Podcasts about southern festival

Join Ocean House owner and author Deborah Goodrich Royce for a conversation with authors Annabel Monaghan and Alix Strauss as they discuss their books Summer Romance (Annabel Monaghan) and The Joy of Funerals (Alix Strauss). About Annabel Monaghan: Annabel Monaghan is the author of LibraryReads pick Same Time Next Summer and Indie Next and LibraryReads pick Nora Goes Off Script, as well as two young adult novels and Does This Volvo Make My Butt Look Big?, a selection of laugh-out-loud columns that appeared in the Huffington Post, the Week, and the Rye Record. She lives in Rye, New York, with her family. About Summer Romance: The heart-tugging and hilarious story of a professional organizer whose life is a mess, and the summer she gets unstuck with the help of someone unexpected from her past, by the bestselling author of Same Time Next Summer and Nora Goes Off Script. Benefits of a summer romance: It's always fun, always brief, and no one gets their heart broken. Ali Morris is a professional organizer whose own life is a mess. Her mom died two years ago, then her husband left, and she hasn't worn pants with a zipper in longer than she cares to remember. No one is more surprised than Ali when the first time she takes off her wedding ring and puts on pants with hardware—overalls count, right?—she meets someone. Or rather, her dog claims a man for her in the same way he claimed his favorite of her three children: by peeing on him. Ethan smiles at Ali like her pants are just right—like he likes what he sees. He looks at her as if she's a version of herself she hasn't been in a long while. The last thing newly single mom Ali needs is to make her life messier, but there's no harm in a little summer romance. Is there?   About Alix Strauss: Alix Strauss is a trend, culture and lifestyle journalist; an award-winning, four-time published author; speaker; and frequent contributor to The New York Times. Her books include: The Joy of Funerals (St. Martin's Press & Palagram Press), Based Upon Availability (Harper Collins), and Death Becomes Them: Unearthing the Suicides of the Brilliant, the Famous and the Notorious (Harper Collins). She is also the editor of Have I Got a Guy for You (Simon & Schuster), an anthology of mother-coordinated dating horror stories. Her work has been optioned for several TV and film projects. A media-savvy social satirist, she has been a featured lifestyle, travel, and trend writer on national morning and talk shows including ABC, CBS, CNN, and the Today Show. During the past 25 years she has written over 1500 articles. Her articles, which have appeared in Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Conde Nast Traveler, the Financial Times, Time Magazine, and Departures, among others, and cover a range of topics from trends in beauty, travel, and food to celebrity interviews. The Joy of Funerals is an Ingram Award winner and was named Best Debut Novel by The New York Resident. Alix was the inaugural “First Chapters” pick, Cosmopolitan Magazine's new launchpad of fiction excerpts, giving readers exclusive sneak peeks of gripping new work. Her essays and short fiction have appeared in the Primavera Literary Journal, Hampton Shorts Literary Journal, The Idaho Review, Quality Women's Fiction, The Blue Moon Café III, Sex, Drugs & Gefilte Fish: The Heeb Storytelling Collection, and A Kudzu Christmas. Her short story, “Shrinking Away”, won the David Dornstein Creative Writing Award. She is the recipient of several awards and fellowships from programs such as the Wesleyan Writers Conference, the Skidmore College Writerʼs Institute, the Sarah Lawrence Summer Program, and the Squaw Valleyʼs Screenwritersʼ Summer Program. Alix lectures extensively and has been a keynote speaker, moderator, or panelist at over 200 conferences, symposiums, seminars, and summits including The Southern Festival of Books, The Northwest Bookfest, The New England's Writer's Conference, Wesleyan Writer's Conference, The 92nd Street Y, New York University, Center for Communications, University of Connecticut, and Columbia University. She was chosen to speak at the National Jewish Book Festival and is on the National Speakers Bureau for Israeli Bonds. Alix Lives in Manhattan. You can connect with her at alixstrauss.com or @alixstrauss. About The Joy of Funerals: From the very first page, readers are drawn into the strange, often humorous world where nine women grapple with sex, power, love, and death. Meet a widow who lusts…a daughter who aches…a lover who obsesses…a shopaholic who hungers… a daredevil who desires…a single woman who longs…an outsider who hopes…an artist who craves…and a funeral-junkie who needs. These are the women who inhabit the eerily honest, often heartbreaking world Alix Strauss has created in The Joy of Funerals. Throughout this powerful and provocative collection, these characters explore the basic need for human connection while seeking to understand themselves better. It is the ‘where do I belong' and the ‘how do I fit in' that these sad, bright and amazingly strong women seek to answer. In “Recovering Larry,” a woman mourns for her dead husband by having sex with grieving men. In “Shrinking Away,” a woman pays a daring shiva call on her psychiatrist's widow. “Swimming Without Annette” explores a woman's obsession with her wife's killer, while “Still Life” peers into the life of a pregnant artist who wishes to paint herself out of a bad marriage and into a prettier world. In “Post-Dated,” a single woman wonders if her recently defunct date was perhaps the perfect man. Read independently, these vivid and raw stories stand on their own. When read as a collection, they are anchored together by the novella, “The Joy of Funerals,” which follows the life of Nina, a lonely, single thirty-something woman who attends the funerals of the deceased characters in the previous stories. Begun as an essay in the Lives column of The New York Times magazine, The Joy of Funerals is written with raw wit, mordant humor and a uniquely penetrating voice as Strauss turns the spotlight on the unattractive subjects of loss, grief and loneliness. For more information about author Annabel Monaghan, visit annabelmonaghan.com and for Alix Strauss, visit alixstrauss.com For details on Deborah Goodrich Royce and the Ocean House Author Series, visit deborahgoodrichroyce.com

