Reviewed by Dixon Hearne David Armand’s new novel, Harlow, is a compelling read on several levels. The story deals with universal themes of alienation, oppression, futility, resilience and hope – and all unfolding in raw and biting detail. Other reviewers have already parsed Harlow’s plot, character, setting, and theme. Far more salient in this new […]
April Read of the Month: “Wet Work,” by Donna Meredith
April 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Claire Hamner Matturro “This isn’t what Isaac Harewood hoped to buy with his money.” Not at all. Rather, in Wet Work, the latest novel by Tallahassee’s award-wining author Donna Meredith, Harewood expects to purchase a falsehood and restore his wealth at the expense of the well-being of the unsuspecting public. By donating millions […]
March Read of the Month: “Kids These Days,” by Drew Perry
March 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Matt Simmons Perhaps no trope is as evocative of southern writing as the “sense of place,” a concept that can be both incredibly limiting and powerfully productive in how we read about and respond to the American South. On the one hand, this trope may force us to read in search of southern […]
February Read of the Month: “Appomattox: Victory, Defeat, and Freedom at the End of the Civil War,” by Elizabeth Varon
February 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Miles Smith, IV Appomattox: Victory, Defeat, and Freedom at the End of the Civil War offers the first cultural, political, and social history of the Army of Northern Virginia’s surrender at Appomattox Court House. Elizabeth Varon’s elegant narrative, provocative argument, and skillful use of sources make this work an interesting addition to the […]
January Read of the Month: “Sailing to Alluvium,” by John Pritchard
January 15, 2014 by 1 Comment
Reviewed by Michael Pitts In the third installment to the “Junior Ray Saga,” John Pritchard demonstrates his prowess for celebrating the unique world that is the Mississippi Delta. A delightfully obscene and irreverent burlesque tale, Sailing to Alluvium follows the “diktective” work of the loveable Junior Ray Loveblood and his pal Voyd Mudd. As […]
December Read of the Month: “Dancing Naked in Dixie,” by Lauren Clark
December 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by J.R. Baldwin Award-winning travel writer Julia Sullivan is jet-lagged and on-deadline when she arrives back in New York. As she mentally prepares for a week in office, she is called into the editor’s office. Her new boss is a surprise, personally related, and not a welcome face. Even more so when Julia’s job […]