Archives for May 2012

May Read of the Month: “Slant of Light,” by Steve Wiegenstein

Review by Cameron Williams The concept of utopia—an ideal community composed of men and women living together in social and political harmony—has been a popular trope in literature since Plato first penned The Republic.  Slant of Light (Blank Slate Press), Steve Wiegenstein’s first novel, breathes new life into this genre, (re)imagining the possibility of utopia […]

“Apples & Ashes,” by Coleman Hutchison

Apples & Ashes: Literature, Nationalism, and the Confederate States of America (Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 2012).  277 pgs. Review by Allen Mendenhall Confederate literature and literary culture have not received the critical consideration that they warrant.  Not only that, but they have been dismissed as scant and mediocre.  Scholars of the South and […]

The Southern Sin Essay Contest

THE SOUTHERN SIN ESSAY CONTEST Deadline: July 31, 2012 Creative Nonfiction (CNF) and the Oxford Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference & Workshop are looking for essays that capture the South in all its steamy sinfulness–whether you’re skipping church to watch football, coveting your neighbor’s Real Housewife of Atlanta, or just drinking an unholy amount of sweet […]

Seven Hills Literary Contest

Seven Hills Literary Contest Upload Deadline: Aug. 31, 2012 Contest Categories Short Story 2,500 word maximum, any genre. Creative Nonfiction 2,500 word maximum. Submissions in this genre could include (but are not limited to)  memoir, food or travel writing, personal essays, new journalism, biography, nonfiction stories, and nature writing. The emphasis in creative nonfiction is on factually true yet […]

Patricia O’Sullivan Interviews Charity Hawkins

PO: Why did you decide to homeschool your children? CH: My story is a lot like Julianne’s in the book. We knew a lot of people who homeschooled, and my husband liked the idea. He’s a very quiet, non-opinionated person, but he had an opinion about this! So, I figured I’d try it for a […]

“The Homeschool Experiment,” by Charity Hawkins

Charity Hawkins, 2012, Familyman Ministries, 229 pp, $12.99, 978-1937639068 Review by Patricia O’Sullivan. Julianne Miller, the protagonist of The Homeschool Experiment, a novel, homeschooled her three children last year with mixed results. This year she is determined to do better. With a little organization, lots of patience, and a network of supportive friends, Julianne learns how […]