The Southern Festival of Books is this weekend! Our Hey Nashville newsletter editor (and resident bookworm) Margaret Kingsbury sits down with Humanities Tennessee executive director Tim Henderson and author Liz Riggs — whose recent debut novel, “Lo Fi,” is set in the Nashville music scene of 2010 — to get the scoop on what this year's festival has to offer. And stick around for our special segment, A Mile in Their Boots: We'll be going inside a day in the life of David Reeves, a Davidson County Election Commission poll official. Thanks to Tecovas, our Western wear faves, for sponsoring this segment, and for being our exclusive launch sponsor! Early voting is open now! Here is a link to times and locations, as well as a sample ballot. Want some more City Cast Nashville news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Nashville newsletter.  Follow us @citycastnashville You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 615-200-6392⁩ Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. 

Michael C. Keith is the author of an acclaimed memoir––The Next Better Place–a young adult novel––Life is Falling Sideways––and 20 story collections, including, Of Night and Light, Everything is Epic, Sad Boy, And Through the Trembling Air, Hoag's Object, The Collector of Tears, If Things Were Made To Last Forever, Caricatures, The Near Enough, Bits, Specks, Crumbs, Flecks, Slow Transit, Perspective Drifts Like a Log on a River, Let Us Now Speak of Extinction, Stories in the Key of Me, Insomnia 11, Pieces of Bones and Rags, Quiet Geography, The Late Epiphany of a Low-Key Oracle, and Bodies in Recline, Euphony, The Loneliness Channel, and Pings.” He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize several times, a PEN/O'Henry Award, a PEN/Faulkner Award, an IPPY Award and was a finalist for the National Indie Excellence Award for short fiction anthology and a finalist for the 2013 International Book Award in the “Fiction Visionary” category. In our interview, we talked about how Michael came to be on the road with his father from the age of 8, the places he saw, the kindnesses he remembers, how he got from no school on the road to a Ph.D. and much more! 00:00 START 05:59 Drink 1: On the Road Again 08:45 Reading 1: On the Road 20:15 From years without school to a Ph.D. 24:05 Growing up Nomad: How much of the country did you see? 29:34 Drink 2: Tick of the Clock 34:10 Reading 2: Insomnia 36:34 All about insomnia, causes and cures  44:01 Tales of Larry King  44:48 Drink 3: Love and Fear 48:49 Reading 3: 11:11 51:28 Seeing the same number over and over again 54:33 Pings and the reasons for shorter fiction   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with Michael C. Keith https://michaelckeith.com www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.booksandbrews.net  ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefitted from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode. Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika  Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN * Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT MONTH:  JP Reedman, historical novelist UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: MUSIC; FAITH. Laura will be at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN on October 26 and 27  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk See Laura's interview with Rob & Joan Carter at INDIE NOVEL SOURCE Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Steve Downes is a contemporary Irish poet and novelist, currently living and working in Ireland. Educated in N.U.I. Maynooth, he holds a Degree in Classical History and a Masters in Cultural Anthropology. Steve has published poetry; science fiction, including Cosmogonic Marbles, Temporal Tome, Gadzooks Armageddon  and Botolf Tales (the Botolf Chronicles), Warworld: Shadows & Dominions (part 1), Murder on the Alpha Centauri Express and The Deaths of Guner Zoon; and four children's Books: The Upstairs Cat Series (3 books) & An Apprenticeship to Doctor Vantastic.  Steve continues to write and publish work in many genres. In 2017 & 2018 Steve exhibited from his collections of historical photographs, Lost Graveyards of Ireland (2017) and A Landscape For Yourself (2018). Among other things, we talked about his painting, the IRA, angsty poetry, and...the world's oldest maternity hospital! 00:00 START 05:26 Drink 1: Irish Coffee 12:28 Reading 1: chase & fight in Dublin 17:53 The Rotunda, world's oldest maternity hospital 23:55 Why the Irish give Dublin's statues...interesting...names 25:52 Tales of the IRA 33:01 Drink 2: The Love and Murder 38:21 Reading 2: Murder on the Alpha Centauri Express 42:07 On marketing 43:07 From high school dropout to a masters in classical history to sci-fi! 48:28 Drink 3: The Mission Impossible 51:57 Reading 3: Dr. Vantastic 55:43 Steve's many genres   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with Stephen Downes https://writerstevedownes.wordpress.com www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.booksandbrews.net  ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefitted from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode. Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika  Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN * Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT MONTH:  Michael C. Keith, author of poetry, memoir, short stories, and novels UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: MUSIC; FAITH. Laura will be at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN on October 26 and 27  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk See Laura's interview with Rob & Joan Carter at INDIE NOVEL SOURCE Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.            

