This month Southern Literary Review takes a look at three recent publications from the University of Mississippi Press that focus on an aspect of Southern literature. “William Faulkner Day by Day” by Carl Rollyson I winced when I first saw the chronological, diary-like entries of William Faulkner Day by Day. I thought that format couldn’t […]
Donna Meredith interviews Mitzi Dorton, author of “Chief Corn Tassel”
December 20, 2022 by 2 Comments
Mitzi Dorton grew up in the southern Appalachian foothills in a town where tribes met since ancient times and smoked pipes of peace, and where Chief Corn Tassel spoke at one of the treaty meetings. There, she often walked between two time periods on the swinging bridge across the Holston River in Kingsport, Tennessee to […]
“Another World: Ballet Lessons from Appalachia” by Edwina Pendarvis
December 6, 2022 by 1 Comment
Ballet is probably not the first kind of dancing people associate with Appalachia, Edwina Pendarvis acknowledges in the introduction to Another World: Ballet Lessons from Appalachia. Yet for the twenty-four women Pendarvis interviews for this engaging book, ballet assumed considerable importance in their lives. The fond memories and photographs of ballet lessons gathered for this […]
“Hell of a Book” by Jason Mott
November 16, 2022 by Leave a Comment
You’d think it would be easy to write a hell of a book review for a book titled Hell of a Book (Dutton, 2021). It isn’t. Jason Mott pulls off a literary magic trick that’s hard to define. Mott manages to swirl humor, imagination and lyrical language through the grim story of a Black child […]
“Creole Soul: Zydeco Lives” by Burt Feintuch and edited by Jeannie Banks Thomas
November 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment
I first encountered zydeco on a visit to New Orleans. I was enthralled by the banging beats of Buckwheat Zydeco. The Cajun music I had heard previously in NOLA was good enough, but I could take it sitting down. Zydeco demanded that I get up and dance. Zydeco combines the energy of rock and roll […]
The Hamilton Stone Review
November 14, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Current issue no. 47, Fall 2022 Poetry: Ralph Burns, Michael Hettich, Erin Wilson, Beckian Fritz Goldberg, Kelsey Phillis, aggie Kennedy, Claire Scott, L. Henry Farrell, Jen Karetnick, Richard Weaver, Kathleen Hellen, Barry Seiler, Toti O’Brien, Jeff Newberry, Cortney Davis, Jan Ball, Tony Beyer, Jo Angela Edwins, L. Annette Binder, J.R. Solonche, and Lynn Gilbert. Prose: […]