AM: “The funny thing about The South,” says the narrator in the prologue to your debut novel, Deep and Dirty, “is that it’s pretty, an odd choice of word but highly practical, take away the disasters sitting on almost every other corner and you’ll notice nature has this way of battling human influence by blotting out […]
Allen Mendenhall Interviews George Weinstein, Author of “Watch What You Say”
December 26, 2019 by Leave a Comment
AM: Thanks, George, for this interview. I think we met once, years ago, at an Atlanta Writers Conference. This must have been around 2010 or 2011, when I was still a doctoral student in English and living in Atlanta—Alpharetta to be precise. What strikes me about the release of your new novel, Watch What You […]
Allen Mendenhall Interviews Walt Gragg, Author of “The Chosen One”
December 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment
AM: Thank you for doing this interview during the holiday season, Walt. Your second novel, The Chosen One, a military thriller, was recently released to much acclaim. Congratulations. Did you expect any Rushdie-style pushback against your depiction of fundamentalist Islam and the prophetic cleric Muhammad Mourad? WG: I certainly hope not. The book is not […]
Allen Mendenhall Interviews Diane C. McPhail, Author of “The Abolitionist’s Daughter”
December 11, 2019 by Leave a Comment
AM: Diane, thanks for the interview. It was so great seeing you at the Mississippi Book Festival this summer. I’ve had the opportunity to read The Abolitionist’s Daughter during recent flights. It’s an excellent novel. Why don’t we start by having you tell our readers a little bit about it—background, characters, whatever you’d like to […]
Allen Mendenhall Interviews Patrick A. Howell, Author of “Yes, We Be”
November 14, 2019 by Leave a Comment
AM: Patrick, I’m so glad we’ve finally found the occasion to discuss Yes, We Be. Let’s start broadly: what’s the book about? PH: Allen, Yes, We Be is different parts clarion call, first book of poetry and personal manifesto (the art and artifice to oneself of manifesting). I’ve been writing much, much longer than the […]
Allen Mendenhall Interviews Amy Susan Wilson, Publisher of Red Dirt Press
October 17, 2019 by Leave a Comment
AM: Amy, thanks for doing this interview about Red Dirt Press. Congratulations, too, for reaching the six year mark. You focus on publishing poetry and prose that examines the complexities and diversities of the New South. You also have a focus on social justice issues that are global in nature yet connect to the New […]
Allen Mendenhall Interviews Julie E. Justicz, Author of “Degrees of Difficulty”
October 3, 2019 by Leave a Comment
AM: Julie, thanks for doing this interview about your debut novel, Degrees of Difficulty. Congratulations, by the way. This book is the heart-wrenching story of a family drawn together and torn apart by a series of struggles, most of which involve Ben, the disabled son and brother of the other characters: Perry (father), Caroline (mother), […]
Allen Mendenhall Interviews Joe Taylor, Author of “Ghostly Demarcations”
October 1, 2019 by Leave a Comment
AM: Joe, I’m so happy about this interview. We’re just down the road from each other, so I’m glad for the opportunity to connect. Your new book is Ghostly Demarcations. I’d like to start by asking about the title, specifically the word “demarcations.” JT: Allen, well I half stole the title from a poem by […]