Kathy Murray is a certified personal trainer with over thirty years' experience in the fitness industry. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University where she was a member of the 1983 National Cheerleading Championship Team. After college she competed in and won the United States Aerobic Championship in 1986 and spent the year traveling the world as a Fitness Ambassador and worked as a free-lance educator to teach fitness to European Instructors. While in Munich, she coached the Munich Cowboys (American Football) Cheerleaders to six national titles in cheerleading and was head trainer/translator for the German Gladiators during a pilot TV show for the International Gladiators. Kathy has owned her personal training business Fit Bodies for 25 years and in 2022 co-authored the Audible book, The Munich Cowboy Cheerleaders based upon her true story of her time coaching the squad. She has recently released it in both paperback and ebook formats.  In her spare time she is a competitive triathlete which she has been enjoying for 20 plus years now.  She lives in Atlanta with her husband Lutalo, dog Mingus and cat Sassy. We talked a lot about the impact of travel, experiencing other cultures, and learning languages, in addition to cheerleading and Kathy's time as a coach. Kathy's Readings:   00:00 Start 08:40 The Competition Starts! 29:40 Speeding Ticket--AGAIN! 48:45 Conflict with Dad (or...Following Our Dreams)   Chris's Cocktail Pairings:    06:35 The Cheerleader 26:35 The Speeding Ticket 46:12 Grumpy Old man   Interview Highlights:    20:15 Life Lessons from Cheerleading and Band 22:00 The Importance of Fitness and Other Thoughts on Exercise 35:50 Other Countries' Attitudes Toward Foreigners and Americans 41:11 Overcoming the Language Barrier 54:20 Doing What You Love 55:54 Friendship with a Celebrity and Traveling the World   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with KATHY MURRAY   COMING NEXT MONTH:    Steve Downes, Irish author, poet, and children's writer   UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: MUSIC; FAITH. Laura will be at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN on October 26 and 27  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk See Laura's interview with Rob & Joan Carter at INDIE NOVEL SOURCE Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

Like any good soldier's son, Frank Warner moved with his family from fort to fort, accepted each change, and was ready to move again. Then, in 1960, Frank's father was ordered to Fort Huachuca (WahCHOOka), Arizona. This was the fifth Army post of Frank's childhood, the first place he never wanted to leave. So when his father was ordered to Vietnam in 1963, sending Frank and the rest of the family to Pennsylvania, the uprooting wasn't easy. Frank's book, “Tumbleeweed Forts: Adventures of an Army Brat,” describes the joys of living in Fort Huachuca, and the heartache of leaving it behind.  Tune in for a fun conversation and great cocktails, including in red, white, and blue for July! Frank's Readings: 00:00 Start 10:02 A Bike Race on Base! 30:57 Atomic Dollars 47:01 Leaving Huachuca Chris's Cocktail Pairings:  06:11 Red, White, and Blue 25:40 The Atomic Cocktail 44:09 Goodbye Sunshine Interview Highlights:  19:10 This plane is on fii--ire! 23:29 Why Huachuaca? Why it was magical 35:02 Silver Dollars and Stories on Atomic Testing 38:34 Private Jones' Buried Treasure & the Scientist with Alien Technology 43:31 How Tombstone got its Name 50:15 Finding Old Friends 52:12 Dad going to Vietnam, Saving the Ashes Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with FRANK WARNER COMING NEXT MONTH:  Devrie Donalson, comedian and author UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: MUSIC; FAITH Laura will be selling her books, premium rabbit fertilizer, herbs & more at the Morristown Farmer's Market, 130 W Morris Boulevard, Morristown, TN on July 5, starting at 5 pm. Laura will be at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN on October 26 and 27  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk See Laura's interview with Rob & Joan Carter at INDIE NOVEL SOURCE Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Sharon Bennett Connolly is the best-selling British author of several non-fiction history books. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Sharon has studied history academically and just for fun – and has even worked as a tour guide at a castle. She also writes the popular history blog, www.historytheinteresngbits.com and co-hosts the podcast A Slice of Medieval, alongside historical novelist Derek Birks.  Sharon regularly gives talks on women's history, for historical groups, fesvals and in schools; her book Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest, is a recommended text for teaching the Norman Conquest in the Naonal Curriculum. She is a feature writer for All About History and Living Medieval magazines and her TV work includes Australian Television's Who Do You Think You Are? Tune in for a fun conversation and great beer!   Sharon's Readings: 00:00 Start 11:16 The Young Bride's First Duties 29:12 Stephen's Coronation 46:43 Matilda at the Helm   Chris's Cocktail Pairings:  08:01 The Nikolaschka from Germany 26: The Mourning Cocktail 43:39 Belgian Brownie   Interview Highlights:  15:21 The Wreck of the White Ship: a king's tragedy 21:33 How oppressed were women in medieval times? 24:06 How a British author ended up on Australian TV 31:33 Widows and abbeys: the real reason 38:17 Why history is important (and a real-life vampire!) 51:50 Women, Leadership, and Leading Warriors 54:43 Do we ever learn from history?   COMING NEXT MONTH:  Like any good soldier's son, Frank Warner moved with his family from fort to fort, accepted each change, and was ready to move again. Then, in 1960, Frank's father was ordered to Fort Huachuca (WahCHOOka), Arizona. This was the fifth Army post of Frank's childhood, the first place he never wanted to leave. So when his father was ordered to Vietnam in 1963, sending Frank and the rest of the family to Pennsylvania, the uprooting wasn't easy. Frank's book, “Tumbleeweed Forts: Adventures of an Army Brat,” describes the joys of living in Fort Huachuca, and the heartache of leaving it behind.  UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: MUSIC; FAITH Laura will be selling her books, premium rabbit fertilizer & more at the Morristown Farmer's Market, 130 W Morris Boulevar, Morristown, TN on July 5. Laura will be at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN on October 26 and 27  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk See Laura's interview with Rob & Joan Carter at INDIE NOVEL SOURCE   Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Sidney Powell pleads guilty to her 2020 election case in Georgia. How will this affect President Trump's legal battle? Chicken bogs, hot tamales and the Southern Festival of Books are among the things up for celebration this weekend across Dixie. Also, Keifer Engles, "The Pigskin Prognosticator," returns to preview Alabama-Tennessee, Air Force-Navy, South Carolina-Missouri, and more.

