DM: In the Acknowledgements you mention a Jackson Herald article covered the last public execution in the state. How was that article helpful in writing the first chapter? What details of that hanging are incorporated into your fiction? GT: I would say that article was immeasurably helpful, in that I had started the book and […]
November Read of the Month: “A Hanging at Cinder Bottom,” by Glenn Taylor
November 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith Glenn Taylor’s new over-the-top caper sparkles with cinematic scenes begging to be transformed into film. A Hanging at Cinder Bottom: A Novel (Tin House Books) is primarily set in West Virginia coal country with occasional forays into Baltimore. The white-faced monkey depicted on the cover plays a role in a story […]
“Silent We Stood,” by Henry Chapell
October 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith Extensive research led to a compelling depiction of Dallas, Texas, just before the Civil War in Henry Chapell’s novel, Silent We Stood. The story develops from a fire that destroyed much of the city in 1860, when fear of slave rebellion gripped the South following John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry. […]
“The Splendor of Ordinary Days,” by Jeff High
October 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith With the third novel in the Watervalley series, Jeff High’s talent has matured as he captures the rich tapestry of small-town life – as few contemporary authors have – in The Splendor of Ordinary Days. The author plumbs the depths of the most important bonds of our lives in this heart-warming […]
“Understanding Richard Russo,” by Kathleen Drowne
August 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith Richard Russo is a beloved novelist known primarily for his stories of life in declining northeastern factory towns, so a reasonable person might question why his work deserves space in a literary review purporting to be southern. In short, the University of South Carolina Press recently released Understanding Richard Russo, a […]
“Bull Mountain,” by Brian Panowich
August 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith The ancient story of brother pitted against brother gets a fresh take in Brian Panowich’s debut novel, Bull Mountain, by combining family saga, mystery, and crime with the best elements of literary fiction. The story’s easy yet elegant style, nuanced characters, and gripping plot will earn it many fans. Panowich’s dark, […]