Claire Hamner Matturro Interviews Jeff Hardin, Author of “Watermark: Poems”

Award-winning poet and college professor Jeff Hardin holds an M.F.A in poetry from The University of Alabama. In addition to his four chapbooks, he has six collections of poetry: Fall Sanctuary, recipient of the Nicholas Roerich Prize from Story Line Press; Notes for a Praise Book, selected by Toi Derricotte and published by Jacar Press; Restoring the Narrative, which […]

“Watermark: Poems,” by Jeff Hardin

Reviewed by Claire Hamner Matturro With his newest collection, Watermark: Poems (Madville Publishing April 14, 2022), Jeff Hardin does something different—and he does it exceptionally well. That is, Hardin, an award-winning poet with six prior published collections, creates his own unique poetic structure in the Watermark selections. In this creative style, in addition to his […]

“Relative Justice,” by Robert Whitlow

Reviewed by Claire Hamner Matturro Best-selling Christian author Robert Whitlow writes a sensitive, thoughtful, and ultimately satisfying legal thriller with his newest novel, Relative Justice (Thomas Nelson, 2022). Relative Justice is sure to please readers who enjoy more emphasis on characters and family than on thriller-style action. Think Jan Karon meets Robert Bailey, with more […]

Claire Hamner Matturo interviews John Davis Jr., Author of “The Places That Hold”

CHM: John, thank you for taking the time to share some of your insights and thoughts with our readers. Let’s start by talking about your Southern heritage and agrarian ties. You are an eighth-generation Floridian, which must be increasingly rare. References to this legacy appear in your poetry in The Places That Hold, including “Letter […]

“The Places That Hold,” by John Davis Jr.

Reviewed by Claire Hamner Matturro A trim, eloquent book of fifty-one well-wrought poems, The Places That Hold (Eastover Press 2021), by John Davis Jr., is rich with evocative images which will captivate and charm readers. His accessible phrases are subtly complex, weaving more than a bit of mystique into his nuanced layers. With his poet’s […]

“The Heathens: A Quinn Colson novel,” by Ace Atkins

Reviewed by Claire Hamner Matturro Quinn Colson, the bold, ethical, and driven sheriff of Tibbehah County, Mississippi, is the worthy protagonist in a well-received eleven-book series by Ace Atkins. In the newest in the series, The Heathens (Putman 2021), a petite seventeen-year-old female, TJ Byrd, and her charming, thieving boyfriend, Ladarius, steal the show. As […]