Alix Strauss recently reissued The Joy of Funerals, 20 years after its initial release (with St. Martin's Press). This fascinated me, as so often I hear authors wonder, "Can I still promote my book? It's been out for a year!" In this episode of the Write the Damn Book Already podcast, we chatted about: what compelled her to reissue the book what she's doing differently this time around how being a frequent contributor to the NYT informs her confidence about being a "good" writer what she loves most about the writing community how she summons and nurtures unflinching belief in her book. I had to sit quite far from the mic for the majority of the interview so it didn't pick up my near-constant laughter; the woman is hysterical!ABOUT ALIXAlix Strauss is a trend, culture, and lifestyle journalist; an award-winning, four-time published author; speaker; and frequent contributor to The New York Times. Her books include: The Joy of Funerals (St. Martin's Press & Palagram Press), Based Upon Availability (Harper Collins), and Death Becomes Them: Unearthing the Suicides of the Brilliant, the Famous and the Notorious (Harper Collins).  She is also the editor of Have I Got a Guy for You (Simon & Schuster), an anthology of mother-coordinated dating horror stories. Her work has been optioned for several TV and film projects. A media-savvy social satirist, she has been a featured lifestyle, travel, and trend writer on national morning and talk shows including ABC, CBS, CNN, and the Today Show. During the past 25 years, she has written over 1500 articles. Her articles have appeared in Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Conde Nast Traveler, the Financial Times, Time Magazine, and Departures, among others, and cover a range of topics from trends in beauty, travel, and food to celebrity interviews. The Joy of Funerals is an Ingram Award winner and was named Best Debut Novel by The New York Resident. Alix was the inaugural “First Chapters” pick, Cosmopolitan Magazine's new launchpad of fiction excerpts, giving readers exclusive sneak peeks of gripping new work. Her essays and short fiction have appeared in the Primavera Literary Journal, Hampton Shorts Literary Journal, The Idaho Review, Quality Women's Fiction, The Blue Moon Café III, Sex, Drugs & Gefilte Fish: The Heeb Storytelling Collection and A Kudzu Christmas. Her short story, “Shrinking Away”, won the David Dornstein Creative Writing Award. She is the recipient of several awards and fellowships from programs such as the Wesleyan Writers Conference, the Skidmore College Writerʼs Institute, the Sarah Lawrence Summer Program, and the Squaw Valleyʼs Screenwritersʼ Summer Program.Alix lectures extensively and has been a keynote speaker, moderator, or panelist at over 200 conferences, symposiums, seminars, and summits, including The Southern Festival of Books, The Northwest Bookfest, The New England's Writer's Conference, Wesleyan Writer's conference, The 92nd Street Y, New York University, Center for Communications, University of Connecticut, and Columbia University. She was chosen to speak at the National Jewish Book Festival and is on the National Speakers Bureau for Israeli Bonds.  CONNECT WITH ALIXWebsite: www.alixstrauss.comInstagram: Thanks so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written, published, and launched, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth

Ronna Wineberg: Artifacts and Other Stories. This is episode 556 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Ronna Wineberg is an award-winning author of four books, including her newest one, Artifacts and Other Stories, a collection of short stories which is our focus today. Her latest book was long-listed for the Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Competition and was a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Award. Over the past three decades, her writings have received recognition that includes being a finalist for Bread Loaf Writers Conference Fellowship, a finalist for Moment Magazine Short Fiction Contest, winner of New River Press Many Voices Project Literary Competition, finalist for the Willa Cather Prize in Fiction, and a prize-winner in the Denver Women's Press Club Story Contest. She is the founding fiction editor of Bellevue Literary Review, where she served 21 years as its senior fiction editor, and now is their contributing fiction editor. The publication is credited with publishing the early works of Celeste Ng, who went on to become a New York Times best-selling author. Wineberg has also served as the president of Tennessee Writers Alliance and was a member of the program committee for Southern Festival of Books. Wineberg was awarded a prestigious Fellowship in Fiction from the New York Foundation for the Arts, A Residency from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, a Residency from Ragdale Foundation, and a Scholarship in Fiction from the Bread Loaf Writers Conference. Her work has appeared in numerous literary magazines, including Michigan Quarterly Review, Berkeley Fiction Review, Writers Forum, The South Dakota Review, American Way, Colorado Review, Jewish Women's Literary Annual, and Eureka Literary Magazine. Wineberg is a dynamic guest-speaker and has presented at many conferences like the AWP Conference, Council of Literary Magazines and Presses, PEN and BRUSH Writing Conference, and many others.  She taught a total of five years, including creative writing at University School of Nashville Evening Classes for Adults, and as an Adjunct Professor in English at New York University. Wineberg was a legal aid lawyer, public defender, and a lawyer in private practice earlier in her career. She earned a JD from University of Denver College of Law and a BA with distinction from the University of Michigan. She has lived in Nashville and Denver, and resides in New York City. For more information, please consult: www.ronnawineberg.com.  Awesome read! Awesome talk! So much to learn! Before you go... Could you do me a favor? Please go to my website at https://www.stevenmiletto.com/reviews/ or open the podcast app that you are listening to me on, and would you rate and review the podcast? That would be Awesome. Thanks! If you are listening on Apple Podcasts on your phone, go to the logo - click so that you are on the main page with a listing of the episodes for my podcast and scroll to the bottom. There you will see a place to rate and review. Could you review me? That would be so cool. Thank you! Hey, I've got another favor...could you share the podcast with one of your friends, colleagues, and family members? Hmmm? What do you think? That would so awesome! Thanks for sharing! Thanks for listening! Connect & Learn More: www.ronnawineberg.com https://mobile.twitter.com/Ronnawineberg Length - 28:38

