4 decades since Skynyrd plan crash
Today is the fortieth anniversary of the plane crash that claimed the lives of Ronnie Van Zant and five others associated with the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Rolling Stone magazine remembers the tragedy that altered music history. A number of interesting books have been published about the band over the years, including Lynyrd Skynyrd: Remembering…
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Hillbilly meets presidential stormer
Reports are circulating that bestselling author and unofficial spokesperson for Appalachia JD Vance has met with controversial strategist Steve Bannon regarding openings at the Heritage Foundation. The Washington Post reports that a number of powerful folks are being considered for leadership at the influential think tank. Then, at the bottom of the article, writer Vance’s…
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Oh hell yeah! Saunders wins Booker
One of my favorite literary memories was hearing George Saunders read the short story “Offloading for Mrs. Schwartz” when his first collection Civilwarland in Bad Decline was published. Saunders was a new writer and the bookstore where I worked really trumped his work. He hung around with us grad students and booksellers and told tales…
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Book deal about reclaiming Polish property
If Slushpile was a cuisine, it would be a bizarro fusion food of a plate overflowing with Mississippi catfish and Polish sausage, chased down with a shot of Kentucky bourbon. Which is simply to say that Poland has a special place in our heart and backgrounds. So we were intrigued to read the news of…
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Lee ancestor signs deal with Convergent
With the recent discussion around removal of Confederate monuments, General Robert E. Lee’s family have appeared in media coverage. Now, they’re speaking for themselves. According to Publisher’s Marketplace, Reverend Robert Lee IV has signed with Convergent for a book called A Sin by Any Other Name: A Love Letter to the South. The nonfiction account…
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