Along with rich character development, The Trackers also may be Frazier’s funniest book to date. Val’s idealism and beliefs about art as a power for good are often misunderstood by the residents of Dawe or simply met with indifference. Meanwhile, his travels to find Eve and the stolen artwork bring him into contact with of a large cohort of misfits, including a squatting wino and an unruly family living among Florida’s swamp creatures.

Read more of my review and conversation with Frazier here.

Similar to her 2018 memoir, The Electric Woman, Fontaine’s debut novel confronts death head-on. But whereas her memoir explored her mother’s slow and limited recovery following a stroke (in tandem with the author’s own brief stint as a member of a traveling sideshow), The Red Grove asks the question: What would life be like for women if they never had to worry about violence? Read more of my review here.

Over the past five years, author Taylor Brown has been researching the topic for his new novel, Rednecks. He says that throughout the process, he shared stories about the conflict with friends, family and fans alike. Typically, no one knew what he was talking about.

See my conversation with author Taylor Brown in storySouth. You can also read my review of the book here.

If you missed The Wind Under the Door’s virtual release party hosted by Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe and led by the talented Leah Hampton, check it out here.

In a n eessay published by The Bookends Review, I juxtapose three of my favorite songs with three of my favorite literary scenes. Read the essay here.

If you’re interested in reading about fatherhood, Leonard Cohen and death, check out my recent article published by The Good Men Project.

Check out my talk and profile of author Leah Hampton here. Her outstanding debut collection, F*ckface: And Other Stories, is available now.