them. Here, among reminders of his past life, he again begins to feel that he may have found a home. Ron adopts a stray dog, observes his neighbors, and lands a repairman job that allows him to move through the city quietly. But this newfound security, too, is quickly jeopardized, as resurgent political divisions threaten the fabric of Little America. Tapped as an informant against the rise of militant gangs and contending with the appearance of a strangely familiar woman, Ron is suddenly on dangerous and uncertain ground. Brimming with mystery, suspense, and Kalfus's distinctive comic irony," 2 A.M. in Little America" poses several questions vital to the current moment: What happens when privilege is reversed? Who is watching and why? How do tribalized politics disrupt our ability to distinguish what is true and what is not? This is a story for our time-gripping, unsettling, prescient-by one of our most acclaimed novelists. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ken Kalfus is the author of three previous novels, "Equilateral", "The Commissariat of Enlightenment" and "A Disorder Peculiar to the Country" , which was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Award and has appeared in several foreign editions, including French and Italian translations. He has also published three collections of stories, "Thirst", "Pu-239 and Other Russian Fantasies" , a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, and "Coup de Foudre: A Novella and Stories". Kalfus has received a Pew Fellowships in the Arts award and a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. He's written for "Harper's", "The New York Review of Books", and "The New York Times". A film adaptation of his short story, "Pu-239," aired on HBO in 2007.

FRUIT PUNCH: A MEMOIR ABOUT THE BOOK Written in a distinctive voice and filled with personality, humor, and pathos, "Fruit Punch" is a memoir unlike any other, from a one-of-a-kind millennial talent. Growing up in Dallas, Texas, in the nineties and early 2000s, Kendra Allen had a complicated, loving, and intense family life filled with desire and community but also undercurrents of violence and turmoil. "We equate suffering to perseverance and misinterpret the weight of shame," she writes. As she makes her way through a world of obscureness, Kendra finds herself slowly discovering outlets to help navigate growing up and against the expected performance of being a young Black woman in the South-a complex interplay of race, class, and gender that proves to be ever-shifting ground. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kendra Allen was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She is the recipient of the 2018 Iowa Prize for Literary Nonfiction for her essay collection "When You Learn the Alphabet", awarded by Kiese Laymon. She has been featured on C-SPAN, interviewed in "The Rumpus" and "Poets & Writers" , and her work has been taught by "New York Times" bestselling author Jason Reynolds alongside that of Jamaica Kincaid and Eve Ewing, among other distinctions. She is the author of "The Collection Plate".

MEET THE MOON ABOUT THE BOOK In 1970, thirteen-year-old Jody Moran wants pierced ears, a kiss from a boy, and more attention from her mother. It's not fair. Seems like her mother is more worked up about the Apollo 13 astronauts, who may not make it back to earth safely. As it happens, the astronauts are spared a crash landing, but Jody is not, for three days after splashdown, her mother dies in a car accident. Now, Jody will never know if her mother really loved her. Jody's father has taught them to believe in the 'Power of Intention.' Announce what you want to the world to make it happen. But could the power of Jody's jealousy and anger have caused Mom's accident? To relieve her guilt and sadness, she devotes herself to mothering her three younger siblings and helping Dad, which quickly proves too much for her, just as persuading quirky Grandma Cupcakes to live with them proves too much for Grandma. That's when Jody decides to find someone to marry her father, a new mom who will love her best. Jody reads high and low to learn about love, marriage and death. For her adolescent firsts-kiss, bra, and boyfriend-she has the help of her popular older sister, her supportive father, and comical Grandma. But each first, which makes her miss her mother, teaches her that death doesn't happen just once. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kerry Malawista is a writer and psychoanalyst in Potomac, Maryland . She is co-chair of The New Directions in Writing program. Her essays have appeared nationally in newspapers, magazines and literary journals including "The New York Times" , "The Washington Post" ," Zone 3", "Washingtonian Magazine", "The Huffington Post", "Bethesda Magazine", "Arlington Magazine", "The Account Magazine", and "Delmarva Review", which nominated her for a Pushcart Prize. She is the co-author of "Wearing my Tutu to Analysis and Other Stories", "The Therapist in Mourning: From the Faraway Nearby", and "Who's Behind the Couch." This is her first novel.

THE LOST BOOK OF ELEANOR DARE: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK What happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke remains a mystery, but the women who descended from Eleanor Dare have long known that the truth lies in what she left behind: a message carved onto a large stone and the contents of her treasured commonplace book. Brought from England on Eleanor’s fateful voyage to the New World, her book was passed down through the fifteen generations of daughters who followed as they came of age. Thirteen-year-old Alice had been next in line to receive it, but her mother’s tragic death fractured the unbroken legacy and the Dare Stone and the shadowy history recorded in the book faded into memory. Or so Alice hoped. In the waning days of World War II, Alice is a young widow and a mother herself when she is unexpectedly presented with her birthright: the deed to Evertell, her abandoned family home and the history she thought forgotten. Determined to sell the property and step into a future free of the past, Alice returns to Savannah with her own thirteen-year-old daughter, Penn, in tow. But when Penn’s curiosity over the lineage she never knew begins to unveil secrets from beneath every stone and bone and shell of the old house and Eleanor’s book is finally found, Alice is forced to reckon with the sacrifices made for love and the realities of their true inheritance as daughters of Eleanor Dare. In this sweeping tale from award-winning author Kimberly Brock, the answers to a real-life mystery may be found in the pages of a story that was always waiting to be written. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kimberly Brock is the award-winning author of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare and The River Witch. She is the founder of Tinderbox Writers Workshop and has served as a guest lecturer for many regional and national writing workshops including at the Pat Conroy Literary Center. She lives near Atlanta with her husband and three children. Visit her online at kimberlybrockbooks.com; Instagram: @kimberlydbrock; Facebook: @kimberlybrockauthor; Twitter: @kimberlydbrock.

THE DEVIL'S HALF-ACRE: HOW ONE WOMAN LIBERATED THE SOUTH'S MOST NOTORIOUS SLAVE JAIL ABOUT THE BOOK In "The Devil's Half Acre", "New York Times" bestselling author Kristen Green draws on years of research to tell the extraordinary and little-known story of young Mary Lumpkin, an enslaved woman who blazed a path of liberation for thousands. She was forced to have the children of a brutal slave trader and live on the premises of his slave jail, known as the 'Devil?s Half Acre.' When she inherited the jail after the death of her slaveholder, she transformed it into 'God's Half Acre,' a school where Black men could fulfill their dreams. It still exists today as Virginia Union University, one of America?s first Historically Black Colleges and Universities. A sweeping narrative of a life in the margins of the American slave trade, The Devil's Half Acre brings Mary Lumpkin into the light. This is the story of the resilience of a woman on the path to freedom, her historic contributions, and her enduring legacy. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kristen Green is a reporter and the author of the "New York Times" bestseller "Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County" , which received the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Nonfiction and the People's Choice Award. She has worked as a writer for two decades for newspapers including the "Boston Globe" , the "San Diego Union-Tribune", and the "Richmond Times-Dispatch" . She holds a master's in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, and lives with her husband and two daughters in Richmond, Virginia.

THE DECOMPOSITION OF JACK ABOUT THE BOOK Middle school is always hard, but when you're known as the Roadkill Kid, well, it's even harder. Jack's mom collects roadkill-it's her job, and she's very good at it. Ever since Jack's mom and dad got divorced, Jack has stepped into the role of Mom's co-scientist. One day while tending to the roadkill garden, Jack believes he spots a cougar in the wilderness beyond his backyard. A cougar in Tennessee? They're supposed to be extinct. So, when Jack has to choose an animal to research for his Earth Science class, he picks cougar. As pressure mounts on Jack to complete his project and to be Mom's business partner, the mystery of the cougar feels too big to solve. Jack knows what the decomposition of an animal-and a family-looks like, so can he figure out how to bring them back to life? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kristin O'Donnell Tubb is the author of "The Story Collector" and "The Story Seeker" , the award-winning "A Dog Like Daisy" , "John Lincoln Clem: Civil War Drummer Boy (written as E. F. Abbott)", "The 13th Sign" , "Selling Hope" , and "Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different" . Kristin lives near Nashville, with her bouncy-loud family. Just like her two dogs, she can be bribed with cheese. You can visit her online at www.kristintubb.com.

LOUISA JUNE AND THE NAZIS IN THE WAVES ABOUT THE BOOK Days after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Hitler declared war on the U.S., unleashing U-boat submarines to attack American ships. Suddenly, the waves outside Louisa June’s farm aren’t for eel-fishing or marveling at wild swans or learning to skull her family’s boat—they’re dangerous, swarming with hidden enemies. Her oldest brothers’ ships risk coming face-to-face with U-boats. Her sister leaves home to weld Liberty Boat hulls. And then her daddy, a tugboat captain, and her dearest brother, Butler, are caught in the crossfire. Her mama has always swum in a sea of melancholy, but now she really needs Louisa June to find moments of beauty or inspiration to buoy her. Like sunshine-yellow daffodils, good books, or news accounts of daring rescues of torpedoed passengers. Determined to help her Mama and aching to combat Nazis herself, Louisa June turns to her quirky friend Emmett and the indomitable Cousin Belle, who has her own war stories—and a herd of cats—to share. In the end, after a perilous sail, Louisa June learns the greatest lifeline is love. ABOUT THE AUTHOR L. M. Elliott is the" New York Times" bestselling author of "Da Vinci’s Tiger"; "Under a War-Torn Sky"; "A Troubled Peace"; "Across a War-Tossed Sea"; "Annie, Between the States"; "Give Me Liberty" "Flying South"; and "Hamilton and Peggy!" She lives in Virginia with her family. You can visit her online at www.lmelliott.com.

LIKE LIGHT, LIKE MUSIC ABOUT THE BOOK Emme McLean never imagined that in 1999 she would be living out the lyrics of the ancient murder ballads she grew up singing. But now Emme is back in Red River, Kentucky, using her skills as a journalist to prove her cousin did not kill her husband and to find out what is terrifying the town after many of its women went half-mad on the same night. But to help her hometown’s haunted women, Emme must also face the things that haunt her, things she thought she had lost when she chose to move away: the majestic music of her family’s beloved hills and hollows, the mysterious old ways of her Appalachian kin, and the memory of her remarkable first love, Evan. Through it all, she must reckon with her magical “mountain gift”—is it real, or merely a unique synesthesia? And can she trust it to help heal her family and her town, a place still plagued by the social injustice that first drove her away? Can she trust it to help heal herself? ABOUT THE BOOK Lana K. W. Austin teaches writing at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Her writing has appeared in numerous literary journals. Winner of the 2019 Alabama State Poetry Society Book of the Year Award and the 2018 Words and Music Poetry Award, Austin has an MFA from George Mason University.

RED RAIN ABOUT THE BOOK Olivia Montag is a professor who doesn't have all the answers. The devastating loss of a child ended her marriage, and she's been overlooked for a job promotion one time too many. Not sure what comes next, she leaves it all behind and volunteers to teach English to schoolchildren in India. Ten thousand miles away, she connects with fellow volunteers and finds purpose in teaching. Until one by one the girls in her classes stop showing up. Then she meets Mukesh, an Indian man with a heart for invention, who may be the only one who can help her students. This is her chance to impact real change, even if that means trusting new friendships and her own instincts. It turns out, there might be strength in asking for help, and embracing a painful past may clear the way for a brighter future. Sometimes in the darkest storms, you can choose to dance in the rain. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lara Bernhardt is a Pushcart-nominated writer and editor. Twice a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award for Best Fiction, she writes supernatural suspense and women's fiction. You can follow her on all the socials @larawells1 on Twitter and @larabern10 on Facebook, BookBub, and Instagram.

WILLIAM FAULKNER: THE COFIELD COLLECTION ABOUT THE BOOK William Faulkner: The Cofield Collection is a photo-biography about the life and work of Nobel laureate William Faulkner depicting his childhood in Oxford, Mississippi, his family members, his student days at the University of Mississippi, and his growing success as an author; shown also are the ruined southern mansions, farms and country stores which Faulkner wrote about in his fictitional “Yoknapatawpha County”; featuring the iconic images of Faulkner by his family photographers, J. R. Cofield, Jack Cofield, and others; coffee table size, 302 photographs, 214 pages. "This family album out of Yoknapatawpha country is a more satisfying answer to what Faulkner was like than many more formal biographies." (Robert Wells, The Milwaukee Journal)"A superb photo-biography… A treasure trove that in its unvarnished simplicity richly illuminates the life and work of America’s finest novelist." (Henry Kisor, The Chicago Sun-Times):The author and his Yoknapatawpha County grow a good deal more imaginable and accessible and rather less formidable in the pages of this delightful book." (Charles Champlin, The Los Angeles Times) ABOUT THE AUTHOR Founded in 1975, Yoknapatawpha Press is a southern regional press owned and operated by co-publishers, Lawrence Wells and the late Dean Faulkner Wells. Most of the press's projects are generated in-house.The company is named for William Faulkner's fictional county, Yoknapatawpha, from the Chickasaw word meaning "gentle water."

