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.
Occasionally, while reading Suzanne Hudson’s collection Deep Water, Dark Horizons, I felt like I might be eavesdropping on some kinfolks — y’know, those kinfolks you don’t necessarily like to claim. The collection commemorates Hudson’s 2025 Truman Capote Prize and you can read my review for Alabama Writers’ Forum here:
Robert McCammon, a true master of suspense, will be inducted into the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame in March 2025. His most recent novel, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the popular Matthew Corbett series. I recently reviewed it for Alabama Writers’ Forum:
As we continue to evaluate and honor the legacy of President Jimmy Carter, a new book of essays has been released that considers the many books Carter authored. The Literary Legacy of Jimmy Carter: Essays on the President’s Books is a comprehensive consideration of the dozens of books that Carter, who never used a ghostwriter, wrote — mostly in the years of his post-Presidency. I reviewed it for Alabama Writers’ Forum:
Serendipity happens. As I was traipsing around south Mobile County, Alabama Writers’ Forum posted my latest book review of Mobile and Havana: Sisters across the Gulf. For anyone interested in Mobile, there are so many recent books being written about the area. And this one includes a huge helping of history and architecture and the compelling history of Havana.
Here’s a link to that review:
Historian Mike Bunn’s This Southern Metropolis examines the antebellum history and character of Mobile, Alabama, through the eyes of its myriad visitors. It’s an intriguing dive into a unique Southern city. I reviewed it for Alabama Writers’ Forum.
Robert McCammon, a master of suspense/thriller literature, is about to release Labyrinth, the final volume of his ten-volume Matthew Corbett series. Until that release, you might whet your appetite with the stories of the penultimate Corbett book, Seven Shades of Evil. I recently reviewed Seven Shades of Evil for Alabama Writers’ Forum. Read it here:
“The earnest and sometimes deadpan narrative voices Garrett Ashley so ably creates make the impossible plausible, and the bizarre becomes something to be blithely accepted … The collection is a spectacular debut.”
Sometimes I open a book without any idea what I am about to read. Garrett Ashley’s Periphylla, and Other Deep Ocean Attractions, a collection of short stories, was completely new to me. Here’s my review for Alabama Writers’ Forum:
Pete Candler’s A Deeper South is an intriguing deep dive into the American South — its history, legacy, attractions, and complexities. In his search, Candler also discovers things he never knew about his prominent Georgia family. It’s a wild read. Here’s my review for Alabama Writers’ Forum:
Professional Southerner 