The Southern Literary Review celebrates Southern authors and their contributions to American literature. We feature classic writers who have defined Southern literature, and we highlight emerging authors with interviews, profiles, and book reviews. We support independent bookstores. If you subscribe to our newsletter, please add southernliteraryreview@comcast.net to your email contacts list so that the newsletter doesn’t […]
“City of God” by Bill Lavender
August 23, 2026 by Leave a Comment
I am tired of blurbs with their inflated claims of greatness. “Not since so and so have we seen such amazing thus and such” etc. Yet, in turning to the daunting task of reviewing Bill Lavender’s City of God (MadHat Press, 2026), his book, which, let me get it said sooner rather than later (in […]
Gwaltney to lead Pat Conroy Literary Center
August 21, 2026 by Leave a Comment
The Pat Conroy Literary Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Robert Gwaltney as its new Executive Director. A nonprofit executive and critically acclaimed author, Gwaltney brings more than 25 years of mission-driven leadership and community service, along with a deep personal connection to the work and legacy of Pat Conroy. A lifelong resident […]
“Free Hugs” poetry collection by Jefferson Carter
August 19, 2026 by Leave a Comment
Jefferson Carter’s grand collection of poetry, Free Hugs (Coyote Arts 2025) is a delight, displaying a perceptive talent for phrasing and filled with apt observations and acute insights. While Carter was an academic for a long while, these poems are not per se academic poems with heavy literary allusions but rather they are a kind […]
“Clean Slate” by Brianna Labuskes
August 18, 2026 by Leave a Comment
A keenly observant, intelligent, and deeply moral crime scene cleaner takes center stage in Brianna Labuskes’ latest psychological suspense novel, Clean Slate (Thomas & Mercer, 2026). The “yuk factor” immediately grabs the reader in the opening paragraphs, but it serves a higher purpose: introducing the admirable perspective of protagonist Olive Hunt: “Brain matter was my […]
“Fish Kill” by Dennis Mitch Maley
August 18, 2026 by Leave a Comment
Can a quirky coalition comprised of a determined, grief-stricken widow, an aged political consultant nearly out of the game, and two alternative media journalists with gonzo journalism proclivities bring down some sleazy Florida politicians? And while they are at it, can this same gang find out who killed an outspoken activist who not incidentally targeted […]