PERISH: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Bear it or perish. Those are the words Helen Jean hears that fateful night in her cousin's outhouse that change the trajectory of her life. Spanning decades, "Perish" tracks the choices Helen Jean-the matriarch of the Turner family-makes and the ways those choices have rippled across generations, from her children to her grandchildren and beyond. Told in alternating chapters that follow four members of the Turner family: Julie B., a woman who regrets her wasted youth and the time spent under Helen Jean's thumb; Alex, a police officer grappling with a dark and twisted past; Jan, a mother of two, who yearns to go to school and leave Jerusalem, Texas, and all of its trauma behind for good; and Lydia, a woman whose marriage is falling apart because her body can]t seem to stay pregnant, as they're called home to say goodbye to their mother and grandmother. This family's 'reunion' unearths long-kept secrets and forces each member to ask themselves important questions about who is deserving of forgiveness and who bears the cross of blame. Tackling themes like family, trauma, legacy, home, class, race, and more, this beautiful yet heart-wrenching novel, will appeal to anyone who is interested in the intricacies of family and the ways bonds can be made, maintained, or irrevocably broken. ABOUT THE AUTHOR LaToya Watkins 's writing has appeared in "A Public Space ", "The Sun" , "McSweeney's" "The Kenyon Review" , "The Pushcart Prize XXXIX" (2015), and elsewhere. She has received grants, scholarships, and fellowships from the Middlebury Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, Hedgebrook, and A Public Space (she was one of their 2018 emerging writers fellows). She holds a PhD from the University of Texas at Dallas. Perish is her debut novel.

A PLACE TO LAND: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Violet Figg and her sister Trudy have lived a quiet life in Sugar Bend, Alabama, since a night forty years ago that stole Trudy’s voice and cemented Violet’s role as her sister’s fierce and loyal protector. Now Trudy spends her days making sculptures from found objects and speaking through notes written on scraps of paper, while Violet runs their art shop, monitors bird activity up and down the water, and tries not to think of the one great love she gave up to keep her sister safe. Eighteen-year-old Maya knows where everyone else belongs, but she’s been searching for her own place since her grandmother died seven years ago. Moving in and out of strangers’ houses has left her exhausted. After seeing a flyer on a gas station window for a place called Sugar Bend, Maya chooses to follow the strange pull she feels and finds herself on the doorstep of an art shop called Two Sisters. When a boat rises to the surface of Little River in the middle of the night, the present and no-longer-buried past collide, and the future becomes uncertain for Maya, Violet, and Trudy. As history creeps continuously closer to the present and old secrets come to light, the sisters must decide to face the truth of what happened that night forty years ago, or risk losing each other and those they’ve come to love. ABOUT THE AUTHOR LAUREN K. DENTON is the author of USA TODAY bestselling novels The Hideaway and Hurricane Season. She was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, and now lives with her husband and two daughters in Homewood, just outside Birmingham. Though her husband tries valiantly to turn her into a mountain girl, she’d still rather be at the beach. Website: LaurenKDenton.com; Instagram: LaurenKDentonBooks; Facebook: LaurenKDentonAuthor; Twitter: @LaurenKDenton.

GROUNDSKEEPING: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK In the run-up to the 2016 election, Owen Callahan, an aspiring writer, moves back to Kentucky to live with his Trump-supporting uncle and grandfather. Eager to clean up his act after wasting time and potential in his early twenties, he takes a job as a groundskeeper at a small local college, in exchange for which he is permitted to take a writing course. Here he meets Alma Hazdic, a writer in residence who seems to have everything that Owen lacks—a prestigious position, an Ivy League education, success as a writer. They begin a secret relationship, and as they grow closer, Alma—who comes from a liberal family of Bosnian immigrants—struggles to understand Owen’s fraught relationship with family and home. Exquisitely written; expertly crafted; dazzling in its precision, restraint, and depth of feeling, Groundskeeping is a novel of haunting power and grace from a prodigiously gifted young writer. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lee Cole was born and grew up in rural Kentucky. A recent graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, he now lives in New York.

TO CARE FOR THE SICK AND BURY THE DEAD: AFRICAN AMERICAN LODGES AND CEMETERIES IN TENNESSEE ABOUT THE BOOK Benevolent Orders, the Sons of Ham, Prince Hall Freemasons—these and other African American lodges created a social safety net for members across Tennessee. During their heyday between 1865 and 1930, these groups provided members with numerous resources, such as sick benefits and assurance of a proper burial, opportunities for socialization and leadership, and the chance to work with local churches and schools to create better communities. Many of these groups gradually faded from existence, but their legacy endures in the form of the cemeteries the lodges left behind. These Black cemeteries dot the Tennessee landscape, but few know their history or the societies of care they represent. To Care for the Sick and Bury the Dead is the first book-length look at these cemeteries and the lodges that fostered them. This book is a must-have for genealogists, historians, and family members of the people buried in these cemeteries. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Leigh Ann Gardner is a grants manager at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She also works in historic preservation.

DOUG THE PUG AND THE KINDNESS CREW ABOUT THE BOOK Doug the Pug makes his picture book debut in this original illustrated story. Doug the Pug loves pizza, posing for paw-traits, and above all else, spreading paw-sitivity. Join the Kindness Crew and follow Doug as he embarks on an adventure across town to share kindness with everyone he meets. With messages of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion, this beautifully illustrated picture book is perfect for Doug the Pug's youngest fans and anyone looking to make the world a kinder place.

WATER LESSONS: POEMS "Beneath the obvious beauty of Lisa Dordal's poetry lies a subtle ferocity that threatens to undo the reader on every page of WATER LESSONS. 'Anyone can become / animal or a flicker of light' warns the speaker as she embarks on a journey of recovery: of the memories surrounding a mother's addiction and death; of a father's dementia, which softens him even as it steals him away; and of the speaker's own complicity in mid-century suburban oblivion, a complicity that makes both a mother's and a Black maid's miseries equally tragic. Dordal demands that we not only see the past, but that we step into its deceptively gentle tide, one that sweeps us back to the people, places, and eras that still haunt us. In these poems, no one is truly safe, no one is truly innocent, and no one is truly gone. WATER LESSONS teaches us that swimming against the current of remembrance is futile. We can only trust the water to hold us without drowning us, and to return us to some shore, even if where we land is not where we were first submerged."--Destiny O. Birdsong, author of Negotiations, longlisted for the 2021 PEN America Literary Awards ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lisa Dordal holds a Master of Divinity and a Master of Fine Arts, both from Vanderbilt University, and teaches in the English Department at Vanderbilt. Her first full-length collection of poetry, MOSAIC OF THE DARK (Black Lawrence Press, 2018), was a finalist for the 2019 Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetry. She is a Pushcart Prize and Best-of-the-Net nominee and the recipient of an Academy of American Poets University Prize, the Robert Watson Poetry Prize from the Greensboro Review, and the Betty Gabehart Prize from the Kentucky Women Writers Conference. Her poetry has appeared in a variety of journals and anthologies including Best New Poets, New Ohio Review, The Sun, Narrative, RHINO, Ninth Letter, CALYX, The Greensboro Review, and Vinyl Poetry.

THE MYSTERIOUS HORSE HOUSE ABOUT THE BOOK Keela’s twelfth birthday is 266 days away. She lives with her Uncle Sir and Aunt Mrs. in an odd house built into a cliff, has never met her parents, and has no idea where they are. Her life is quite boring, since no one ever comes to visit. So, when tiny, mysterious, dancing lights lead her to a secret tunnel, and a talking pony shows up in the barn, Keela soon finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime. The Mysterious Horse House is the 2021 winner of the prestigious Best Horse-related Book award from the American Horse Publications. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lisa Wysocky is the award-winning bestselling author of the Cat Enright cozy mystery series, now optioned for television. Her most recent book, the young adult The Mysterious Horse House, was chosen as Best Horse Book by the American Horse Publications awards in May 2022. She lives in Ashland City, Tennessee with four amazing therapy horses, two barn cats and her dog, Abby. She can be found online at lisawysocky.com.

RAINBOW RAINBOW: STORIES ABOUT THE BOOK In this exuberant, prize-winning collection, queer, trans, and gender-nonconforming characters seek love and connection in hilarious and heartrending stories that reflect the complexity of our current moment. A nonbinary writer on the eve of top surgery enters into a risky affair during the height of COVID. A lesbian couple enlists a close friend as a sperm donor, plying him with a potent rainbow-colored cocktail. A lonely office worker struggling with their gender identity chaperones their nephew to a trans YouTube convention. And in the depths of a Midwestern winter, a sex-addicted librarian relies on her pet ferrets to help resist a relapse at a wild college fair. Capturing both the dark and lovable sides of the human experience, Rainbow Rainbow establishes debut author Lydia Conklin as a fearless new voice for their generation. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lydia Conklin has received a Stegner Fellowship, a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award, three Pushcart Prizes, a Creative Writing Fulbright in Poland, a grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation, scholarships from Bread Loaf, and fellowships from Emory, MacDowell, Yaddo, Hedgebrook, Djerassi, and elsewhere. Their fiction has appeared in Tin House, American Short Fiction, and The Paris Review. They’ve drawn comics for The New Yorker, The Believer, Lenny Letter, and elsewhere. They are currently the Zell Visiting Professor of Fiction at the University of Michigan.

THE WITCH OF MATONGE ABOUT THE BOOK Trouble is brewing in the more turbulent quartiers of Paris - jihad, robberies, Vodou, and a menage a trois gone very wrong. From a distance, the all-knowing Witch of Matonge watches the players as they walk the boulevards and back alleys of a city freighted with history, intrigue, and desire. Madison Smartt Bell weaves the tale masterfully, leaving readers wondering what could possibly happen next in this dark thriller reminiscent of Graham Greene, Alan Furst, and Jean Rhys. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Madison Smartt Bell is a professor of English at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. He is the author of 22 books, including three collections of short stories, two biographies, 15 novels, and the fiction writing textbook "Narrative Design". His books have been prominently published in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Denmark, Holland, Brazil and Japan. His short fiction has appeared in "Best American Short Stories" and the "Norton Anthology of Short Fiction", among others. As an active literary journalist he contributes to "The New York Times", "The Nation", "The New York Review of Books", and "The Boston Globe", among others. He has taught fiction writing at the Poetry Center of the 92nd Street Y, the Iowa Writers' Workshop, the Writing Seminars of Johns Hopkins University, and at Goucher College since 1984.

A BEAT BEYOND: THE SELECTED PROSE OF MAJOR JACKSON ABOUT THE BOOK In this collection of essays, interviews, and notes, Major Jackson reveals and revels in the work of poetry to not only limn and give access to the intellectual width and spiritual depth of poets, but also to amplify the controversies and inner conflicts that define our age: political unrest, climate crises, the fallout from bewildering traumas, and the social function of the art itself. Accessible and critically minded, Jackson avoids pedantry and provisional judgments by returning to the poem as an unparalleled source of linguistic pleasure that structures a multilayered 'lyric self.' In his interviews, Jackson illustrates poetry's distinct ability, through metaphor and expressive language, to mediate the inexplicable while foregrounding the possibilities of human song. Collected over several decades, these essays find Jackson praising mythmaking in Frank Bidart and Ai's poetry, expressing bafflement at the silence of white-identified poets in the cause of social and racial justice, unearthing the politics behind Gwendolyn Brooks's Pulitzer Prize, and marveling at the 'hallucinatory speed of thought' in the poetry of a diverse range of poets including Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge, Brenda Hillman, Afaa Weaver, Forrest Gander, and Terrance Hayes. This collection passionately surveys the radical shifts of the art and notes poetry's ardor and cultural value as a necessity for a modern sensibility. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Major Jackson is Professor of English, Director of Creative Writing, and Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities at Vanderbilt University.

IT WON'T ALWAYS BE LIKE: A GRAPHIC MEMOIR ABOUT THE BOOK It’s hard enough to figure out boys, beauty, and being cool when you’re young, but even harder when you’re in a country where you don’t understand the language, culture, or social norms. Nine-year-old Malaka Gharib arrives in Egypt for her annual summer vacation abroad and assumes it'll be just like every other vacation she's spent at her dad's place in Cairo. But her father shares news that changes everything: He has remarried. Over the next fifteen years, as she visits her father's growing family summer after summer, Malaka must reevaluate her place in his life. All that on top of maintaining her coolness! Malaka doesn't feel like she fits in when she visits her dad--she sticks out in Egypt and doesn't look anything like her fair-haired half siblings. But she adapts. She learns that Nirvana isn't as cool as Nancy Ajram, that there's nothing better than a Fanta and a melon-mint hookah, and that her new stepmother, Hala, isn't so different from Malaka herself. It Won’t Always Be Like This is a touching time capsule of Gharib’s childhood memories—each summer a fleeting moment in time—and a powerful reflection on identity, relationships, values, family, and what happens when it all collides. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Malaka Gharib is a writer, journalist, and cartoonist. She is the author of I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir, winner of an Arab American Book Award and named one of the best books of the year by NPR, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, and the New York Public Library. By day, she works on NPR's science desk, covering the topic of global health and development. Her comics, zines, and writing have been published in NPR, Catapult, The Seventh Wave Magazine, The Nib, The Believer, and The New Yorker. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Darren, and her dog, Sheeboo.

A SCATTER OF LIGHT: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Aria Tang West was looking forward to a summer on Martha’s Vineyard with her best friends—one last round of sand and sun before college. But after a graduation party goes wrong, Aria’s parents exile her to California to stay with her grandmother, artist Joan West. Aria expects boredom, but what she finds is Steph Nichols, her grandmother’s gardener. Soon, Aria is second-guessing who she is and what she wants to be, and a summer that once seemed lost becomes unforgettable—for Aria, her family, and the working-class queer community Steph introduces her to. It’s the kind of summer that changes a life forever. ABOUT THE BOOK Malinda Lo is the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of several young adult novels, including most recently Last Night at the Telegraph Club. Her novel Ash, a lesbian retelling of Cinderella, was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, the Andre Norton Award for YA Science Fiction and Fantasy, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and was a Kirkus Best Book for Children and Teens. She has been a three-time finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. Malinda's nonfiction has been published by the New York Times Book Review, NPR, the Huffington Post, The Toast, the Horn Book, and in many anthologies. She lives in Massachusetts with her wife.

