Tracey Buchanan’s debut novel, Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace, is a delightful story set in Paducah, Kentucky. Tracey’s main character, Mrs. Minerva Place, is a peculiar middle-aged woman who is very narrow minded. Instead of finding her offensive, you will chuckle at almost every turn. When I had the chance to chat with […]
Jayne Moore Waldrop interviews Silas House, Kentucky Poet Laureate
June 14, 2023 by 1 Comment
In late April 2023, Silas House was inducted as the thirty-first poet laureate of Kentucky. He is the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels including Clay’s Quilt, A Parchment of Leaves, The Coal Tattoo, Eli the Good, Same Sun Here, Southernmost, and his most recent, Lark Ascending (2022) (Read SLR review of this novel here). Lark Ascending was a Booklist Editors’ […]
Betsy Reeder interviews Culley Holderfield, author of “Hemlock Hollow”
May 31, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Southern Literary Contributor Betsy Reeder interviewed Culley Holderfield, author of Hemlock Hollow. BR: What was the impetus behind this story? Did it nudge you over time or tackle you unexpectedly? CH: The story came from out of characters and research. It started with a specific place, this hollow in Henderson County, NC, where my parents […]
Dawn Major interviews Jeffrey D. Lofton, author of “Red Clay Suzie”
May 29, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Associate Editor Dawn Major recently had the opportunity to meet Jeffrey Dale Lofton at her virtual book launch for her debut novel, The Bystanders. Lofton embodies what one might imagine to be the epitome of a Southern gentleman—poised, articulate, perfect manners, and wearing a smart bowtie. It’s hard to imagine that underneath all his Southern […]