Literary Friday, Edition 160
Interview, Chat & Giveaway With Tiffany Quay Tyson
Lost Saints of Tennessee author Amy Franklin-Willis said Three Rivers has all the necessary ingredients for a grand Southern tale: “complicated families trying to love each other better, epic weather and a spiritual quest.” Mississippi native Tiffany Quay Tyson’s debut novel explores familial obligation through the perspectives of a former Christian pop singer, a flaky mother and a drifter on the run with his son. Tyson’s story begins with Melody, on tour with band the Holy Rollers, who receives a message from her mother, Geneva. Melody’s father is dying and she must come home. Upon her return, Melody finds her mother gone, her father on his deathbed, squatters on their land and a storm on the way. As Tyson’s characters converge inside Melody’s house to ride out the weather, a lifetime of lies, misunderstandings and dark secrets bubble to the surface.
We interviewed Tiffany Quay Tyson about what it means to tell a Southern story, her humorous handling of religion and the newspaper article that inspired Three Rivers. We also chat with her (@tqtyson) on Twitter today from 1-2 CST (2-3 EST, 11-noon PST) using the hashtag #southernlit. You can log into our chat room here to participate or just follow the hashtag on Twitter.
We also have one copy of Three Rivers to give away to a lucky chat participant!
View our full Summer Reading List here and the complete Twitter chat schedule here.
Literary News
Atlas Obscura’s Obsessively Detailed Map of American Literature’s Most Epic Road Trips made the social media rounds this week with routes for Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tom Wolfe and more.
Mississippi band The Shoe Birds have released their debut record titled “Southern Gothic” on WaxSaw Records. The band is named after Eudora Welty’s children’s book.
Flavorwire asks From ‘True Detective” to Henry James, When Should We Give Up On a Story? Unfortunately, it’s probably time to give up on the disappointing second season of the show.
Ernest Hemingway’s birthday was earlier this week. Make his classic daiquiri recipe the Papa Doble to help get you through the weekend.
Literary Events
Hemingway Days in Key West, Florida, wraps up this weekend.
Those in the Knoxville, Tennessee, area can take Writing Booze: A Workshop and Cocktail Class at Sundress Academy for the Arts tomorrow.
Mystery writers will stage a celebration of sleuthing in Key West August 14-16 titled Murder & Mayhem in Paradise.
The inaugural Mississippi Book Festival will take place August 22 at the Capitol in Jackson with special guest John Grisham, author panels and signings, live music and more.
The Decatur Book Festival, scheduled for September 4-6, presents Erica Jong in conversation with Roxane Gay, plus Pat Conroy, Ron Rash, Lori Roy and Karen White.
The 27th annual Southern Festival of Books author list has been released. Scheduled for October 9-11, this year’s event will include Kimberly Belle, Rick Bragg, Pat Conroy, Lauren Groff, Ann Hite and lots more.
Scheduled for October 17-18, the Texas Book Festival in Austin recently released its lineup of authors, including Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Strout, Chuck Palahniuk and Attica Locke.
New in Southern Voice
The Sun Has Not Gone Down Yet, a story about a family affected by summer rains, by Tom Darin Liskey.
To find out more about your favorite Southern authors’ haunts and hangouts, download the Deep South Literary Trail App, available direct from iTunes and for Android and perfect for those summer road trips.