BY HANDS NOW KNOWN: JIM CROW'S LEGAL EXECUTIONERS ABOUT THE BOOK A paradigm-shifting investigation of Jim Crow-era violence, the legal apparatus that sustained it, and its enduring legacy, from a renowned legal scholar. If the law cannot protect a person from a lynching, then isn't lynching the law? In "By Hands Now Known", Margaret A. Burnham, director of Northeastern University's Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, challenges our understanding of the Jim Crow era by exploring the relationship between formal law and background legal norms in a series of harrowing cases from 1920 to 1960. From rendition, the legal process by which states make claims to other states for the return of their citizens, to battles over state and federal jurisdiction and the outsize role of local sheriffs in enforcing racial hierarchy, Burnham maps the criminal legal system in the mid-twentieth century south, and traces the unremitting line from slavery to the legal structures of this period and through to today. Drawing on an extensive database, collected over more than a decade, of more than 1,000 cases of racial violence, she reveals the true legal system of Jim Crow, and captures the memories of those whose stories have not yet been heard. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Margaret A. Burnham is the founding director of the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project at Northeastern University, and has been a staffer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, civil rights lawyer, defense attorney, and judge. She was nominated by President Biden to serve on the Civil Rights Cold Case Review Board. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

GRACELAND, AT LAST: NOTES ON HOPE AND HEARTACHE FROM THE AMERICAN SOUTH ABOUT THE BOOK People have often asked me how it feels to be the ‘voice of the South,’” writes Renkl in her introduction. “But I’m not the voice of the South, and no one else is, either.” There are many Souths―red and blue, rural and urban, mountain and coast, Black and white and brown―and no one writer could possibly represent all of them. In Graceland, At Last, Renkl writes instead from her own experience about the complexities of her homeland, demonstrating along the way how much more there is to this tangled region than many people understand. In a patchwork quilt of personal and reported essays, Renkl also highlights some other voices of the South, people who are fighting for a better future for the region. A group of teenagers who organized a youth march for Black Lives Matter. An urban shepherd whose sheep remove invasive vegetation. Church parishioners sheltering the homeless. Throughout, readers will find the generosity of spirit and deep attention to the world, human and nonhuman, that keep readers returning to her columns each Monday morning. From a writer who “makes one of all the world’s beings” (NPR), Graceland, At Last is a book full of gifts for Southerners and non-Southerners alike. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Margaret Renkl is the author of Graceland, At Last and Late Migrations, which was a Read with Jenna/TODAY Show book club selection. She is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, where her essays appear weekly. Her work has also appeared in Guernica, Literary Hub, Proximity, and River Teeth, among others. She was the founding editor of Chapter 16, the daily literary publication of Humanities Tennessee, and is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Carolina. She lives in Nashville.

MAYBE WE'LL MAKE IT: A MEMOIR ABOUT THE BOOK When Margo Price was nineteen years old, she dropped out of college and moved to Nashville to become a musician. She busked on the street, played open mics, and even threw out her TV so that she would do nothing but write songs. She met Jeremy Ivey, a fellow musician who would become her closest collaborator and her husband. But after working on their craft for more than a decade, Price and Ivey had no label, no band, and plenty of heartache. Maybe We'll Make It is a memoir of loss, motherhood, and the search for artistic freedom in the midst of the agony experienced by so many aspiring musicians: bad gigs and long tours, rejection and sexual harassment, too much drinking and barely enough money to live on. Price, though, refused to break, and turned her lowest moments into the classic country songs that eventually comprised the debut album that launched her career. In the authentic voice hailed by Pitchfork for tackling "Steinbeck-sized issues with no-bullshit humility," Price shares the stories that became songs, and the small acts of love and camaraderie it takes to survive in a music industry that is often unkind to women. Now a Grammy-nominated 'Best New Artist,' Price tells a love story of music, collaboration, and the struggle to build a career while trying to maintain her singular voice and style. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Margo Price is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter. She has released three LPs, earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, and performed on Saturday Night Live, and is the first female musician to sit on the board of Farm Aid.

THE EVENING HERO: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Dr. Yungman Kwak is in the twilight of his life. Every day for the last fifty years, he has brushed his teeth, slipped on his shoes, and headed to Horse Breath's General Hospital, where, as an obstetrician, he treats the women and babies of the small rural Minnesota town he chose to call home. This was the life he longed for. The so-called American dream. He immigrated from Korea after the Korean War, forced to leave his family, ancestors, village, and all that he knew behind. But his life is built on a lie. And one day, a letter arrives that threatens to expose it. Yungman's life is thrown into chaos-the hospital abruptly closes, his wife refuses to spend time with him, and his son is busy investing in a struggling health start-up. Yungman faces a choice-he must choose to hide his secret from his family and friends or confess and potentially lose all he's built. He begins to question the very assumptions on which his life is built-the so-called American dream, with the abject failure of its healthcare system, patient and neighbors who perpetuate racism, a town flawed with infrastructure, and a history that doesn't see him in it. Toggling between the past and the present, Korea and America, "Evening Hero" is a sweeping, moving, darkly comic novel about a man looking back at his life and asking big questions about what is lost and what is gained when immigrants leave home for new shores. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Marie Myung-Ok Lee is an acclaimed Korean American writer and author of the young adult novel "Finding my Voice" , thought to be one of the first contemporary-set Asian American YA novels . She is one of a handful of American journalists who have been granted a visa to North Korea since the Korean War. She was the first Fulbright Scholar to Korea in creative writing and has received many honors for her work, including an O. Henry honorable mention, the Best Book Award from the Friends of American Writers, and a New York Foundation for the Arts fiction fellowship. Her stories and essays have been published in "The Atlantic" , "The New York Times" , "Slate" , "Salon" , "Guernica" , "The Paris Review" , "The Nation" , and "The Guardian" , among others. Marie is a founder of the Asian American Writers' Workshop and teaches creative writing at Columbia. She lives in New York City with her family.

EVEN WHEN WE SLEEP: POEMS ABOUT THE BOOK Marilyn Kallet's new collection of poetry, "Even When We Sleep", opens with sassy love poetry, then faces the pandemic with a clear eye and a lyrical embrace. Her second chapter takes us round trip to Paris and home again, with a loving eye. The third section includes poems that hold patches of memoir. The final section confronts anti-Semitism at home and abroad, ending with love and hope. Eluard's influence is more present than ever, and William Carlos Williams gets in a line or two, for good luck! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Marilyn Kallet served two terms as Knoxville Poet Laureate, July 2018-July 2020. She has published 19 books, including "How Our Bodies Learned", "The Love That Moves Me" and "Packing Light: New and Selected Poems". She translated Paul Eluard's "Last Love Poems" and Benjamin Péret's "The Big Game". Dr. Kallet is Professor Emerita at the University of Tennessee. Since 2009, she has mentored poetry groups for the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, in Auvillar, France. Her poems have appeared in "Plume", "New Letters", "Potomac Review", "Still: The Journal" and "American Diversity Report", among others.

HER COUNTRY: HOW THE WOMEN OF COUNTRY MUSIC BECAME THE SUCCESS THEY WERE NEVER ABOUT THE BOOK The full and unbridled inside story of the last twenty years of country music through the lens of Maren Morris, Mickey Guyton, and Kacey Musgraves-their peers and inspirations, their paths to stardom, and their battles against a deeply embedded boys' club, as well as their efforts to transform the genre into a more inclusive place for all (and not just white men in trucker hats), as told by award-winning Nashville journalist Marissa R. Moss. It was only two decades ago, but, for the women of country music, 1999 seems like an entirely different universe. With Shania Twain, country's biggest award winner and star, and The Chicks topping every chart, country music was a woman's world: specifically, country radio and Nashville's Music Row. Cut to 2021, when women are only played on country radio 16% of the time, on a good day, and when only men have won Entertainer of the Year at the CMA Awards for a decade. To a world where artists like Kacey Musgraves sell out arenas but barely score a single second of airplay. But also to a world where these women are infinitely bigger live draws than most male counterparts, having massive pop crossover hits like Maren Morris's 'The Middle,' pushing the industry to confront its deeply embedded racial biases with Mickey Guyton's 'Black Like Me,' winning heaps of Grammy nominations, banding up in supergroups like The Highwomen and taking complete control of their own careers, on their own terms. When the rules stopped working for the women of country music, they threw them out and made their own: and changed the genre forever, and for better. "Her Country" is veteran Nashville journalist Marissa R. Moss's story of how in the past two decades, country's women fought back against systems designed to keep them down, armed with their art and never willing to just shut up and sing: how women like Kacey, Mickey, Maren, The Chicks, Miranda Lambert, Rissi Palmer, Brandy Clark, LeAnn Rimes, Brandi Carlile, Margo Price and many more have reinvented the rules to find their place in an industry stacked against them, how they've ruled the century when it comes to artistic output and about how women can and do belong in the mainstream of country music, even if their voices aren't being heard as loudly. ABOUT THE AUTHOR An award-winning journalist, Marissa R. Moss has written about the topic of gender inequality on the country airwaves for outlets like "Rolling Stone" ," NPR", "Billboard", "Entertainment Weekly" , and many more. Moss was the 2018 recipient of the Rolling Stone Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism, and the 2019 Nashville Scene Best of Nashville Best Music Reporter. She has been a guest on The TODAY Show, Entertainment Tonight, CBS Morning Show, NPR?s Weekend Edition, WPLN, the Pop Literacy Podcast, and more.

TITLE IX, PAT SUMMITT, AND TENNESSEE'S TRAILBLAZERS: FIFTY YEARS, FIFTY STORIES ABOUT THE BOOK In Title IX, Pat Summitt, and Tennessee’s Trailblazers, Mary Ellen Pethel introduces readers to past and present pioneers—each instrumental to the success of women’s athletics across the state and nation. Through vibrant profiles, Pethel celebrates the lives and careers of household names like Pat Summitt and Candace Parker, as well as equally important forerunners such as Ann Furrow and Teresa Phillips. Through their lived experiences, these fifty individuals laid the foundation for athletic excellence in Tennessee, which in turn shaped the national landscape for women’s sports. The book also provides readers with a fuller understanding of Title IX, as well as a concise history of women’s athletics in the pre- and post-Title IX eras. With interviewees ranging from age 20 to 93, Pethel artfully combines storytelling with scholarship. Guided by the voices of the athletes, coaches, and administrators, Pethel vividly documents achievement and adversity, wins and losses, and advice for the next generation. This book represents the first statewide compilation of its kind—offering readers a behind-the- scenes perspective of Tennessee women who dedicated their lives to the advancement of sport and gender equality. Readers will delight in Title IX, Pat Summitt, and Tennessee’s Trailblazers: 50 Years, 50 Stories. ABOUT THE AUTHOR MARY ELLEN PETHEL is an assistant professor in global leadership studies and honors at Belmont University. She is the author of Athens of the New South, A Heartfelt Mission,and All-Girls Education from Ward Seminary to Harpeth Hall. She is also the project director of NashvilleSites.org as part of the Metro Historical Commission Foundation.

BOMB SHELTER: LOVE, TIME, AND OTHER EXPLOSIVES ABOUT THE BOOK From the bestselling author of "I Miss You When I Blink" and 'writer of singular spark and delight' (Elizabeth Gilbert, #1 "New York Times" bestselling author) comes a poignant and powerful new memoir that tackles the big questions of life, death, and existential fear with humor and hope. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mary Laura Philpott, author of the national bestseller "I Miss You When I Blink" , writes essays that examine the overlap of the absurd and the profound in everyday life. Her writing has been featured frequently by "The New York Times" and appears in such outlets as "The Washington Post ", "The Atlantic" , "Real Simple" , and more. A former bookseller, she also hosted an interview program on Nashville Public Television for several years. Mary Laura lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her family.

THE FEELING OF FALLING IN LOVE: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Just days before spring break, Neil Kearney is set to fly across the country with his childhood friend (and current friend-with-benefits) Josh, to attend his brother's wedding—until Josh tells Neil that he's in love with him and Neil doesn't return the sentiment. With Josh still attending the wedding, Neil needs to find a new date to bring along. And, almost against his will, roommate Wyatt is drafted. At first, Wyatt (correctly) thinks Neil is acting like a jerk. But when they get to LA, Wyatt sees a little more of where it's coming from. Slowly, Neil and Wyatt begin to understand one another… and maybe, just maybe, fall in love for the first time… ABOUT THE AUTHOR Born and raised in a small town in North Carolina, Mason Deaver is an award-nominated, bestselling author and designer living in Charlotte. Their debut novel, I Wish You All the Best, was named a Junior Library Guild Selection and an NPR Concierge Book. Besides writing, they're an active fan of horror movies and video games. You can find them online at masondeaverwrites.com

ANCESTOR TROUBLE: A RECKONING AND A RECONCILIATION ABOUT THE BOOK Maud Newton’s ancestors have vexed and fascinated her since she was a girl. Her mother’s father, who came of age in Texas during the Great Depression, was said to have married thirteen times and been shot by one of his wives. Her mother’s grandfather killed a man with a hay hook and died in an institution. Mental illness and religious fanaticism percolated through Maud’s maternal lines back to an ancestor accused of being a witch in Puritan-era Massachusetts. Maud’s father, an aerospace engineer turned lawyer, was an educated man who extolled the virtues of slavery and obsessed over the “purity” of his family bloodline, which he traced back to the Revolutionary War. He tried in vain to control Maud’s mother, a whirlwind of charisma and passion given to feverish projects: thirty rescue cats, and a church in the family’s living room where she performed exorcisms. Her parents’ divorce, when it came, was a relief. Still, her position at the intersection of her family bloodlines inspired in Newton inspired an anxiety that she could not shake, a fear that she would replicate their damage. She saw similar anxieties in the lives of friends, in the works of writers and artists she admired. As obsessive in her own way as her parents, Newton researched her genealogy—her grandfather’s marriages, the accused witch, her ancestors’ roles in slavery and genocide—and sought family secrets through her DNA. But immersed in census archives and cousin matches, she yearned for deeper truths. Her journey took her into the realms of genetics, epigenetics, and the debates over intergenerational trauma. She mulled over modernity’s dismissal of ancestors along with psychoanalytic and spiritual traditions that center them. Searching, moving, and inspiring, Ancestor Trouble is one writer’s attempt to use genealogy—a once-niche hobby that has grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry—to expose the secrets and contradictions of her own ancestors, and to argue for the transformational possibilities that reckoning with our ancestors offers all of us. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maud Newton has written for The New York Times Magazine, Harper’s, The New York Times Book Review, and Oxford American. She grew up in Miami and graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in English and law.

