AM: So glad for the opportunity to talk to you about your debut novel, Moon River. Before we get into the book, I want to ask about your background. I noticed you’re a graduate of West Virginia University. I studied English for my master’s at WVU and graduated from law school at WVU. Did you […]
Allen Mendenhall Interviews Bren McClain, Author of “One Good Mama Bone”
February 23, 2017 by Leave a Comment
AM: Thanks for the interview, Bren. Before we talk about your new book, One Good Mama Bone, I’d like to mention something we have in common: We both studied English at Furman University. Who were your professors there? BM: Dr. Stanley Crowe was my adviser. Also Dr. Pate, Gil Allen and Ann Sharp. Loved them. […]
“The Final Days of Great American Shopping,” by Gilbert Allen
November 15, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Allen Mendenhall With so many journals and genres available today, the dependable reviewer has a duty to warn off the noble optimists and advise the faint-hearted when a book is not for them. Obligation thus requires that I caution readers: Gilbert Allen’s The Final Days of Great American Shopping, a collection of short […]
Allen Mendenhall Interviews Deborah Mantella, Author of “My Sweet Vidalia”
March 8, 2016 by Leave a Comment
AM: You’re a transplant to the South. Yet the rich quality of your language is distinctly, authentically Southern. There’s something Natasha Trethewey about it. You must be a reader of Southern literature. DM: First of all, Allen, I am still trying to wrap my writermind around your Natasha Tretheway reference. I am truly honored. I’ve […]
Allen Mendenhall Interviews Derek Furr, Author of “Semitones”
February 17, 2016 by Leave a Comment
AM: Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions about your new book, Semitones. I want to start by asking about the title. You provide an epigraph by John Dowland that works toward defining “semitones.” Could you explain the significance of this title, which I’m guessing has to do with the unique musicality […]