70% of animals are gone. Not 17. 70. SEVEN ZERO. Recurring feature Cold Brew Ecosystem™ returns. We talk about streetcars again!!! ALSO: Dodge Ram drivers hate to hear about declining animal populations, a fresh round of Elon Musk bashing, and Chris meets Danielle Steel at The Southern Festival of Books. PLUS: Song of the week by Dion DiMucci!!!!Dion - "Your Own Backyard": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_E2QgzBHyk

This weekend, the Southern Festival of Books returns for its 34th year. It's also the first time back in person since 2019. This beloved institution has gone through some challenging times to get back to this point. What can attendees expect this year? And what does this literary festival mean to the cultural life of our city? We'll talk with organizers and longtime attendees about literary Nashville's biggest event, and we'll meet four authors who will be appearing. Interested in checking it out? The full list of authors is here, and the full daily schedule is here. But first, we respond to listener feedback in our weekly @ Us! segment, one day earlier than usual. Guests: Serenity Gerbman, director of Southern Festival of Books Gloria Ballard, festival host Alana White, author of The Hearts of All on Fire Major Jackson, author of A Beat Beyond and Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities at Vanderbilt University Francesca Royer, author of Black Country Music and professor of English at DePaul University Zaid Brifkani, author of The Mountains We Carry

Susan Cushman cared for her mother during her dementia journey and considered it a blessing. One of the upsides to Alzheimer's, she says, is that she got a new mother. After a lifetime of abuse, her mother “forgot” to be cruel to her, and their relationship improved. About her book, Tangles and Plaques: A Mother and Daughter Face Alzheimer's,” she says, “The tangles and plaques that destroyed Mother's brain weren't only in her brain, but also in our relationship.” She is also the author of John and Mary Margaret, a novel that explores interracial relationships and the complexities of reconnecting with a lost love when your spouses wind up in the same memory care center. Much of her writing is infused with elements of her own life, including the very mystical spirituality of her Orthodox Christian faith and the personal demons she has been chasing since childhood. Her essays, short stories, memoir, and novels all reflect what she has learned through many dark nights of the soul, but also contain elements of hope and healing, and honor her Southern roots. In this episode, we discuss how she discovered an unexpected upside to Alzheimer's, the downside of being a long-distance caregiver, and the healing power of forgiveness. More about Susan Susan was co-director of the 2013 and 2010 Oxford (Mississippi) Creative Nonfiction Conferences. She was director of the 2011 Memphis Creative Nonfiction Workshop. She was a panelist at the 2017 Decatur Book Festival, the 2012, 2017, and 2018 Southern Festival of Books, the 2017 and 2018 Mississippi Book Festival, the 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Louisiana Book Festival, the 2018 Mississippi Writers Guild Conference, the 2018 Alabama Writers Conclave Conference, the 2018 Pat Conroy Literary Center Visiting Author Series, the 2019 Southern Literary Festival, and the 2020 AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Professionals) annual conference. Her published books include four she has written: John and Mary Margaret (novel), Friends of the Library (short stories), Tangles and Plaques: A Mother and Daughter Face Alzheimer's (a memoir), and Cherry Bomb (a novel). She has edited three collections of essays: A Second Blooming: Becoming the Women We Are Meant to Be, Southern Writers Writing, and The Pulpwood Queens Celebrate 20 Years! In addition, she has over a dozen essays published in four anthologies and various journals and magazines. Purchase Tangles and Plaques and John and Mary Margaret now! Read Susan's AlzAuthors posts Susan Cushman Reveals Alzheimer's Caregiving Struggles with Mom: Tangles and Plaques Three AlzAuthors Featured in Chicken Soup for Soul Book Susan Cushman Explores Interracial Relationships and Dementia in New Novel Connect with Susan Website: http://susancushman.com/ Blog: http://susancushman.com/author/susan/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sjcushman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sjcushman/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/SusanCushman YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmK08WUEuxQ About the Podcast Each season our podcast brings you six of our authors sharing their dementia journeys. Please subscribe so you don't miss a word. If our authors' stories move you please leave a review. And don't forget to share our podcast with family and friends in need of knowledge, comfort, and support on their own dementia journeys. AlzAuthors is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer's and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please visit https://alzauthors.com/donate/ . Thank you for listening.