THE WOMEN COULD FLY: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Megan Giddings, 'a young writer to watch' (Kirkus Reviews), made a sensational debut with the genre-bending novel "Lakewood". The NPR Book of the Year garnered comparisons to such disparate writers as Margaret Atwood, Kazuo Ishiguro, Ira Levin, and Toni Morrison, and "Essence" pegged it as 'reminiscent of Jordan Peele's terrifying film Get Out.' Giddings's much-anticipated second novel, "The Women Could Fly", takes readers into a dystopian society that is not so far removed from our own contemporary world, a place where witches are real and the power of women is kept in check through legislative repression and control. When a woman dares to defy conventions, the consequences can be dire. Josephine Thomas is 28 years old, which means she is just two years away from the mandatory marriage age. Jo is an outlier in many ways: bi-racial and bi-sexual, she also bears the stigma of her mother's mysterious disappearance fourteen years ago. A Black woman with a mind of her own, Jo's mother vanished one day, leaving unanswered questions about whether she was kidnapped, murdered, or ran away by her own volition. At Jo's request, her father has finally had his wife declared legally dead, a procedure that triggers the terms of her will and changes the trajectory of her daughter's life. Jo has lived in an emotional netherworld, not only because of her mother's absence, but because of her complex identity. ?She's in an 'it's complicated' situation with Preston, who is alluring but might not be the right choice for her. Her true love is her lifelong friend Angie, but same-sex relationships do not conform to the stringent law of the land. The State mandates that all women marry by the age of 30 or enroll in a registry that allows them to be monitored, effectively forfeiting their independence. Either choice-marriage or monitoring-could derail Jo's hard- won search for autonomy. Her mother's last will and testament, though, could change all that. It dictates that Jo travel north to a remote island in Lake Superior. There, she will encounter the unexpected and learn things she never knew about her mother-or even about herself. The source of her power, she will discover, lives in her transgressive nature, and her willingness to defy the rules could prove her salvation. 'Giddings writes with eloquence,' (Booklist) and 'with a vivid imagination and a fresh eye both of the body and of society' (Publishers Weekly). "The Women Could Fly" confirms the promise of this exciting new literary voice. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Megan Giddings is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota. Her first novel, "Lakewood", was one of New York Magazine's top ten books of 2020, an NPR Best Book of 2020, a Michigan Notable book for 2021, a finalist for two NAACP Image Awards, and was a finalist for an L.A.Times Book Prize in the Ray Bradbury Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Speculative category. Megan's writing has received funding and support from the Barbara Deming Foundation and Hedgebrook. She lives in the Midwest.

TEN LITTLE SQUIRRELS ABOUT THE BOOK "Ten Little Squirrels" brainstorm a way to evade their natural foe until one of them sneezes. No need to get squirrely--practicing classic rhythm and rhyme while teaching children to count has never been more fun! "Ten Little Squirrels" by "New York Times" bestselling authors Bill Martin Jr and Michael Samson follows the "tail" of these furry friends as they determine what to do when a dog approaches their tree. Readers can enjoy the charming illustrations, count each of the colorful squirrels, and go nuts rereading to their hearts' content. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael Sampson taught kindergarten through fourth grade before meeting fellow literacy expert Bill Martin Jr at a conference in Tucson, Arizona in 1978. They established a lifelong friendship and collaborated on many bestselling and award-winning books for children, including "Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 ", and "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?" Sampson often speaks at schools, book festivals, and literacy conferences, where he is known for his high-energy, entertaining performances. Dr. Sampson is a Fulbright Scholar and a professor of literacy at St. John's University in New York City.

HUMMINGBIRD: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Twelve-year-old homeschooled Olive is tired of being seen as 'fragile' just because she has osteogenesis imperfecta (otherwise known as brittle bone disease) so she's thrilled when she finally convinces her parents to let her attend Macklemore Elementary. Olive can't wait to go to a traditional school and make the friends she's always longed for, until a disastrous first day dashes her hopes of ever fitting in. Then Olive hears whispers about a magical, wish-granting hummingbird that supposedly lives near Macklemore. It'll be the solution to all her problems! If she can find the bird and prove herself worthy, the creature will make her most desperate, secret wish come true. When it becomes clear that she can't solve the mystery on her own, Olive teams up with some unlikely allies who help her learn the truth about the bird. And on the way, she just might learn that our fragile places lead us to the most wonderful magic of all! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Natalie Lloyd lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She collects old books, listens to bluegrass music, and loves exploring quirky mountain towns with her dog, Biscuit. She is the author of "A Snicker of Magic" and "The Key to Extraordinary" .

COIL QUAKE RIFT ABOUT THE BOOK When Margot learns she is carrying her husband Knox's child, she questions if she can bear another loss after a failed pregnancy divided them. Knox celebrates the news-despite the sorrow and guilt still lingering after his astrophysicist ex, Tiffany, died one year ago- until an earthquake jostles their Hollywood apartment and strips them of power. Moments later, when a small fissure opens in Venice Beach, Jason discovers an abandoned little girl outside his home. As authorities prove unable to help them, Jason determines that the already-fraught city and child are both worse off than he initially imagined. And Tiffany? After the sting of Knox's betrayal, she programmed the RIFT-a byproduct of her particle collider-to activate after her suicide. Thus, a ground-opening black hole is created, into which Margot, Knox, and Jason must descend. In multiple hall-of-mirror-like alternate universes, they are confronted with a choice: Accept the true pain of losing someone you love, or live a lie wherein the loved one was never lost? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nathan Elias is the author of the novel "Coil Quake Rift" and the short story collection "The Reincarnations". He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles, his writing has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best Microfiction, and he was a finalist of The Saturday Evening Post 2020 Great American Fiction Contest. His short fiction, poetry, essays, and book reviews have appeared in publications such as "PANK" , "Entropy" , "Hobart" , "Pithead Chapel" , and "Barnstorm" . He lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife and rescue dog.

BAD VIBES ONLY (AND OTHER THINGS I BRING TO THE TABLE) ABOUT THE BOOK Nora McInerny does not dance like no one is watching. In fact, she dances like everyone is watching, which is to say, she does not dance at all. As a bestselling author and host of the beloved podcast "Terrible, Thanks for Asking", she has captured the hearts of millions by discussing grief and loss with wit and warmth. Now, with "Bad Vibes Only", she turns her eye on our aggressively, oppressively optimistic culture, our obsession with self-improvement, and what it really means to live our lives online. In a series of essays that span her childhood to present, Nora introduces us to her mind and her world while inviting us to more closely observe our own. We meet the people that challenge, question, and make Nora reflect on her own life, habits, and personality: her children, and their homework meltdowns, job searches, and online personalities; her college friend Kathleen, who now lives as a cloistered nun; and her uncle, a philosopher who has never used the internet (gasp!). "Bad Vibes Only" is not only a response to a society that tells us to live, laugh, love-it's a reminder that in a world where we are more connected to and observed by our peers than ever before, we still deserve the freedom to be ourselves. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nora McInerny is the best-selling author of the memoirs "It's Okay To Laugh, (Crying Is Cool Too)" and "No Happy Endings", as well as "The Hot Young Widows Club". She hosts the award-winning podcast "Terrible, Thanks for Asking", and founded the non-profit Still Kickin, which provides financial relief to people in crisis. She has contributed to publications like "Time", "Slate" and "Vox", where she's often tapped for her essays highlighting the emotional landscape and humor in complex topics, like the financial impacts of healthcare and grief in a digital age. Her TED talk, "We don't move on from grief, we move forward with it," was the #4 TED talk of 2019. Nora is a master storyteller known for her dedication to bringing heart and levity to the difficult and uncomfortable conversations most of us try to avoid, and also for being very tall. She was voted Most Humorous by the Annunciation Catholic School Class of 1997.

ROGUES: TRUE STORIES OF GRIFTERS, KILLERS, REBELS, AND CROOKS ABOUT THE BOOK Patrick Radden Keefe has garnered prizes ranging from the National Magazine Award to the Orwell Prize to the National Book Critics Circle Award for his meticulously-reported, hypnotically-engaging work on the many ways people behave badly. Rogues brings together a dozen of his most celebrated articles from "The New Yorker". As Keefe says in his preface 'They reflect on some of my abiding preoccupations: crime and corruption, secrets and lies, the permeable membrane separating licit and illicit worlds, the bonds of family, the power of denial.' Keefe brilliantly explores the intricacies of forging $150,000 vintage wines, examines whether a whistleblower who dared to expose money laundering at a Swiss bank is a hero or a fabulist, spends time in Vietnam with Anthony Bourdain, chronicles the quest to bring down a cheerful international black market arms merchant, and profiles a passionate death penalty attorney who represents the 'worst of the worst,' among other bravura works of literary journalism. The appearance of his byline in "The New Yorker" is always an event, and collected here for the first time readers can see his work forms an always enthralling but deeply human portrait of criminals and rascals, as well as those who stand up against them. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Patrick Radden Keefe is a staff writer at "The New Yorker" and the author of the "New York Times" bestsellers "Empire of Pain", winner of the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize, and "Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland", which received the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, was selected as one of the ten best books of 2019 by "The New York Times Book Review", "The Washington Post", the "Chicago Tribune" and "The Wall Street Journal", and was named one of the 10 Best Nonfiction Books of the Decade by "Entertainment Weekly". His previous books are "The Snakehead" and "Chatter". His work has been recognized with a Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Magazine Award for Feature Writing and the Orwell Prize for Political Writing. He is also the creator and host of the eight-part podcast Wind of Change.

HEARTBREAK TREE: POEMS ABOUT THE BOOK Heartbreak Tree is a poetic exploration of the intersection of gender and place in Appalachia. "There is a road, but the road is still inside you," the mature Hansel tells the girl she was, encouraging her: "You are trying. Remember." This book does the work of that remembering, honoring the responsibility of the poet to speak the forbidden stories of her own and other women's lives. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poet, Memoirist, Teacher and Editor Pauletta Hansel is the 2022 Writer-in- Residence for the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library. She served as the first Poet Laureate of Cincinnati from April 2016 through March 2018.Pauletta is author of nine poetry collections. Pauletta leads community writing workshops and retreats in the Greater Cincinnati area and beyond. She is past managing editor of Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, the literary publication of the Southern Appalachian Writers Cooperative.

THE CARTOGRAPHERS: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK From the critically acclaimed author of "The Book of M", a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father's belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret-one that will lead her on an extraordinary adventure and to the truth about her family's dark history What is the purpose of a map? Nell Young's whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell's personal hero. But she hasn't seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map. But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can't resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable and exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence . . . because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one-along with anyone who gets in the way. But why? To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discovers the true power that lies in maps . . . Perfect for fans of Joe Hill and V. E. Schwab, "The Cartographers" is an ode to art and science, history and magic-a spectacularly imaginative, modern story about an ancient craft and places still undiscovered. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Peng Shepherd was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where she rode horses and trained in classical ballet. She earned her MFA in creative writing from New York University, and has lived in Beijing; London; Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and New York City.

THE HARD CROWD: ESSAYS 2000-2020 ABOUT THE BOOK Rachel Kushner has established herself as “the most vital and interesting American novelist working today” (The Millions) and as a master of the essay form. In The Hard Crowd, she gathers a selection of her writing from over the course of the last twenty years that addresses the most pressing political, artistic, and cultural issues of our times—and illuminates the themes and real-life experiences that inform her fiction. In twenty razor-sharp essays, The Hard Crowd spans literary journalism, memoir, cultural criticism, and writing about art and literature, including pieces on Jeff Koons, Denis Johnson, and Marguerite Duras. Kushner takes us on a journey through a Palestinian refugee camp, an illegal motorcycle race down the Baja Peninsula, 1970s wildcat strikes in Fiat factories, her love of classic cars, and her young life in the music scene of her hometown, San Francisco. The closing, eponymous essay is her manifesto on nostalgia, doom, and writing. These pieces, new and old, are electric, vivid, and wry, and they provide an opportunity to witness the evolution and range of one of our most dazzling and fearless writers. “Kushner writes with startling detail, imagination, and gallows humor,” said Leah Greenblatt in Entertainment Weekly, and, from Paula McLain in the Wall Street Journal: “The authority and precision of Kushner’s writing is impressive, but it’s the gorgeous ferocity that will stick with me.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rachel Kushner is the author of internationally acclaimed novels The Mars Room, The Flamethrowers, and Telex from Cuba, as well as a book of short stories, The Strange Case of Rachel K. She has won the Prix Médicis and been a finalist for the Booker Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and was twice a finalist for the National Book Award in Fiction. She is a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow and the recipient of the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her books have been translated into twenty-six languages.

NO ONE IS ALONE ABOUT THE BOOK Michaela is a junior in high school, living with her single mom. Her dad lives a few towns away and she only sees him on holidays and birthdays. They barely know each other, but Michaela is so close with her mom that she's never minded. That is, until her mom dies suddenly, and Michaela has to move in with her dad . . . who reveals he's been married with kids-all this time-and she's the product of an affair. Before she can even grieve her mother, Michaela is thrust into a strange house with a stepmom and three half siblings, including her new sister Emery, who is less than thrilled at the prospect of sharing her room. And especially when they both try out for the school musical and Emery's theater star ex-boyfriend suddenly seems interested in Michaela. Can Michaela find a way to make a home with a family who didn't ask for her in the first place? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rachel Vincent is the "New York Times" bestselling author of many pulse-pounding novels for teens and adults, including "No One Is Alone", "My Soul to Take" , and "Red Wolf" . A former English teacher, she has written more than twenty novels. She shares her home in Oklahoma with two cats, two teenagers, and her husband.

