On Monday, December 19th, poetry and roots music from the edge of Appalachia will be taking to the airwaves and cyberspace when Kelsey and I appear on Knoxville WDVX's Blue Plate Special program along with Tennessee poet laureate Maggi Vaughn and Sweet Fancy Moses, the band that Kelsey's in. The one-hour show broadcasts live before a studio audience at noon EST from the Knoxville Visitors Center on the corner of Gay Street and Summit Hill Drive in downtown Knoxville. We're hoping a number of … [Read more...]
Don’t Forget This Song: Celebrating the Carter Family and Other Roots Musicians
November 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
You may forget the singer, but don’t forget the song, the Carter Family bade listeners of one particularly mournful tune they recorded more than eighty years ago. The writer of those lyrics needn’t have worried. Today the songs of America’s roots music are not only remembered but thriving – in forms that both recreate the authentic sound and remake it in fresh ways – in the widely diverse Americana music genre. These old songs continue to spark artists of all types, yours truly … [Read more...]
My Favorite Things of 2010
December 13, 2010 By 5 Comments
For reasons I won't go into, 2010 has not been my favorite year. But, inspired by the year-end list posted by fellow Tennessee writer Susan Cushman on her Pen and Palette blog, I've realized there have been plenty of things I've enjoyed, especially in the area of books and music. So here are my personal favorites of 2010, which I share in hopes that you might find something here that will inspire you. Happy reading, happy listening, happy following your muse. POETRY Favorite new poetry … [Read more...]
A Primer and Picks for the 2009 Southern Festival of Books
October 6, 2009 By 3 Comments
One of Our Lady's favorite events of the year is the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, coming up October 9th - 11th. Admittedly, October is a busy month with hayrides, apple festivals, football games and so forth, but Our Lady is always surprised when friends here in middle Tennessee who enjoy reading confess they've never attended SFOB. She wants to ask them, "WHAT are your priorities?" She holds up as an example her friend Peter and his twin Laura, who plan their birthday celebration … [Read more...]
Come See Me at the Southern Festival of Books!
October 4, 2009 By 3 Comments
As some of you already know, my poetry chapbook, Heaven Was the Moon, is out! It's a little perfect-bound collection of 28 poems, published by March Street Press, and of course I'm very excited about it. My first public event for the book will be at the Southern Festival of Books on Sunday, October 11th, from 2-3 pm, with a signing to follow. I hope to have a big hometown crowd - but those of you who may be in for the festival from other parts of the state or the Southeast, I'll be glad to … [Read more...]
