I finally met Robert Gwaltney—in person—at a local author’s book signing, but we had become virtual friends during this never-ending pandemic. Robert is a writer and book advocate like me, so it was only a matter of time before our paths crossed. Gwaltney is also the editor for Blue Mountain Review and is highly active […]
“The Cicada Tree,” by Robert Gwaltney
February 23, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Dawn Major In The Cicada Tree, Georgia author Robert Gwaltney’s debut novel, dark secrets lurk beneath the town of Providence, Georgia, secrets of obsessions and betrayal, secrets that must be unearthed. Donalbain, from Shakespeare’s MacBeth, said, “There’s daggers in men’s smiles. The near in the blood, The nearer bloody.” The Cicada Tree (Moonshine […]
“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 […]
Dawn Major interviews J. Michael White about William Gay’s “Fugitives of the Heart”
June 23, 2021 by Leave a Comment
DM: Michael, I appreciate you doing this interview about William Gay’s last novel, Fugitives of the Heart. Gay describes this book as “a boy’s coming-of-age in a dying iron ore community of Depression era Tennessee,” and says that he was inspired by Mark Twain’s classic, Huckleberry Finn. What are a few similarities between Huckleberry Finn […]
“Fugitives of the Heart,” by William Gay
June 16, 2021 by 1 Comment
Reviewed by Dawn Major Fugitives of the Heart was found in the attic of a hand-built house where William Gay raised his kids. I had the opportunity to assist editing this lost work and am so pleased fans of Gay will finally have the chance to read his last novel, Fugitives of the Heart, which […]