BLACK HANDS, WHITE HOUSE: SLAVE LABOR AND THE MAKING OF AMERICA ABOUT THE BOOK "Black Hands, White House" documents and appraises the role enslaved women and men played in building the US, both its physical and its fiscal infrastructure. The book highlights the material commodities produced by enslaved communities during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. These commodities--namely tobacco, rice, sugar, and cotton, among others--enriched European and US economies; contributed to the material and monetary wealth of the nation's founding fathers, other early European immigrants, and their descendants; and bolstered the wealth of present-day companies founded during the American slave era. Critical to this study are also examples of enslaved laborers' role in building Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and George Washington's Mount Vernon. Subsequently, their labor also constructed the nation's capital city, Federal City (later renamed Washington, DC), its seats of governance--the White House and US Capitol--and other federal sites and memorials. Given the enslaved community's contribution to the US, this work questions the absence of memorials on the National Mall that honor enslaved, Black-bodied people. Harrison argues that such monuments are necessary to redress the nation's historical disregard of Black people and America's role in their forced migration, violent subjugation, and free labor. The erection of monuments commissioned by the US government would publicly demonstrate the government's admission of the US's historical role in slavery and human-harm, and acknowledgment of the karmic debt owed to these first Black-bodied builders of America. "Black Hands, White House" appeals to those interested in exploring how nation-building and selective memory, American patriotism and hypocrisy, racial superiority and mythmaking are embedded in US origins and monuments, as well as in other memorials throughout the transatlantic European world. Such a study is necessary, as it adds significantly to the burgeoning and in-depth conversation on racial disparity, race relations, history-making, reparations, and monument erection and removal. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Renee K. Harrison is an associate professor of African American and US religious history at Howard University. She joined the School of Divinity faculty in the fall of 2010. She is the author of "Enslaved Women and the Art of Resistance" in Antebellum America and coauthor, with Jennie Knight, of "Engaged Teaching in Theology and Religion".

IF IT SOUNDS GOOD, IT IS GOOD: SEEKING SUBVERSION, TRANSCENDANCE, AND SOLACE IN AMERICA'S MUSIC ABOUT THE BOOK Music is fundamental to human existence, a cultural universal among all humans for all times. It is embedded in our evolution, encoded in our DNA, which is to say, essential to our survival. Academics in a variety of disciplines have considered this idea to devise explanations that Richard Manning, a lifelong journalist, finds hollow, arcane, incomplete, ivory-towered, and just plain wrong. He approaches the question from a wholly different angle, using his own guitar and banjo as instruments of discovery. In the process, he finds himself dancing in celebration of music rough and rowdy. American roots music is not a product of an elite leisure class, as some academics contend, but of explosive creativity among slaves, hillbillies, field hands, drunks, slackers, and hucksters. Yet these people-poor, working people-built the foundations of jazz, gospel, blues, bluegrass, rock-n-roll, and country music, an unparalleled burst of invention. This is the counterfactual to the academics' story. This is what tells us music is essential, but by pulling this thread, Manning takes us down a long, strange path, following music to deeper understandings of racism, slavery, inequality, meditation, addiction, the science of our brains, and ultimately to an enticing glimpse of pure religion. Use this book to follow where his guitar leads. Ultimately it sings the American body, electric. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Richard Manning is a lifelong journalist, the author of eleven books. He is a contributing editor for Harper's magazine, was a John S. Knight Fellow in Journalism at Stanford University, and has received many awards, especially in environmental journalism. His book "One Round River" was named a significant book of the year by the "New York Times". His work was featured in "Best American Science and Nature Writing, 2010"and "Best American Travel Writing of 2017 ".

THE SPECKLED BEAUTY: A DOG AND HIS PEOPLE ABOUT THE BOOK Speck is not a good boy. He is a terrible boy, a defiant, self-destructive, often malodorous boy, a grave robber and screen door moocher who spends his days playing chicken with the Fed Ex man, picking fights with thousand-pound livestock, and rolling in donkey manure, and his nights howling at the moon. He has been that way since the moment he appeared on the ridgeline behind Rick Bragg's house, a starved and half-dead creature, seventy-six pounds of wet hair and poor decisions. Speck arrived in Rick's life at a moment of looming uncertainty. A cancer diagnosis, chemo, kidney failure, and recurring pneumonia had left Rick lethargic and melancholy. Speck helped, and he is helping, still, when he is not peeing on the rose of Sharon. Written with Bragg's inimitable blend of tenderness and sorrow, humor and grit, "The Speckled Beauty" captures the extraordinary, sustaining devotion between two damaged creatures who need each other to heal. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rick Bragg is the author of ten books, including the best-selling "Ava's Man" and "All Over but the Shoutin'" . He is also a regular contributor to "Southern Living" and "Garden & Gun". He lives in Alabama.

LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI: AN EPIC AMERICAN ADVENTURE ABOUT THE BOOK Seven years ago, readers around the country fell in love with a singular American voice: Rinker Buck, whose infectious curiosity about history launched him across the West in a covered wagon pulled by mules and propelled his book about the trip, The Oregon Trail, to ten weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Now, Buck returns to chronicle his latest incredible adventure: building a wooden flatboat from the bygone era of the early 1800s and journeying down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. A modern-day Huck Finn, Buck casts off down the river on the flatboat Patience accompanied by an eccentric crew of daring shipmates. Over the course of his voyage, Buck steers his fragile wooden craft through narrow channels dominated by massive cargo barges, rescues his first mate gone overboard, sails blindly through fog, breaks his ribs not once but twice, and camps every night on sandbars, remote islands, and steep levees. As he charts his own journey, he also delivers a richly satisfying work of history that brings to life a lost era. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rinker Buck began his career in journalism at the Berkshire Eagle and was a longtime staff writer for the Hartford Courant. He has written for Vanity Fair, New York, Life, and many other publications, and his work has won the PEN New England Award, the Eugene S. Pulliam National Journalism Writing Award, and the Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award. He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Oregon Trail, Flight of Passage, and First Job. He lives in Tennessee.

ALWAYS THE FIRST TO DIE: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK After her husband's death, Lexi has refused to return to the Pinecrest Estate on the Florida Keys, too many hard memories on that strip of land. Memories of meeting her husband on the set of an iconic horror movie. Of being cast as an extra, of watching herself get killed on screen. And of scoffing at the rumors of the Pinecrest Estate "curse," until she witnessed a cast member die that very summer. But when her daughter sneaks away to visit her grandfather, legendary horror movie director Rick Plummer, Lexi is forced to face her past. That's when a Category Four hurricane changes course, and hits the southern coast. Unable to get through to her daughter, Lexi drives to the Keys in the wake of the storm. What she finds is an island without cell service, without power, and with limited police presence. A desolate bit of land, with only a few remaining behind: the horror director, the starlet once cast as the final girl, the young teenager searching for clues of her father, the mother determined to get off the island, and...the person picking them off one-by-one. Soon enough Lexi's life begins to resemble Rick's most famous horror film, and she must risk her life to save her daughter before someone, or something, destroys them all. ABOUT THE AUTHOR R. J. Jacobs lives in Nashville, where he maintains a private practice as a psychologist. Since completing his post-doctoral residency at Vanderbilt University, he has taught Abnormal Psychology, presented at numerous conferences, and routinely performs PTSD evaluations for veterans. He lives with his wife and two children.

DOUG THE PUG AND THE KINDNESS CREW ABOUT THE BOOK Doug the Pug makes his picture book debut in this original illustrated story. Doug the Pug loves pizza, posing for paw-traits, and above all else, spreading paw-sitivity. Join the Kindness Crew and follow Doug as he embarks on an adventure across town to share kindness with everyone he meets. With messages of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion, this beautifully illustrated picture book is perfect for Doug the Pug's youngest fans and anyone looking to make the world a kinder place.

DIOCESE OF NASHVILLE: A FAMILY OF FAITH ABOUT THE BOOK With the rapid growth in the number of Catholic families and churches, the Holy See established the Diocese of Tennessee in 1838, and Richard Pius Miles was consecrated as the first bishop. Immediately, Bishop Miles set about the firmament of the Catholic Church in Tennessee and began plans for a cathedral. A decade later, in 1847, the first cathedral, Saint Mary of the Seven Sorrows was dedicated downhill and just a few short steps from the original Holy Rosary church. DIOCESE OF NASHVILLE: A Family of Faith is a celebration of the flame kindled at the modest Holy Rosary church and the heritage of more than two centuries of burning passion and dedication by Catholic orders of men and women, fraternal organizations and the selfless hearts of parishioners and charitable service organizations. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Robin Hood was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for photography while a newspaper photojournalist in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He studied painting at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, which presented him the Distinguished Alumnus Award during its Centennial Celebration. Hood served as an Army lieutenant in Vietnam. He has photographed more than fifty books about American communities and institutions.

FAITH IN POLITICS: SOUTHERN POLITICAL BATTLES PAST AND PRESENT ABOUT THE BOOK Roy Herron graduated with highest honors from the University of Tennessee at Martin, then studied New Testament and Ethics in Scotland before earning Divinity and Law degrees from Vanderbilt University. But he came home to West Tennessee and served the Volunteer State in both the Tennessee House and Senate. For four decades, Herron served as a legislator, attorney, teacher, and Methodist minister. In that work, he published op-ed essays and articles in Tennessee’s leading newspapers and publications from The Japan Times to The Wall Street Journal on various topics including constitutional liberties, economic justice, health care, politics, and more. This informative volume collects the most powerful of these writings, adding helpful updates and contemporary insights. With an engaging, conversational style, Herron addresses voter ID laws, drunk-driving statutes, women’s rights and many recurring, contemporary issues. Whether describing the challenges facing his elderly mother as she attempted to exercise her right to vote, or the struggles of working women and men facing illnesses without health insurance, Herron demonstrates an earnestness and thoughtfulness all too rare in politics. These nearly fifty essays and articles provide evidence that Herron’s Democratic Party and Christianity are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, Herron describes how faith brought him to politics and to fighting for justice, jobs, and constitutional freedoms for all citizens. Faith at Work is a veritable guidebook on how faith and spirituality should affect decision making and advocacy in public life. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Roy Herron was a Tennessee state representative from 1987-1997 and State Senator from 1997-2013. He wrote Things Held Dear: Soul Stories for my Son and God and Politics: How Can a Christian Be in Politics? He coauthored, with L.H. "Cotton" Ivy, Tennessee Political Humor: Some of These Jokes You Voted For. He lawyers and writes in West Tennessee and Nashville.

I MUST BETRAY YOU ABOUT THE BOOK Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren't free to dream; they are bound by rules and force. Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaucescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He's left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves-or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe. Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom? Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys is back with a historical thriller that examines the little-known history of a nation defined by silence, pain, and the unwavering conviction of the human spirit. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ruta Sepetys (www.rutasepetys.com) is an internationally acclaimed, #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of historical fiction published in more than sixty countries and forty languages. Sepetys is considered a "crossover" novelist, as her books are read by both teens and adults worldwide. Her novels "Between Shades of Gray" , "Out of the Easy" , and "Salt to the Sea" have won or been shortlisted for more than forty book prizes, and are included on more than sixty state award lists. "Between Shades of Gray" was adapted into the film Ashes in the Snow , and her other novels are currently in development for TV and film. Winner of the Carnegie Medal, Ruta is passionate about the power of history and literature to foster global awareness and connectivity. She has presented to NATO, to the European Parliament, in the United States Capitol, and at embassies worldwide. Ruta was born and raised in Michigan and now lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @RutaSepetys.

PENGUIN AND PENELOPE ABOUT THE BOOK The magic of friendship connects us. When Penguin finds a new friend, Penelope, he does everything he can to help. "Let's get you home," says Penguin. But the elephant herd is out of reach, across a too-big ravine, Penguin stays with the little elephant, keeping her company and looking for a way home. As they go, Penelope grows, and so does their friendship! Soon they learn what they have in common--how they both can fly --and their new perspective brings a way home for Penelope. But they won't part for long! Salina Yoon's spare text and bright, energetic illustrations bring to life this endearing story celebrating unlikely friendships, the challenges of growing up, and finding your own way. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Salina Yoon is an award-winning author-illustrator of nearly two hundred books for children, including "Duck, Duck, Porcupine!", the Penguin series, the Bear and Floppy series, and Be a Friend . She studied art and design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and now lives in San Diego with her family. www.salinayoon.com

THE LOST THING: POEMS [CANCELED] ABOUT THE BOOK "The Lost Thing" is a collection of poems exploring absence and loss and the potential of language to witness that loss. These poems capture the certain fading away--of family, individuals, places, and emotions. The inevitable erasures of time are countered by poetry that is often startling and compelling, asserting the necessity for a clear-eyed sensibility that is both honest and humane. The poet steadfastly refuses to settle for a facile cheerfulness or inspiration. Her territory is wide-ranging, sometimes wry, and relentlessly probing, with an eye always to the ironic, the strange, and the downright curious. In images that are precise and memorable, Gordon's poetry is hard-hitting and provocative, covering diverse subjects from the worlds of art, poetry, history, as well as the quotidian, topics often turned inside out to ensure the reader's focus and renewed attention. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sarah Gordon, professor emerita at Georgia College in Milledgeville, is a widely published and award-winning poet, with work appearing in "Christianity and Literature", "Sewanee Review", "Georgia Review", "Shenandoah", "Confrontation", "Southern Poetry Review", and elsewhere. She is the author of an earlier poetry collection, "Distances", as well as "Flannery O'Connor: An Obediant Imagination" and "A Literary Guide to Flannery O'Connor's Georgia". A recipient of The Governor's Award in the Humanities, Gordon lives in Athens, Georgia.

