The Appalachian land and waters shape novelist Ron Rash’s stories.
book review
That Old-Time Sound: July 2016 Book Picks
Our mountains and Foothills have inspired generations of Carolina-born and -bred folk musicians — who have, themselves, inspired generations of writers. Four books tell the stories behind the musical storytellers.
May 2016 Book Picks & Music Review
A writer’s surroundings often influence his or her earliest work. A young Thomas Wolfe, for example, was famously inspired by his hometown, Asheville. Here, some of our state’s best-known writers show us where they started.
The South, In Verse: April Book Picks
Four North Carolina poets reflect on our Southern landscape and its people, creating an ode to the everyday — a “blazing sensory world,” says James Applewhite — of the history, rhythms, and voices that mark our region.
Reflecting on the Past: March Book Picks
They say that time heals all wounds, and for most of us, that's true: Time obscures our views of a ragged past. For writers, however, memories are reflective lenses used to observe personal histories, providing stark recollections charged with truth, not mellowed by time.
Family Ties: February Book Picks
From Fred Chappell’s humorous look at the life of a boy growing up in the 1940s, to Wiley Cash’s harrowing tale of a father who will do anything to keep his children safe and by his side, four novels speak to the importance of family, and the trials of coming of age.
Bobcat and Other Stories by Rebecca Lee
A collection of short stories reveals the charms and complications of everyday life.
Crossroads of the Natural World by Tom Earnhardt
Tom Earnhardt’s new book is not a field guide, but it will lead you to think differently about our state.
The Patron Saint of Dreams by Philip Gerard
A writer dissects mundane events and finds universal lessons.