Occasionally a book comes across my review desk that takes me totally by surprise. Little Ones by Grey Wolfe LaJoie is one of those books. I was happy to review it for Alabama Writers’ Forum. You can read it here:
In W. Henry Sledge’s new book, The Old Breed … The Complete Story Revealed, he provides a sequel, of sorts, to With the Old Breed, the influential World War II classic by his father, Eugene Sledge. “Henry Sledge, who was raised in a house full of mementos of the war, was a son who asked questions, listened, and remembered. His personal narrative throughout the book gives perspective on how the war impacted his father for the rest of his life.” My review is available at Alabama Writers’ Forum.
If Alabama had to choose a secular saint, I suspect it would be Harper Lee (1926-2016), the author of To Kill a Mockingbird. She only published the one novel, and a few other things along the way. So, it came as a bit of a surprise when HarperCollins announced the upcoming publication of a selection of Lee’s previously published and “newly discovered” writing under the title, The Land of Sweet Forever. And that’s about all we know.
I explore the upcoming book, and posthumous publications in general, in an essay for First Draft, the quarterly publication of Alabama Writers’ Forum. Read it here:
New Yorker staff writer Alexis Okeowo, who was raised in Montgomery, Alabama, has just published Blessings and Disasters: A Story of Alabama. “Many Alabamians seem tired of being told who they are and what they want,” she writes. She tells stories of a wide range of Alabamians , their challenges, and their triumphs.
I had the great pleasure of reviewing Blessings and Disasters for Alabama Writers’ Forum. I enthusiastically recommend it as a portrait of our nation at a pivotal moment. Here’s the review:
Robert Bailey’s new thriller, The Boomerang, raises issues that the reader may think about long after the book is over. But it is also a fun read with an imaginative plot and surprises on every page. The stakes are high, the plot is sobering, and the thrills are plenty.
I recently reviewed The Boomerang for Alabama Writers’ Forum.
“She may not have seen it all, but she’s seen a lot of it,” I say in my review of Brooke Champagne’s Nola Face. Champagne, an Ecuadorian-French-Sicilian-American, is from New Orleans and explores her eventful life beyond the streetcar lines and tourism districts of her colorful home. My full review for Alabama Writers’ Forum is here:
I recently reviewed Daco Auffenorde’s The Medici Curse for Alabama Writers’ Forum. Here’s the review;
“In Two-Step Devil, Jamie Quatro’s narrative approach feels fresh and unique and urgent. This surprising and quietly intense book invites pondering and is somehow hopeful in its bleak worldview and the beauty of its language.”
Here is my review of Two-Step Devil for Alabama Writers’ Forum:
Steve Suitts does a deep dive into election laws in Alabama. In the process, he finds a foretaste of national election laws and court decisions. It’s a sobering and incisive study. I reviewed it for Alabama Writers’ Forum.
The number of accomplished writers to emerge from Alabama and with significant ties to the state is a source of hope and pride. Here is a link to my piece on the March 7 induction of the 2025 class. Check out the list of previous inductees at the end.
Professional Southerner 