BEST WISHES #1 ABOUT THE BOOK When Becca’s best friend, Hailey, says she doesn't want to be friends anymore, Becca is devastated. But then Becca receives a mysterious package in the mail with a beautiful bracelet and a note that tells her to make a wish. So Becca puts on the bracelet—why not, right?--and wishes to have friends. Lots of friends. So many friends. And just like that, the magic works. Suddenly, EVERYONE wants to be Becca’s BFF, from all the kids at school to the teachers (!) to Becca’s own mom (!!). At first, Becca loves her newfound popularity, but things quickly spin out of control. As thousands of text messages pour in and the lunch lady sobs because she thinks Becca snubbed her, Becca starts to wonder: Is this wish a curse? Brimming with humor, heart, and adventure, this brand-new series created by the beloved, bestselling author of Whatever After, will grant everyone's wish for an irresistible, magical read! And look out for Books 2 and 3, where the magical bracelet gets mailed on to new girls with new wishes (with each book co-written by Sarah Mlynowski and a different author!) ABOUT THE AUTHOR SARAH MLYNOWSKI is the New York Times bestselling author of the Whatever After series, the Magic in Manhattan series, Gimme a Call, and a bunch of other books for teens and tweens, including the Upside-Down Magic series, which she cowrites with Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins and which was adapted into a movie for the Disney Channel. Originally from Montreal, Sarah now lives in Los Angeles with her family. Visit Sarah online at sarahm.com and find her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at @sarahmlynowski.

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE DON'T JUST HAPPEN: HOW GOD REDEEMS REGRET, HURT, AND FEAR IN THE MAKING OF BETTER HUMANS ABOUT THE BOOK Find the freedom from regret, hurt, and fear that God wants for you while discovering joy, relief, and hope as you become the beautiful human he created you to be. We all carry regret, hurt, and fear. These are burdens that weigh us down and make us feel trapped. In twenty-five years of pastoral ministry, Scott Sauls has come alongside countless individuals and communities through weary seasons and circumstances. From his own seasons of regret, hurt, and fear--including battles with anxiety and depression--he knows what it's like to be unfinished and on the mend under Jesus' merciful, mighty healing hand. Beautiful People Don't Just Happen reads like a field guide that can help you: Find hope in how God is drawn toward you, not appalled by you, in your sin and sorrow. Practice emotional health with joy, gratitude, and lament. Quiet shaming, wearying thoughts with God's divine counter-voice. Discover how the defining feeling of faith is not strength but dependent weakness. Learn what the Bible calls "the secret of being content" in every circumstance. Dare to embrace the contentment, hope, and fullness God wants for you--offered to all who will receive it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Scott Sauls is senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and author of Jesus Outside the Lines, Befriend, From Weakness to Strength, Irresistible Faith, and A Gentle Answer. Scott also served at New York City's Redeemer Presbyterian Church as a lead and preaching pastor and planted two churches in the Midwest. His work has been featured in publications including Christianity Today, Relevant, Qideas, Propel Women, He Reads Truth, Leadership Magazine, The Gospel Coalition, Table Talk, and Made to Flourish. Scott can be found on Facebook and Twitter/Instagram at @scottsauls. He also writes weekly at scottsauls.com.

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE: A STORY OF LOVE, PROMISES, AND A REALLY LONG BIKE RIDE ABOUT THE BOOK It was only a few years after the starry-eyed young couple got married when scary news threatened to take the wind out of their sails. But Sean Dietrich's wife, Jamie, wouldn't let it. She dared to hope for and plan for a great big adventure, and she made him promise to do it with her. For love and the promise of biscuits along the way, Sean--who was never an athlete of any kind--undertook the bike ride of a lifetime and lived to talk about it. In this true-life tale, master storyteller Sean Dietrich--also known as the beloved columnist and creator of the blog and podcast "Sean of the South"--shares their hilarious, touching, and sometimes terrifying story of the long bike ride to conquer The Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal Towpath trail. As you laugh out loud through every hard-won mile and lose yourself in his signature poignancy, you'll experience a great adventure that, in the end, will remind you of what's most important in life, the value of keeping your promises, and the importance of connection in your most treasured relationships. A feel-good read you won't be able to put down, You Are My Sunshine dares you to hope for an adventure of your own. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sean Dietrich is a columnist, podcaster, stand-up storyteller, and novelist known for his commentary on life in the American South. His work has appeared in Southern Living, Good Grit, South magazine, and other publications, and he has authored fourteen books. Follow Sean’s daily writing at seandietrich.com or @seanofthesouth on Instagram.

BLUEBIRD ABOUT THE BOOK In 1946, Eva leaves behind the rubble of Berlin for the streets of New York City, stepping from the fiery aftermath of one war into another, far colder one, where power is more important than principles, and lies are more plentiful than the truth. Eva holds the key to a deadly secret: Project Bluebird -- a horrific experiment of the concentration camps, capable of tipping the balance of world power. Both the Americans and the Soviets want Bluebird, and it is something that neither should ever be allowed to possess. But Eva hasn't come to America for secrets or power. She hasn't even come for a new life. She has come to America for one thing: justice. And the Nazi that has escaped its net. Critically acclaimed author of "The Light in Hidden Places", Sharon Cameron weaves a taut and affecting thriller ripe with intrigue and romance in this alternately chilling and poignant portrait of the personal betrayals, terrifying injustices, and deadly secrets that seethe beneath the surface in the aftermath of World War II. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sharon Cameron's debut novel "The Dark Unwinding" was awarded the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators' Sue Alexander Award for Most Promising New Work and the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, and was named a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection. Sharon is also the author of its sequel, ""A Spark Unseen ; "Rook" , which was selected as an Indiebound Indie Next List Top Ten selection, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection, and a Parents' Choice gold medalist; and "The Forgetting" , a #1 "New York Times" bestseller and an Indie Next Pick of the List selection, and its companion novel, "The Knowing". She lives with her family in Nashville. and you can visit her online at sharoncameronbooks.com.

KIN: A MEMOIR ABOUT THE BOOK “Kin moved me, disturbed me, and hypnotized me in ways very few memoirs have." –Rosanne Cash A heart stopping memoir of a wrenching Appalachian girlhood and a multilayered portrait of a misrepresented people, from Rona Jaffe Writer's Award winner Shawna Kay Rodenberg. When Shawna Kay Rodenberg was four, her father, fresh from a ruinous tour in Vietnam, spirited her family from their home in the hills of Eastern Kentucky to Minnesota, renouncing all of their earthly possessions to live in the Body, an off-the-grid End Times religious community. Her father was seeking a better, safer life for his family, but the austere communal living of prayer, bible study and strict regimentation was a bad fit for the precocious Shawna. Disciplined harshly for her many infractions, she was sexually abused by a predatory adult member of the community. Soon after the leader of the Body died and revelations of the sexual abuse came to light, her family returned to the same Kentucky mountains that their ancestors have called home for three hundred years. It is a community ravaged by the coal industry, but for all that, rich in humanity, beauty, and the complex knots of family love. Curious, resourceful, rebellious, Shawna ultimately leaves her mountain home but only as she masters a perilous balancing act between who she has been and who she will become. Kin is a mesmerizing memoir of survival that seeks to understand and make peace with the people and places that were survived. It is above all about family-about the forgiveness and love within its bounds-and generations of Appalachians who have endured, harmed, and held each other through countless lifetimes of personal and regional tragedy. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shawna Kay Rodenberg holds an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars. Her reviews and essays have appeared in Consequence, Salon, the Village Voice, and Elle. In 2016, Shawna was awarded the Jean Ritchie Fellowship, the largest monetary award given to an Appalachian writer, and in 2017 she was the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award. A registered nurse, community college English instructor, mother of five, and grandmother of one, she lives on a hobby goat farm in southern Indiana.

REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late. Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Shelby Van Pelt lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her family. Remarkably Bright Creatures is her first novel.

LOTUS BLOOM AND THE AFRO REVOLUTION ABOUT THE BOOK Twelve-year-old Lotus Bloom is a free spirit with a mega-'fro she's affectionately named 'the wooly mammoth.' A talented violinist, she just switched from her inner-city school to a fancy arts academy. After a classroom prank- where boys think it's hilarious to throw wads of paper into Lotus's hair- escalates and she reports it to the administration, Lotus shockingly finds 'herself' acing suspension. Lotus must choose whether to stay quiet and risk everything she's worked so hard for or fight back. Is this school really where she belongs? Inspired by stories of real Black girls advocating against unjust, racist school dress codes across the country, beloved middle grade author Sherri Winston introduces another memorable character who decides to speak up for what's right, no matter what it takes. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sherri Winston spent most of her childhood making up stories and reading books. She is proud to be an author for young readers. She currently lives in Central Florida with her two daughters, multiple cats, two turtles, and a happy little doggy.

SHADOWS HOLD THEIR BREATH: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Shadows Hold Their Breath takes place with the backdrop of the 1970s feminist movement and in the final years of the Vietnam War. It tells the story of Kat Hunter, a woman who decides that the only way she can understand her unresolved grief and discover who she is meant to be is to do the unthinkable-the unforgivable. In October 1979, six years after suffering the loss of Beth, her dear friend and sister-in-law, to enemy mortar fire near the village of Quang Ngai, Vietnam, Kat begins to question everything about her traditional life. In the middle of the night, she slips away from her home in Lexington, Kentucky, her husband, and her three young daughters and boards a bus with no specific destination in mind. On the bus, she meets Molly, a young woman who reminds her of Beth. With nowhere else to go, Kat follows Molly and Molly's boyfriend, Jake, to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Once there, Kat joins the artists community and guards the secret that she is married and has abandoned her children to the care of her husband. Kat's journey of self-discovery ultimately leads her down an unexpected path-but what is she willing to sacrifice for that journey? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sherry Robinson is the author of two previous novels, Blessed and My Secrets Cry Aloud (soon to be reissued under the new title Echo Her Lovely Bones). She holds a PhD in English from the University of Kentucky and an MA and MFA from Eastern Kentucky University. Robinson is a native of Lexington, Kentucky. Robinson spent two summers at the Hindman Settlement School's Appalachian Writers Workshop under the mentorship of Silas House. She recently retired as vice provost and professor of English at Eastern Kentucky University, where she spent thirteen years specializing in American literature before moving into administrative positions.

LARK ASCENDING: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK As fires devastate most of the United States, Lark and his family secure a place on a refugee boat headed to Ireland, the last country not yet overrun by extremists and rumored to be accepting American refugees. But Lark is the only one to survive the trip, and once ashore, he doesn't find the safe haven he'd hoped for. As he runs for his life, Lark finds an abandoned dog who becomes his closest companion, and then a woman in search of her lost son. Together they form a makeshift family and attempt to reach Glendalough, a place they believe will offer protection. But can any community provide the safety that they seek? For readers of novels such as "Station Eleven", "The Dog Stars", and "Migrations", "Lark Ascending" is a moving and unforgettable story of friendship, family, and healing. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Silas House is the "New York Times" bestselling author of seven novels, one book of creative nonfiction, and three plays. His writing has appeared in the "New York Times" , the "Atlantic" , the "Advocate" , "Time" , "Garden & Gun" , and other publications. A former commentator for NPR's All Things Considered , House is the winner of the Nautilus Award, the Storylines Prize from the NAV/New York Public Library, an E. B. White Honor, and many other awards.

REMEMBER THIS: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK John Martin, a talented graphic designer employed as a word processor for a prestigious New York investment bank, has happily left behind Texas and his alcoholic, emotionally absent mother. It is the height of the personal computer revolution and the AIDS epidemic, and gentrification is sweeping the city. Alena Marino, John’s supervisor, is an Italian immigrant who shares his hustle and grit, aggressively building a new life for herself. As their affair begins, John imagines himself the perfect lover for Alena, fulfilling her desires without expectation that she leave her husband. But when his oldest sister arrives in town unannounced, he is forced to confront his damaged past and serial history of relationships with stunningly gorgeous, emotionally complex women. John’s journey to understand the roots of his compulsion to “save” those around him is both aided and thwarted by his relationship with his colleague Jeremy Crawford. Alena’s closest confidant, Jeremy shares an intimacy with her that fuels John's jealousy. Meanwhile, Jeremy finds himself drawn to John and, as his confidant too, participates in the drama of John and Alena’s relationship. As John slowly begins to understand the flawed and wounded experience of love that has followed him through life, he learns how to open himself to true friendship—and to true loss. Set in the midst of cultural upheaval, this powerful novel reverberates across the decades. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Steve Adams is a writer and editor based in Memphis, Tennessee. His short stories have appeared in Glimmer Train, the Missouri Review, Chicago Review, and elsewhere. His nonfiction has won a Pushcart Prize and his plays have been produced in New York City.

FADE UP FROM BLACK ABOUT THE BOOK The last thing Harry James Denton needs on one of the hardest days of his life is a stranger walking into his office and imploring him to investigate a murder. Especially a murder that hasn't even happened yet! But that's exactly what Leo Walsh--a once-wealthy, famous writer who's fallen on hard times--wants Harry to do. When Leo explains that he's the intended victim, Harry blows him off. He doesn't have time for this craziness. After all, he's just learned that the terminally ill mother of his teenaged daughter has passed away. Now he has to fly to Reno, Nevada for the funeral and to arrange for his daughter, Alexis, to return with him to Nashville. He also has to get his head around the fact that he's becoming a single father in his late-fifties to a daughter he barely knows. But Harry's already messy, complicated life is complicated even further when Leo Walsh's prediction turns out to be true. Overwhelmed by guilt that he didn't believe Walsh's outlandish story, Harry starts digging into a brutal murder. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Steven Womack is the author of the Edgar and Shamus award-winning Harry Denton mystery series. Womack lives in Nashville,, where for twenty-five years he anchored the screenwriting program at the Watkins Film School of Watkins College of Art. He also served five years as Chair of The Film School. When the college closed in May, 2020, he was the longest serving faculty member at the college.