Susan Cushman cared for her mother during her dementia journey and considered it a blessing. One of the upsides to Alzheimer's, she says, is that she got a new mother. After a lifetime of abuse, her mother “forgot” to be cruel to her, and their relationship improved. About her book, Tangles and Plaques: A Mother and Daughter Face Alzheimer's,” she says, “The tangles and plaques that destroyed Mother's brain weren't only in her brain, but also in our relationship.” She is also the author of John and Mary Margaret, a novel that explores interracial relationships and the complexities of reconnecting with a lost love when your spouses wind up in the same memory care center. Much of her writing is infused with elements of her own life, including the very mystical spirituality of her Orthodox Christian faith and the personal demons she has been chasing since childhood. Her essays, short stories, memoir, and novels all reflect what she has learned through many dark nights of the soul, but also contain elements of hope and healing, and honor her Southern roots. In this episode, we discuss how she discovered an unexpected upside to Alzheimer's, the downside of being a long-distance caregiver, and the healing power of forgiveness. More about Susan Susan was co-director of the 2013 and 2010 Oxford (Mississippi) Creative Nonfiction Conferences. She was director of the 2011 Memphis Creative Nonfiction Workshop. She was a panelist at the 2017 Decatur Book Festival, the 2012, 2017, and 2018 Southern Festival of Books, the 2017 and 2018 Mississippi Book Festival, the 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Louisiana Book Festival, the 2018 Mississippi Writers Guild Conference, the 2018 Alabama Writers Conclave Conference, the 2018 Pat Conroy Literary Center Visiting Author Series, the 2019 Southern Literary Festival, and the 2020 AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Professionals) annual conference. Her published books include four she has written: John and Mary Margaret (novel), Friends of the Library (short stories), Tangles and Plaques: A Mother and Daughter Face Alzheimer's (a memoir), and Cherry Bomb (a novel). She has edited three collections of essays: A Second Blooming: Becoming the Women We Are Meant to Be, Southern Writers Writing, and The Pulpwood Queens Celebrate 20 Years! In addition, she has over a dozen essays published in four anthologies and various journals and magazines. Purchase Tangles and Plaques and John and Mary Margaret now! Read Susan's AlzAuthors posts Susan Cushman Reveals Alzheimer's Caregiving Struggles with Mom: Tangles and Plaques Three AlzAuthors Featured in Chicken Soup for Soul Book Susan Cushman Explores Interracial Relationships and Dementia in New Novel Connect with Susan Website: http://susancushman.com/ Blog: http://susancushman.com/author/susan/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sjcushman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sjcushman/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/SusanCushman YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmK08WUEuxQ About the Podcast Each season our podcast brings you six of our authors sharing their dementia journeys. Please subscribe so you don't miss a word. If our authors' stories move you please leave a review. And don't forget to share our podcast with family and friends in need of knowledge, comfort, and support on their own dementia journeys. AlzAuthors is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer's and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please visit https://alzauthors.com/donate/ . Thank you for listening.

Susan and Jason explore Susan's journey from being born in the deep south to adopting two Korean children and having multiracial grandchildren, Susan's least favorite part of the writing process and Jason shares his childhood dream that became a reality at a much smaller scale."Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth." - William Faulkner by way of Susan CushmanBorn in Jackson, Mississippi and educated at the University of Mississippi, author Susan Cushman moved to Memphis in 1988 where she and her husband raised three children. Fast forward thirty-two years --- and they have four granddaughters!Her seventh novel, “John and Mary Margaret” (Koehler Books, June 2021) is a rare insider's look into the white privilege bubble of a young girl growing up in Jackson, Mississippi and participating in sorority life on the Ole Miss campus in the late 1960s. But it's also a candid portrayal of a young Black boy from Memphis who follows his dream to study law at the predominantly white university. What happens when their shared love for literature blossoms into an ill-fated romance? Spanning five decades of historical civil rights events in Mississippi and Memphis, John and Mary Margaret's story will challenge the status quo and give us another opportunity to examine our history and our hearts.In addition to “John and Mary Margaret,” her published books include three she has written: Friends of the Library (short stories), Tangles and Plaques: A Mother and Daughter Face Alzheimer's (a memoir), and Cherry Bomb (a novel).  She has edited three collections of essays: A Second Blooming: Becoming the Women We Are Meant to Be, Southern Writers Writing, and The Pulpwood Queens Celebrate 20 Years! In addition, she has over a dozen essays published in four anthologies and various journals and magazines.Susan was co-director of the 2013 and 2010 Oxford (Mississippi) Creative Nonfiction Conferences.  She was director of the 2011 Memphis Creative Nonfiction Workshop. She was a panelist at the 2017 Decatur Book Festival, the 2012, 2017, and 2018 Southern Festival of Books, the 2017 and 2018 Mississippi Book Festival, the 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Louisiana Book Festival, the 2018 Mississippi Writers Guild Conference, the 2018 Alabama Writers Conclave Conference, the 2018 Pat Conroy Literary Center Visiting Author Series, the 2019 Southern Literary Festival, and the 2020 AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Professionals) annual conference.https://susancushman.com/https://www.facebook.com/sjcushmanhttps://twitter.com/SusanCushmanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-cushman-41884034/https://www.instagram.com/sjcushman/Enjoying the podcast? Please tell your friends, give us a shoutout and a follow on social media, and take a moment to leave us a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/talkingtocoolpeople.Find the show at all of the cool spots below.WebsiteFacebookInstagramIf something from this or any episode has sparked your interest and you'd like to connect about it, please email us at podcast@jasonfrazell.com. We love hearing from our listeners!If you are interested in being a guest on the show, please visit 

