Paulette Jiles’ newest one, Chenneville: A Novel of Murder, Loss, and Vengeance (William Morrow 2023) is a fine adaptation of a classic hero’s-journey archetype. It is both an action-oriented adventure story and a splendidly well-written literary novel about a most painful period in our history. As Jiles has successfully done in prior novels, she creates a […]
Nonfiction Books of Note for December: “Conversations with Jimmy Carter” and George Singleton’s “Asides”
December 19, 2023 by Leave a Comment
“Conversations with Jimmy Carter,” editor Tom Head Conversations with Jimmy Carter, (University of Mississippi Press, 2023) is a collection of ten interviews that reaffirm what we already know about the man. He walks the walk, not just talks the talk. As he tells Bill Moyers in the first interview, “I feel like I have one […]
“Tamp” by Denton Loving
December 19, 2023 by Leave a Comment
At the intersection of calluses and care, one finds Denton Loving’s poetry. In his latest collection, Tamp (Mercer University Press 2023), the author takes us into the pastoral reveries produced by his home state of Tennessee, but he likewise transports us into matters of lineage and love, writing of his parents (predominantly his father) with […]
The Official Southern Literary Review 2023 Holiday Gift Guide
December 6, 2023 by Leave a Comment
No gift is better than a good book, right? Each year Southern Literary Review’s editors let you in on some of their favorite books of the year. Donna’s Picks For readers who enjoy historical fiction: Yellow Wife by Sadeka Johnson (Enslaved woman living with prison master) Only Oona by Tamatha Cain (Charlie Chaplin’s wife) Sister […]
December Read of the Month: “Homelight” by Lola Haskins
December 6, 2023 by Leave a Comment
The poems in Lola Haskins’ newest collection, Homelight (Charlotte Lit Press 2023), are equally elegant and eloquent in their graceful blend of theme, imagery, and language. Elegant in their refined, fluent use of words and eloquent in their visions and messages, these are luminous poems. While some poems are nearly haiku-short, others contain many stanzas, […]
“Snakes of St. Augustine” by Ginger Pinholster
December 6, 2023 by Leave a Comment
In her fascinating novel Snakes of St. Augustine, Ginger Pinholster takes a deep dive into two subjects many humans turn away from: snakes and people whose brains operate differently. As the novel opens, we meet fitness guru Serena Jacobs, who is reporting her mentally different brother Gethin’s disappearance to Police Officer Jeffries. Serena was only […]