ABOUT THE BOOK Glenna Daniels faces a midlife cul-de-sac. She bears a recent miscarriage and third divorce the way her Appalachian parents taught her to cope with tragedy-in stoic secrecy. She quits her social work position in Knoxville and runs away from home at the age of thirty-six, heading west with childhood friend, Carey, a gay professor in Atlanta. During their years in school, Glenna protected him from bullies. Now Carey is her savvy guide as she tries to heal her fractured life. Through the wilds of America Glenna grapples with the past and reconciles a way back home. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Susan O'Dell Underwood grew up in Bristol, Tennessee, the daughter and granddaughter of public-school teachers who also farmed. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and holds a PhD in English from Florida State University. She directs the creative writing program at Carson-Newman University, where her husband, artist David Underwood, also teaches.

COVERED IN COLOR: CHRISTO AND JEANNE-CLAUDE'S FABRICS OF FREEDOM ABOUT THE BOOK Christo (1935-2020) and Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009) are renowned for their large-scale, ambitious art installations that wrapped landmarks and swaths of land in fabric, including Berlin's Wrapped Reichstag, Paris's The Pont Neuf Wrapped, and concluding with New York City's The Gates in Central Park (2005). This lively biography chronicles Christo's humble childhood in Soviet-controlled Bulgaria-under a regime that suppressed individuality and creativity-to his international fame as a bold (and controversial) innovator in the art world. Christo discovered an early love of art and found a way to make a living out of his passion by wrapping bottles, cans, stacks of magazines, and even an air conditioner. When he met his wife, Jeanne-Claude, they moved to New York City as undocumented immigrants and became equal partners in both life and work-he, the artist, and she, the dealmaker. Together, Christo and Jeanne-Claude made elaborate, visually stunning installations that transformed public spaces around the world, all free to the public. Christo never explained why he felt compelled to wrap things in fabric-rather, his work celebrated individual interpretation and the simple joy of seeing something familiar in a new way. And though each work was temporary, their awe-inspiring designs, uniting nature with the manmade, stayed with viewers long afterward. Covered in Color inspires readers to appreciate the beauty around us, however fleeting, and to push the boundaries of "possible." ABOUT THE AUTHOR Susanna Chapman is an illustrator, muralist, and designer. Her books include "Elizabeth Warren's Big, Bold Plans" , written by Laurie Ann Thompson. She lives in Nashville.

BLESS YOUR HEART, RAE SUTTON ABOUT THE BOOK When Rae Sutton's mama passes away and leaves her the house where she grew up, Rae can't imagine how the little old place might restore her broken life. Mourning the recent loss of her marriage, she takes the house and settles back into her tiny hometown with her fourteen-year-old daughter, Molly Margaret, and their overweight dog. There she’s embraced by her mother's close-knit circle of friends, the Third Thursday ladies. Though almost half their age and far less confident of positive outcomes, Rae joins their ministry-slash-book-club-slash-gossip circle and allows the women to speak wry honesty and witty humor into her tired heart. As a new career and a new romance bring their own complications, Rae relies on the unlikely family she's found and begins to wonder if her future holds more hope than she ever could have imagined. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Susannah B. Lewis is a humorist, blogger for Whoa! Susannah, and freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications. The author of Can't Make This Stuff Up! and Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton, Lewis studied creative writing at Jackson State Community College and earned her bachelor's degree in business management from Bethel College. She lives in Tennessee with her husband, Jason, their three children, and three dogs. Visit her online at whoasusannah.com; Facebook: @whoasusannah; Instagram: @whoasusannahblog; TikTok: @whoasusannah.

SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS: ESSAYS ON LIP SERVICE ABOUT THE BOOK In this stunning debut collection, Catapult editor-in-chief and award-winning voice actor Tajja Isen explores the absurdity of living in a world that has grown fluent in the language of social justice but doesn't always follow through. These nine daring essays explore the sometimes troubling and often awkward nature of that discord. "Some of My Best Friends" takes on the cartoon industry's pivot away from colorblind casting, the pursuit of diverse representation in the literary world, the law's refusal to see inequality, and the cozy fictions of nationalism. Isen deftly examines the quick, cosmetic fixes society makes to address systemic problems, and reveals the unexpected ways they can misfire. In the spirit of Zadie Smith, Cathy Park Hong, and Jia Tolentino, Isen interlaces cultural criticism with her lived experience to explore the gaps between what we say and what we do, what we do and what we value, what we value and what we demand. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tajja Isen is a writer, editor, and voice actor. Her essays and criticism have appeared in dozens of outlets across the US and Canada. She is the editor-in-chief for "Catapult" magazine, the former digital editor for "The Walrus" , and has also edited for "Electric Literature" . She is the coeditor of the essay anthology "The World As We Knew It: Dispatches from a Changing Climate" . A voice actor for over two decades, Tajja can be heard on such animated shows as Atomic Betty , The Berenstain Bears , Super Why! , Go Dog Go , Jane and the Dragon , and many others. You can follow her on Twitter @TajjaIsen.

MASTODON'S TO MISSISSIPPIANS: ADVENTURES IN NASHVILLE'S DEEP PAST Mastodon's to Mississippians: Adventures in Nashville's Deep Past ABOUT THE BOOK Was Nashville once home to a giant race of humans? No, but in 1845, you could have paid a quarter to see the remains of one who allegedly lived here before The Flood. That summer, Middle Tennessee well diggers had unearthed the skeleton of an American mastodon. Before it went on display, it was modified and augmented with wooden “bones” to make it look more like a human being and passed off as an antediluvian giant. Then, like so many Nashvillians, after a little success here, it went on tour and disappeared from history. But this fake history of a race of Pre-Nashville Giants isn’t the only bad history of what, and who, was here before Nashville. Sources written for schoolchildren and the public lead us to believe that the first Euro-Americans arrived in Nashville to find a pristine landscape inhabited only by the buffalo and boundless nature, entirely untouched by human hands. Instead, the roots of our city extend some 14,000 years before Illinois lieutenant-governor-turned-fur-trader Timothy Demonbreun set foot at Sulphur Dell. During the period between about AD 1000 and 1425, a thriving Native American culture known to archaeologists as the Middle Cumberland Mississippian lived along the Cumberland River and its tributaries in today’s Davidson County. Earthen mounds built to hold the houses or burials of the upper class overlooked both banks of the Cumberland near what is now downtown Nashville. Surrounding densely packed village areas including family homes, cemeteries, and public spaces stretched for several miles through Shelby Bottoms, and the McFerrin Park, Bicentennial Mall, and Germantown neighborhoods. Other villages were scattered across the Nashville landscape, including in the modern neighborhoods of Richland, Sylvan Park, Lipscomb, Duncan Wood, Centennial Park, Belle Meade, White Bridge, and Cherokee Park. This book is the first public-facing effort by legitimate archaeologists to articulate the history of what happened here before Nashville happened. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tanya M. Peres is a professor of anthropology at Florida State University. She is the co-editor of The Cumberland River Archaic of Middle Tennessee and Baking, Bourbon, and Black Drink: Foodways Archaeology in the Southeastern United States.

MEMPHIS: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Summer 1995: Ten-year-old Joan, her mother, and her younger sister flee her father's explosive temper and seek refuge at her mother's ancestral home in Memphis. This is not the first time violence has altered the course of the family's trajectory. Half a century earlier, Joan's grandfather built this majestic house in the historic Black neighborhood of Douglass-only to be lynched days after becoming the first Black detective in the city. Joan tries to settle into her new life, but family secrets cast a longer shadow than any of them expected. As she grows up, Joan finds relief in her artwork, painting portraits of the community in Memphis. One of her subjects is their enigmatic neighbor Miss Dawn, who claims to know something about curses, and whose stories about the past help Joan see how her passion, imagination, and relentless hope are, in fact, the continuation of a long matrilineal tradition. Joan begins to understand that her mother, her mother's mother, and the mothers before them persevered, made impossible choices, and put their dreams on hold so that her life would not have to be defined by loss and anger-that the sole instrument she needs for healing is her paintbrush. Unfolding over seventy years through a chorus of unforgettable voices that move back and forth in time, Memphis paints an indelible portrait of inheritance, celebrating the full complexity of what we pass down, in a family and as a country: brutality and justice, faith and forgiveness, sacrifice and love. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poet, former attorney, Northwestern University MFA graduate, and semifinalist for the Fulbright Fellowship, Tara M. Stringfellow has written for "Collective Unrest", "Minerva Rising" , "Jet Fuel Review" , "Women Arts Quarterly Journal ", and "Apogee Journal" , among other publications. After having lived in Okinawa, Ghana, Chicago, Cuba, Spain, Italy, and Washington, DC, she moved back home to Memphis, where she sits on her porch swing every evening with her hound, Huckleberry, listening to records and chatting with neighbors.

BLACK FOLK COULD FLY: SELECTED WRITINGS BY RANDALL KENAN [INTRODUCTION BY TAYARI JONES] ABOUT THE BOOK A personal, social, and intellectual self-portrait of the beloved and enormously influential late Randall Kenan, a master of both fiction and nonfiction. Virtuosic in his use of literary forms, nurtured and unbounded by his identities as a Black man, a gay man, an intellectual, and a Southerner, Randall Kenan was known for his groundbreaking fiction. Less visible were his extraordinary nonfiction essays, published as introductions to anthologies and in small journals, revealing countless facets of Kenan’s life and work. Flying under the radar, these writings were his most personal and autobiographical: memories of the three women who raised him—a grandmother, a schoolteacher great-aunt, and the great-aunt’s best friend; recollections of his boyhood fear of snakes and his rapturous discoveries in books; sensual evocations of the land, seasons, and crops—the labor of tobacco picking and hog killing—of the eastern North Carolina lowlands where he grew up; and the food (oh the deliriously delectable Southern foods!) that sustained him. Here too is his intellectual coming of age; his passionate appreciations of kindred spirits as far-flung as Eartha Kitt, Gordon Parks, Ingmar Bergman, and James Baldwin. This powerful collection is a testament to a great mind, a great soul, and a great writer from whom readers will always wish to have more to read. ABOUT THE AUTHOR "New York Times" best-selling author Tayari Jones is the author of four novels, most recently "An American Marriage". Published in 2018, "An American Marriage" is an Oprah’s Book Club Selection and also appeared on Barack Obama’s summer reading list as well as his year-end roundup. The novel was awarded the Women’s Prize for Fiction (formerly known as the Orange Prize), Aspen Words Prize and an NAACP Image Award. It has been published in two dozen countries. Jones, a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow, has also been a recipient of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, United States Artist Fellowship, NEA Fellowship, and Radcliffe Institute Bunting Fellowship. Her third novel, "Silver Sparrow", was added to the NEA Big Read Library of classics in 2016. Jones is a graduate of Spelman College, University of Iowa, and Arizona State University. She is an Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University and the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Creative Writing at Emory University.

THIS BOY WE MADE: A MEMOIR OF MOTHERHOOD, GENETICS, AND FACING THE UNKNOWN ABOUT THE BOOK One morning, Tophs, Taylor Harris’s round-cheeked, lively twenty-two-month-old, wakes up listless, only lifting his head to gulp down water. She rushes Tophs to the doctor, ignoring the part of herself, trained by years of therapy for generalized anxiety disorder, that tries to whisper that she’s overreacting. But at the hospital, her maternal instincts are confirmed: something is wrong with her boy, and Taylor’s life will never be the same. With every question the doctors answer about Tophs’s increasingly troubling symptoms, more arise, and Taylor dives into the search for a diagnosis. She spends countless hours trying to navigate health and education systems that can be hostile to Black mothers and children; at night she googles, prays, and interrogates her every action. Some days, her sweet, charismatic boy seems just fine; others, he struggles to answer simple questions. A long-awaited appointment with a geneticist ultimately reveals nothing about what’s causing Tophs’s drops in blood sugar, his processing delays—but it does reveal something unexpected about Taylor’s own health. What if her son’s challenges have saved her life? This Boy We Made is a stirring and radiantly written examination of the bond between mother and child, full of hard-won insights about fighting for and finding meaning when nothing goes as expected. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Taylor Harris is a writer, wife, and mom of three who lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. Her work has appeared in TIME, O Quarterly, The Washington Post, Longreads, The Cut, Romper, Parents, McSweeney’s, and other publications.

IN THE BACKHOE'S SHADOW ABOUT THE BOOK In the backhoe's shadow, one takes a brief rest in the midst of responsibilities and needs, considering what comes next. In his debut poetry collection, In the Backhoe's Shadow, Thomas Alan Holmes offers a measured evaluation of a lost past, balancing the consequences of generational shift with expanded understanding of family, love, and place. At turns pastoral, lyrical, contemplative, descriptive, and, sometimes, playful, the collection explores how to sustain after years of separation the virtues of the stream, the pasture, and the hive. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Thomas Alan Holmes spent many years on the staff and masthead of The Black Warrior Review while completing his graduate degrees at the University of Alabama. He is co-editor of Walking the Line: Country Music Lyricists and American Culture (with Roxanne Harde, Lexington Books, 2013), Jeff Daniel Marion: Poet on the Holston (with Jesse Graves and Ernest Lee, University of Tennessee Press, 2015), and The Fire That Breaks: Gerard Manley Hopkins's Poetic Legacies (with Daniel Westover, Clemson University Press, 2020). His research and creative work have appeared in such journals as Louisiana Review, Valparaiso Poetry Review, The Connecticut Review, Appalachian Heritage, Blue Mesa Review, Still: The Journal, and Appalachian Journal.