This week, steampunk author Dana Fraedrich joined me on Zoom to talk about attending book fairs as an author. Last year alone, Dana has attended around 20 book fairs and events, which makes her a bit of an expert.Guest-starring Bruin, Dana's dog.Here are some tips from Dana:Research the other attending authors for the event you're interested in to make sure it fits your niche.If possible, attend the event the year before to see how it's set up and whether it's right for you and your books.You won't get along with everyone in your event, but do be nice and friendly :)How many books you bring with you to sell depends on your budget, but no matter how many you take, bring twice as many of the first book in a series.If you decide took a half table, make sure the other author is someone you can communicate well with so you can help each other out on the day.It's a learning process, so be patient with yourself.If you're giving away free stuff like bookmarks, make sure you include all your info on there, like social media links.Read her Live Show GuideRead her tips on saving during live shows and travelingRead her post on Vendoring at BookConYour action step this week is to research book fairs near you. The one Dana mentions is the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville. In Britain, you can look into the London Book Fair. The event I attended was the British Book Bash, which is in a different city every time. Once you find one you're interested in, see what the other vendors are selling. Attend as a guest first to get a feel for the event.***Come join The Writing Sparrow on its very own Facebook fan page or its very own Instagram account!To find out more about Dana, check out her website , find her or Twitter , or follow her on Instagram.Find out more about Sarina and her books on her website, and find her on Instagram and on Facebook.Support the show

Amy and Carrie talk about some bookish events they have attended lately such as a storytelling festival, Southern Festival of the Book, author talks, and private bookstore recommendations. Sam Miller’s Recommendations Butcher’s Crossing by John Williams - Western Opiod, Indiana by Brian Carr - Gritty Lit New Boy by Tracy Chevalier - Shakespeare retelling Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach - YA Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer - Romance Lite Neverhome by Laird Hunt - Historical Fiction The Lonely City by Olivia Lang - Nonfiction

Amy and Carrie talk about some bookish events they have attended lately such as a storytelling festival, Southern Festival of the Book, author talks, and private bookstore recommendations. Sam Miller The Bookseller's Recommendations Butcher's Crossing by John Williams - Western Opiod, Indiana by Brian Carr - Gritty Lit New Boy by Tracy Chevalier - Shakespeare retelling Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach - YA Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer - Romance Lite Neverhome by Laird Hunt - Historical Fiction The Lonely City by Olivia Lang - Nonfiction

There are about as many ways to fall in love with the craft of writing as there are books to be read. But whatever the means of introduction, that first literary gateway drug, it’s typically hard to forget. But for Nashville non-fiction writer Rob Simbeck, his route to an early love of literature, began with and American tragedy. Today Rob speaks with poet Ashley Trabue, about his experience, living through a decade that fractured the country, and how that turmoil pointed him towards a love of telling stories, a discovery that helped to keep Rob from unraveling in more ways than one. Then Ashley takes the broad scope of those experiences, and turns them into poetry. Versify is a production of Nashville Public Radio and The Porch — Nashville’s nonprofit literary center. Editing for this episode came from WPLN’s Mack Linebaugh with additional editing by Anita Bugg. The episode was written, hosted, and produced by Joshua Moore. Today’s story and poem were recorded by Tasha Lemley at the 2018 Southern Festival of Books. The music is by Lee Rosevere — found through the Free Music Archive. The show is distributed by P-R-X.

For Nashville muralist Andee Rudloff, the process of making a public artwork is about a lot more than adding a little color to urban landscapes. Andee sits down with poet J Joseph Kane, to talk about how an early exposure to her grandmother’s love of narrative and improvisational art spurred her towards a career crafting murals out of community stories. And then Joe takes the arc of Andee’s artistic journey and turns it into poetry. Versify is a production of Nashville Public Radio and The Porch — Nashville’s nonprofit literary center. Editing for this episode came from WPLN’s Mack Linebaugh with additional editing by Anita Bugg. The episode was written, hosted, and produced by Joshua Moore. Today’s story and poem were recorded by Tasha Lemley at 2018 Southern Festival of Books. The music is by Blue Dot Session, Podington Bear, and Jahzzar— found through the Free Music Archive.

DOUG HOEKSTRA is a Chicago-bred, Nashville-based writer and musician, educated at DePaul University (B.A.) and Belmont University (M.Ed.). His first book, Bothering the Coffee Drinkers (Canopic Publishing, April 2016) was an Independent Publisher Award (IPPY) Bronze Medal Finalist for Best Short Fiction. Bothering garnered stellar print reviews and signature appearances at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville and WXPN World Café’s Summer Listening Series hosted by David Dye. Bothering also worked as a compliment to Hoekstra’s work as a singer-songwriter, as he included selections from the book in his live oeuvre during performances in the U.S. and Europe. https://doughoekstra.wordpress.com/

    Glen David Gold is a writer who has received great acclaim for his two historical novels, Carter Beats the Devil and Sunnyside. Earlier this year he published a memoir, I Will Be Complete which chronicles his unusual upbringing, his search for family, and the life-long difficulty of maintaining a relationship with his mother. The interview was conducted as part of his session at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville in October of 2018.

