James Lee Burke writes in his author’s notes that he considers his historical novel Flags on the Bayou (Atlantic Monthly Press 2023) to be his best work. That is saying a lot considering Burke’s long and brilliant career as a novelist in which he continues to garner both critical and commercial successes. Flags on the […]
“What Doesn’t Kill You Opens Your Heart”: Denise S. Robbins interviews author Max Hipp
September 25, 2024 by Leave a Comment
Introduction The author, teacher, and musician Max Hipp is a creature of the South, which becomes immediately clear in the first sentence of new debut short story collection—and every sentence after that. What Doesn’t Kill You Opens Your Heart (Cool Dog Sound 2024) is an honest, brutal, and necessary dive into the heart of the […]
“If Lost” by Clint Bowman
September 25, 2024 by Leave a Comment
To quote the opening lines of a Mary Chapin Carpenter song, “To be alive is to know your purpose / It’s your place in the world.” While “A Place in the World” does not rate inclusion on the playlist of songs to listen to while reading Clint Bowman’s new book, If Lost (Loblolly Press 2024), […]
“Birdhouse Jesus” by Terri Chastain
September 24, 2024 by 1 Comment
Birdhouse Jesus (Twisted Road Publication 2023) by Terri Chastain is a powerful novel. Like many powerful books, it has some heart-clutching, harrowing scenes, but, on balance it is uplifting. Yet, given some elements of the plot, perhaps there should be a trigger warning that the story contains a few scenes of sexual abuse of a […]
“This Familiar Heart: An Improbable Love Story” by Babette Fraser Hale
September 17, 2024 by Leave a Comment
This Familiar Heart (Winedale Publishing 2024) is a moving and memorable love story about an unlikely couple whose feelings were impassioned and despite any initial hesitancy forged a loving bond that lasted decades. Author Babette Fraser Hale has written a captivating book that doesn’t confine itself to the love she shared with her late husband. […]
“COMBEE: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War” by Edda Fields-Black
September 11, 2024 by Leave a Comment
It was Edda Fields-Black’s Op Ed in the NYTimes that led me to COMBEE: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War (Oxford University Press 2024). In the editorial, she describes how the newly digitized US Civil War Pension Files made it possible for African Americans to find information on their […]