Editor's Note

Novelist, short story writer, and poet Ron Rash is well known to Chapter 16 readers, and there are two upcoming opportunities for aspiring writers to benefit from his wisdom. He’ll be the keynote speaker at this year’s Spring Literary Festival at ETSU, where he’ll appear along with Nickole Brown, Rose McLarney, and Juan Martinez. This fall, Rash will serve as one of the faculty members for the 2026 Tremont Writers Conference, where he’ll join Linda Parsons, Crystal Wilkinson, and Kelli Jo Ford to offer encouragement and guidance to participating writers. The ETSU festival is free and open to the public. The Tremont Writers Conference is accepting applications through May 15. 

This week at site, Tina Chambers reviews the latest novel by Gin Phillips. Ruby Falls sets a murder mystery at Chattanooga’s famous tourist attraction during the Great Depression. The novel “depicts a fascinating journey taking place simultaneously through the dark and twisting passages of a wild cave system and the even more tortuous caverns of the human psyche.”

Country music fans of a certain age will never forget the signature “How-dee!” that opened every performance by Minnie Pearl, the beloved character created by Sarah Colley Cannon. In their aptly named biography, Howdy!: The Minnie Pearl Story, Mary Ellen Pethel and Don Cusic survey Cannon’s life and work. Reviewer Maggie Gigandet writes that the book “is a useful starting point for anyone wanting to know more about Minnie or the Grand Ole Opry, but longtime fans will especially appreciate it.”

Anyone who’s ever had an unusual phobia will sympathize with the dilemma Rolli describes in his essay “The Mascot Chronicles,” as he recalls a daring effort to overcome his lifelong terror of people in bear suits. 

News Roundup

• Connie Jordan Green talked about her most recent poetry collection with Inside Appalachia.

• Jay McInerney discussed his forthcoming novel with Parade. 

• Craig Havighurst was interviewed about his new book for the Nashville Banner.

• Margaret Renkl shared her thoughts about her debut picture book with Good Day Extra.