We are taking a couple weeks off to prep for the next season and gear up for the upcoming legislative session. In the meantime, here is a live recording from the Southern Festival of Books.

We are taking a couple weeks off to prep for the next season and gear up for the upcoming legislative session. In the meantime, here is a live recording from the Southern Festival of Books.

First, Will and Chris talk about an article in the Wall Street Journal about a shoe brand's new campaign of "made in America," and they discuss whether things being made in the South matters. Then, they talk about the new television show TrueSouth on the SEC Network. Finally, they discuss the upcoming Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN from Oct. 12-14.  Thanks to our wonderful sponsors: Big T Coastal Provisions - A family recipe crab dip with 100% wild-caught crab, no fillers or artificial flavors. Comes in Original and Jalapeño, ready to crack open and enjoy. Perfect for tailgates, picnics, or throw it in a silver dish at a cocktail party and call it your own! http://bigtcoastalprovisions.com to find a retailer near you or order it straight from them! Dallas & Jane - Chef Alex Belew’s new restaurant in Murfreesboro, just a few minutes outside of Nashville, using fresh, local ingredients to create delicious dishes that honor the seasons and pay tribute to his grandparents. Dallasandjane.net or open table. On Instagram at @dallasandjane. Mountain Valley Spring Water - Delicious spring water straight from the source in the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas. Beautiful green bottles. Still, sparkling, blackberry pomegranate or lime. http://mountainvalleyspring.com and on Instagram @MountainValleyWater. Tree House Macarons - Augusta, GA. Brand new Early Fall flavors are available now. Maple PSL, Apple Pie, Cranberry Brown Sugar, Butter Beer, Caramel Corn, plus some of your favorites like Sea Salt Caramel, Blueberry Cobbler, Red Velvet and Pecan Pie. http://treehousemacarons.com and on Instagram @TreeHouseMacarons - Use code POTLUCK to save 25%. Franklin Flannels - Every Franklin Flannels shirt is one-of-a-kind upcycled vintage flannel. Nothing is ever mass produced. http://franklinflannels.com or @franklinflannels on instagram and use discount code Potluck for 15% off.

A craving for novelty and excitement is a hallmark of early adulthood. But for Jakob Lewis, host of WPLN’s podcast Neighbors, a summertime quest for new experiences nearly cost him his life. Today, Jakob tells the story of how a thirst for adventure landed him on the front lines of a California wildfire at the age of 20. He shares his experience to poet Lagnajita Mukhopadhyay, who takes his fiery tale and turns it into poetry. Versify is a production of Nashville Public Radio and The Porch, Nashville’s nonprofit literary center. Editing and production came from WPLN’s Mack Linebaugh, with additional editing by Anita Bugg. The episode was hosted, scripted and produced by Joshua Moore. Today’s story and poem were recorded by Tony Gonzalez at the 2017 Southern Festival of Books. ** **The music is by Blue Dot Sessions, Scott Gratton and Jahzzar, courtesy of the Free Music Archive. Versify is distributed by PRX.

When Mark Lemley was 17, he lived through a near-death experience that fundamentally altered his outlook on life: a car accident that has haunted him for 24 years, and he wasn't even the one in the car. In this episode hear the story of Mark's relationship with his childhood best friend Ryan — and how Ryan's brush with death forced Mark to reevaluate his beliefs. Mark tells his story to poet Megan Leanne, who takes his complicated history and turns it into poetry. Versify is a production of Nashville Public Radio and The Porch — Nashville's nonprofit literary center. Editing and production came from WPLN's Blake Farmer, with additional editing by Anita Bugg and Susannah Felts. The episode was hosted, scripted and co-produced by Joshua Moore. The music is by Podington Bear, found through the Free Music Archive. Versify is distributed by PRX. Today's story and poem were recorded by Tasha Lemley at The 2017 Southern Festival of Books.

This is our Artober food episode featuring on air taste tests. Start drooling now. We don’t mention Southern Festival of Books because we are bad at our jobs. Plus—what is tickling our fancy this week.

I first met author Amy Franklin-Willis at last year's Southern Festival of Books in Nashville. Afterward, she was kind enough to send me a copy of her debut novel, The Lost Saints of Tennessee. Being a Tennessee girl, how could I resist that title? And in the first few pages, I was hooked. Readers will be immediately drawn into the story of Ezekiel Cooper and his tattered mess of a life, which is bookended by bittersweet reminiscences of childhood with his twin brother, Carter, and a future that can only exist through redemption. In honor of this month's paperback release of Lost Saints of Tennessee, Amy and I chatted via Skype. Listen to the podcast using the player below or download it from iTunes. But definitely leave a comment because we are giving away a copy of the paperback to one lucky Southern Spines reader. You can up your chances of winning by posting a comment on the Southern Spines Facebook page. To learn more about Amy Franklin-Willis, visit her website at amyfranklin-willis.com. Like her author page on Facebook here: facebook.com/amyfwauthor. And follow @amyfranklinwill on Twitter.

An interview with Not-Secretary of State Tre Hargett in which we ask him many of the questions about secure and verifiable elections we want to ask the real Secretary of State if he would ever agree to appear on the show; an interview with the real visual artist Wayne White, who brings his new book of his artwork Maybe Now Ill Get the Respect I So Richly Deserve, to the Southern Festival of Books this weekend; and the Media Matters for American Smackdown with Karl Frisch. [18.2MB]