The Southern Literary Review celebrates southern authors and their contributions to American literature. We feature the classic writers who have defined southern literature, and we highlight emerging authors through interviews, profiles, and book reviews. In an effort to back independent bookstores and to encourage creativity in the publishing world, SLR is an IndieBound supporter.
“The Cape May Carving Tree,” by John Riddle
July 21, 2021 by 1 Comment
Essay by John Riddle On a recent trip to Cape May, New Jersey, I needed a few moments to get out of the sun. It was a hot and humid day, and the shade from three nearby trees was calling my name. As I stood beneath the center tree, I noticed there were about three […]
SOUTHERN FESTIVAL OF BOOKS ANNOUNCES AUTHOR LINEUP FOR 33RD ANNUAL EVENT
July 20, 2021 by 1 Comment
SOUTHERN FESTIVAL OF BOOKS ANNOUNCES AUTHOR LINEUP FOR 33RD ANNUAL EVENT The State’s Largest and Free Literary Event Will Feature 100 Authors NASHVILLE, Tenn.— July 15, 2021— The Southern Festival of Books announced tonight the first of its lineup of authors for its 33rd annual event, happening in-person October 9-10 at downtown’s War Memorial Plaza. Online programming, as […]
“Writing Appalachia,” edited by Katherine Ledford and Theresa Lloyd
July 15, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Charley Hively In his 1949 semi-autobiographical work The Thread that Runs So True, Jesse Stuart struck a resounding chord which still resonates today. Set against the backdrop of rural Kentucky, Stuart recounts his 20-year career as a schoolteacher, a man horribly afraid of failure, but just as doggedly determined to succeed. His almost […]
“When Stars Rain Down,” by Angela Jackson-Brown
July 14, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Claire Hamner Matturro When Stars Rain Down (Thomas Nelson April 2021) is a delicate yet brave coming-of-age novel by Angela Jackson-Brown. Delicate in its tenderness and kindhearted embrace of its characters and their culture, the book is warm, loving, and evocative in its depictions of family life in the Deep South. It also […]
July Read of the Month: “Breath Like the Wind at Dawn,” by Devin Jacobsen
July 7, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Charley Hively Devin Jacobsen’s debut novel, Breath Like the Wind at Dawn (Sagging Meniscus Press, 2020), opens with a garbled mixture of jarring Western lingo and syntax, graphic violence, and sexual innuendo, but one important detail slowly emerges: gold. Quinn and Irv, a pair of outlaw twin brothers, ambush and slaughter a group […]
“Southbound: Essays on Identity, Heritage, and Social Change,” by Anjali Enjeti
July 1, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Dawn Major Early into Southbound Enjeti says, “The problem with masks is that it’s very hard to see out of them.” The human mind attempts to find connections and these particular words connected the entire collection thematically. Enjeti was referring to the mask of silence here, specifically hiding behind a mask as a […]
“Reconsidering Flannery O’Connor,” Edited by Alison Arant and Jordan Cofer
June 30, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Honey Rand I never much thought about the curation of materials for an anthology until Reconsidering Flannery O’Connor. As I read through each essay, I thought about the excellence of the work and the genius of the collection. Did the editors call on specific scholars to produce this work? Did they collect the […]