WAGING A GOOD WAR: A MILITARY HISTORY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, 1954-1968 ABOUT THE BOOK In Waging a Good War, bestselling author Thomas E. Ricks offers a fresh perspective on America’s greatest moral revolution―the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s―and its legacy today. While the Movement has become synonymous with Martin Luther King Jr.’s ethos of nonviolence, Ricks, a Pulitzer Prize–winning war reporter, draws on his deep knowledge of tactics and strategy to note the surprising affinities between that ethos and the organized pursuit of success at war. The greatest victories for Black Americans of the past century, he stresses, were won not by idealism alone, but by paying attention to recruiting, training, discipline, and organization―the hallmarks of any successful military campaign. An engaging storyteller, Ricks deftly narrates the movement’s triumphs and defeats. He follows King and other key figures from Montgomery to Memphis, demonstrating that Gandhian nonviolence was a philosophy of active, not passive, resistance – involving the bold and sustained confrontation of the Movement’s adversaries, both on the ground and in the court of public opinion. While bringing legends such as Fannie Lou Hamer and John Lewis into new focus, Ricks also highlights lesser-known figures who played critical roles in fashioning nonviolence into an effective tool―the activists James Lawson, James Bevel, Diane Nash, and Septima Clark foremost among them. He also offers a new understanding of the Movement’s later difficulties as internal disputes and white backlash intensified. Rich with fresh interpretations of familiar events and overlooked aspects of America’s civil rights struggle, Waging a Good War is an indispensable addition to the literature of racial justice and social change―and one that offers vital lessons for our own time. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Thomas E. Ricks is the author of multiple bestselling books, including First Principles, The Generals, and Fiasco, which was a #1 New York Times bestseller and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. A member of two Pulitzer Prize–winning teams in his years at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, he has been called “the dean of military correspondents.” He lives in Maine and Texas.

SAL BOAT (A BOAT BY SAL) ABOUT THE BOOK Sal loves the water. All day, he thinks about it: being out there, just him and the waves, alone. More than anything else, he wants a boat. And he knows just what it would look like. So he decides to build it himself. It isn't long before everyone in town starts sharing advice. But Sal doesn't need their help. He knows just what he's building. And he does it! Except . . . he forgets one crucial detail-that no project, big or small, can be launched without a little help. From the acclaimed author-illustrator of "Alfie" and "How Do You Dance?" comes a clever and heartfelt tale about creativity, collaboration, and how you don't always have to be alone to be free. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Thyra Heder is the author and illustrator of "Fraidyzoo" , "The Bear Report" , "Alfie" , and "How Do You Dance?" She is also a scenic designer and storyboard artist for film and advertising. She lives in Brooklyn.

BLUES AND TROUBLE: TWELVE STORIES ABOUT THE BOOK Exploring the diverse landscape of American life, twelve stories capture the lives of people caught between circumstance and their own natures or on the run from fate, from a Jewish couple encountering a dealer in Nazi memorabilia to the troubled family of a Gulf Coast fisherman awaiting a hurricane. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tom Piazza is celebrated as a novelist and a writer on American music. His twelve books include the novels A Free State and City Of Refuge, the post-Katrina manifesto Why New Orleans Matters, and the essay collection Devil Sent The Rain. He was a principal writer for the innovative HBO drama series TREME, and the winner of a Grammy Award for his album notes to Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: A Musical Journey. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Bookforum, The Oxford American, Columbia Journalism Review, and many other periodicals. He lives in New Orleans.

LAST SUMMER ON STATE STREET: A NOVEL ABOUT THE BOOK Even when we lose it all, we find the strength to rebuild. Felicia 'Fe Fe' Stevens is living with her vigilantly loving mother and older teenaged brother, whom she adores, in building 4950 of Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes. It's the summer of 1999, and her high-rise is next in line to be torn down by the Chicago Housing Authority. She, with the devout Precious Brown and Stacia Buchanan, daughter of a Gangster Disciple Queen-Pin, form a tentative trio and, for a brief moment, carve out for themselves a simple life of Double Dutch and innocence. But when Fe Fe welcomes a mysterious new friend, Tonya, into their fold, the dynamics shift, upending the lives of all four girls. As their beloved neighborhood falls down around them, so too do their friendships and the structures of the four girls' families. Fe Fe must make the painful decision of whom she can trust and whom she must let go. Decades later, as she remembers that fateful summer-just before her home was demolished, her life uprooted, and community forever changed-Fe Fe tries to make sense of the grief and fraught bonds that still haunt her and attempts to reclaim the love that never left. Profound, reverent, and uplifting, "Last Summer on State Street" explores the risk of connection against the backdrop of racist institutions, the restorative power of knowing and claiming one's own past, and those defining relationships which form the heartbeat of our lives. Interweaving moments of reckoning and sustaining grace, debut author Toya Wolfe has crafted an era-defining story of finding a home ? both in one's history and in one's self. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Toya Wolfe grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago's South Side. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing at Columbia College Chicago. Her writing has appeared in "African Voices", "Chicago Journal", "Chicago Reader", "Hair Trigger 27 "", and WarpLand" . She is the recipient of the Zora Neale Hurston-Bessie Head Fiction Award, the Union League Civic & Arts Foundation Short Story Competition, and the Betty Shifflet/John Schultz Short Story Award. She currently resides in Chicago. This is her debut novel.

EXCESS BAGGAGE ABOUT THE BOOK Kelly Carmichael can't seem to find her niche in life. Her father pushes her in one direction while her mother pulls her in another. Now almost thirty, she grows weary of pursuing someone else's happiness. But just when she believes she has found the perfect career and the love of her life in Memphis, her father dies. Now she is forced to give up her dream job to take care of the mother she doesn't understand and deal with the harsh reality of a father she thought she knew.When she is finally ready to resume her life in Memphis, she is set back once again, this time with ulcerative colitis and the horrible changes in her body she must deal with as she fights to keep her boyfriend, gets to know her mother, and adjusts to her changing life in a small southern town. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tracy Lea Carnes was a part of the first year of PROJECT GREENLIGHT on HBO as a semi-finalist in one of their contests. She is also an award-winning playwright, and her stage play CASSEROLE GIRLS will be staged soon at the Shreveport Little Theater. Her novel EXCESS BAGGAGE was a 2010 alternate pick for THE INTERNATIONAL PUPLWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUYS READING NATION BOOK CLUB. She will be featured again in 2023 at the Book Club’s annual convention Girlfriend Weekend. Her upcoming novel, THE DARLINGS OF SUNDANCE, will be published by Brother Mockingbird in January 2023.

MID-AIR: TWO NOVELLAS ABOUT THE BOOK Victoria Shorr's remarkable gift for depicting the inner lives of complex characters shines in two powerful explorations of family, ambition, class, and status. In 'Great Uncle Edward,' a family gathers for dinner. At ninety-three, Great Uncle Edward commands the table in his three-piece suit; Cousin Russell attended both Harvard and Yale but is now reduced to selling off the family books; sisters Betty and Molly are caught between ghosts of a storied past and creeping destitution. These lives are signposts along the downward spiral of an old aristocracy. 'Cleveland Auto Wrecking' introduces Sam White, an immigrant from eastern Europe. He cannot read but has a gift for math and an instinct for the value of junk. We follow his clan through the Depression to the postwar boom in the West, where their fortunes soar, creating new tests of loyalty. Taken together, these two novellas might be the reverse images of the American dream in the twentieth century. They ask to what degree, in the face of such powerful forces as love, death, and social constraints, do any of us have control over our own lives. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Victoria Shorr is a writer and political activist. She is the author of three works of fiction, including the acclaimed historical novel "The Plum Trees" . She lives in New York and Santa Barbara, California.

FIGHTING FOR YES! THE STORY OF DISABILITY RIGHTS ACTIVIST JUDITH HEUMANN ABOUT THE BOOK From a very young age, Judy Heumann heard the word NO. When she wanted to attend public school, the principal said, "NO." When she wanted her teaching license, the New York Board of Education said, "NO." Judy and people with disabilities everywhere were tired of hearing 'NO.' In the 1970s an important disability rights law, Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, was waiting to be signed. Judy and other disability rights activists fought for 'YES!' They held a sit-in until Section 504 was signed into law. Section 504 laid the foundation for the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was established thanks in large part to the ongoing work of Judy and her community. Along with a personal reflection from Judy herself, this picture book biography captures the impact and influence of one of America's greatest living activists. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vivien Mildenberger is an illustrator and ceramic artist based in Nashville.

AFTERNOONS WITH HARPER LEE ABOUT THE BOOK Imagine sitting with an esteemed writer on his or her front porch somewhere in the world and swapping life stories. Dr. Wayne Flynt got the opportunity to do just this with Nelle Harper Lee. In a friendship that blossomed over a dozen years starting when Lee relocated back to Alabama after having had a stroke, Flynt and his wife Dartie became regular visitors at the assisted living facility that was Lee's new home. And there the conversation began. It began where it always begins with Southern storytellers, with an invitation to 'Come in, sit down, and stay a while.' The stories exchanged ranged widely over the topics of Alabama history, Alabama folklore, family genealogy, and American literature, of course. On the way from beginning to end there were many detours: talks about Huntingdon College; The University of Alabama; New York City; the United Kingdom; Garden City, Kansas; and Mobile, Alabama, to name just a few. Wayne and his wife were often joined by Alice Lee, the oldest Lee sister, a living encyclopedia on the subject of family genealogy, and middle sister Louise Lee Conner. The hours spent visiting, in intimate closeness, are still cherished by Wayne Flynt. They yielded revelations large and small, which have been shaped into "Afternoons with Harper Lee". Part memoir, part biography, this book offers a unique window into the life and mind and preoccupations of one of America's best-loved writers. Flynt and Harper Lee and her sisters learned a great deal from each other, and though this is not a history book, their shared interest in Alabama and its history made this extraordinary work possible. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Wayne Flynt is a Southern historian and educator who retired after teaching for decades at Auburn University, where he directed more than sixty graduate programs. He has lectured at Sichuan University in China, at Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the universities of Newcastle, Oxford, Cambridge, and Sussex in Great Britain, at the Franklin Roosevelt Center in The Netherlands, and at the University of Vienna. He is the author of fourteen books dealing with Southern politics, history, white poverty, and culture (religion, art, music, literature). His numerous awards include the Rembert Patrick Award for Florida History, the Lillian Smith Prize for Nonfiction from the Southern Regional Council, the Alabama Library Association Award for nonfiction (three times), the C. Vann Woodward/John Hope Franklin Prize by the Fellowship of Southern Writers, the F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum Award for Excellence in Writing, a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize (1989), and the Alabama Governor's Award for the Arts.

Join us as the participants of the 2022 Young Writers' Workshop read selections written this summer. youngwritersworkshop.org

Y'ALL MEANS ALL: THE EMERGING VOICES QUEERING APPALACHIA ABOUT THE BOOK "Y'all Means All" is a celebration of the weird and wonderful aspects of a troubled region in all of their manifest glory! This collection is a thought-provoking hoot and a holler of “we’re queer and we’re here to stay, cause we’re every bit a piece of the landscape as the rocks and the trees” echoing through the hills of Appalachia and into the boardrooms of every media outlet and opportunistic author seeking to define Appalachia from the outside for their own political agendas. Multidisciplinary and multi-genre, Y’all necessarily incorporates elements of critical theory, such as critical race theory and queer theory, while dealing with a multitude of methodologies, from quantitative analysis, to oral history and autoethnography. This collection eschews the contemporary trend of “reactive” or “responsive” writing in the genre of Appalachian studies, and alternatively, provides examples of how modern Appalachians are defining themselves on their own terms. As such, it also serves as a toolkit for other Appalachian readers to follow suit, and similarly challenge the labels, stereotypes and definitions often thrust upon them. While providing blunt commentary on the region's past and present, the book’s soul is sustained by the resilience, ingenuity, and spirit exhibited by the authors; values which have historically characterized the Appalachian region and are continuing to define its culture to the present. This book demonstrates above all else that Appalachia and its people are filled with a vitality and passion for their region which will slowly but surely effect long-lasting and positive changes in the region. If historically Appalachia has been treated as a “mirror” of the country, this book breaks that trend by allowing modern Appalachians to examine their own reflections and to share their insights in an honest, unfiltered manner with the world. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Z. Zane McNeill is an independent scholar-activist from West Virginia. He currently sits on the steering committee for the Appalachian Studies Association and has written on choreopolitics, socially engaged art, critical animal studies, and queer ecologies. They are co-editor of "Queer and Trans Voices: Achieving Liberation Through Consistent Anti-Oppression."

THE MOUNTAINS WE CARRY ABOUT THE BOOK The story of a Kurdish family torn apart during the Anfal genocide committed by the Iraqi army against the Kurds in Iraq. The story takes you on a journey through the minds of three main characters as each tells the story from a different angle, all converging at one point of loss, pain, suffering, AND hope, strength, and perseverance. Azad’s father was brutally executed by the Iraqi army. Since then, Azad has moved to the city of Duhok to pursue his education. In doing so he hopes to provide a new life for his family and his fiancée, Juwan, who are back in their home village. But as the Iran-Iraq War comes to an end, the Iraqi government launches the genocidal Anfal campaign against the Kurds. Fleeing separately across physical and emotional borders, Azad and Juwan find themselves in the crosshairs of the Iraqi army. However, the most dangerous threat is the one they least expect. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Zaid Brifkani is an American physician from Iraqi Kurdish descent. He specializes in dialysis and kidney transplantation with a lifelong passion for writing. His debut novel "The Mountains We Carry" was released in November 2021. He lives in Nashville with his wife and three children. Growing up in Iraq, Brifkani witnessed many traumatic experiences of war, migration, and political turmoil, which have highlighted his dedication to writing about the negative impact of wars and political struggles.