Reviewed by Claire Hamner Matturro With her debut novel some fourteen years ago, Joshilyn Jackson established herself as a phenomenal author. In that debut, gods in Alabama (Warner Books, 2005), pathos, suspense, and humor were well balanced in a story about a young woman gone north, only to return home to Alabama to confront the […]
Allen Mendenhall Interviews Diane C. McPhail, Author of “The Abolitionist’s Daughter”
December 11, 2019 by Leave a Comment
AM: Diane, thanks for the interview. It was so great seeing you at the Mississippi Book Festival this summer. I’ve had the opportunity to read The Abolitionist’s Daughter during recent flights. It’s an excellent novel. Why don’t we start by having you tell our readers a little bit about it—background, characters, whatever you’d like to […]
December Read of the Month: “The Alexandria You Are Losing,” by Yasser El-Sayed
December 5, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by David Madsen Yasser El-Sayed, the author of this unique collection of stories, is well traveled, with a stack of hometowns in his carry-on, which he pulls out with nuance, humor and psychological precision, as he explores the landscapes and emotional terrain of immigrants and emigrants, travelers and settlers. We humans are a seeking […]
David Madsen
December 3, 2019 by Leave a Comment
David Madsen is a novelist and screenwriter best known for the movie Copycat.
“Their Houses,” by Meredith Sue Willis
November 27, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith The richly drawn characters in Meredith Sue Willis’s latest novel, Their Houses, are stumbling about in an effort to meet one of the most basic needs Maslow identifies in his famous hierarchy, a need which must be met before people can move on to find love, esteem, and self actualization. They […]
Amy Susan Wilson Interviews Lara Bernhardt, Author of “Shadow of the Taj”
November 20, 2019 by Leave a Comment
ASW: Good afternoon, Lara. It is great to have the chance to visit with you about your latest novel, Shadow of the Taj. This book addresses the hot-button issue of human trafficking of children, and one Western woman’s determination to help one child caught in a web of child prostitution. How did you come to write […]
Allen Mendenhall Interviews Patrick A. Howell, Author of “Yes, We Be”
November 14, 2019 by Leave a Comment
AM: Patrick, I’m so glad we’ve finally found the occasion to discuss Yes, We Be. Let’s start broadly: what’s the book about? PH: Allen, Yes, We Be is different parts clarion call, first book of poetry and personal manifesto (the art and artifice to oneself of manifesting). I’ve been writing much, much longer than the […]
“Don’t Tell ’em You’re Cold: A Memoir of Poverty and Resilience,” by Katherine P. Manley
November 12, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith Many times while growing up, Kathy Manley experienced the shame of poverty. Shame that kept her from inviting friends to the family’s shabby house filled with dumpster-salvaged furniture. Shame when a teacher took up a collection from classmates so Kathy could attend a football game. The real shame, however, is that […]