Southern Review of Books

“Broken Houses”: Seeking Roots in an Uncertain World

By: William Littlejohn-Oram August 12, 2026August 10, 2026

ReviewsBroken Houses, Chelsea Rathburn, PoetryLeave a Comment

A review of Chelsea Rathburn’s recent poetry collection, “Broken Houses.”

“A Buyer’s Guide to the Afterlife” Is an Earnest Archive of Loss

By: Piper Rasmussen August 11, 2026August 10, 2026

ReviewsA Buyer's Guide to the Afterlife, Black Lawrence Press, Erica Wright, Poetry, ReviewLeave a Comment

Yet even wrangling against existential horrors, Wright reminds readers that even this imperfect moment in which we exist is worth noting carefully and archiving.

“The Hanged Man”: Waiting in Psychological Limbo

By: Don J Rath August 6, 2026August 6, 2026

ReviewsFiction, Katherine Conner, Short Stories, The Hanged ManLeave a Comment

A review of Katherine Conner’s new collection of linked stories, “The Hanged Man.”

A Poet Longs for Another Home, Another Body, in “Let the Forest Go”

By: Katharine Armbrester August 3, 2026August 3, 2026

ReviewsJustin Wymer, Let the Forest Go, Poetry, Review, University Press of KentuckyLeave a Comment

A review of Justin Wymer’s poetry collection, “Let the Forest Go.”

The Southern Summer Book Club: August

By: Bradley Sides July 31, 2026July 27, 2026

FeaturesThe Southern Summer Book ClubLeave a Comment

The third installment of our Southern Summer Book Club features Spencer K.M. Brown’s “Slow Fire.”

The Best Southern Books of July 2026

By: Chelsea Risley July 28, 2026July 27, 2026

Featuresbest of the monthLeave a Comment

Check out this non-exhaustive list of the best Southern books of July 2026.

The Funny, Messy Business of Growing Up: An Interview with Meg Richardson

By: Amber Ruth Paulen July 24, 2026July 20, 2026

InterviewsFiction, Meg Richardson, Paradise Pawn, Tin HouseLeave a Comment

From teenage friendship and class inequality to comedy and the long road to publication, Richardson reflects on the ideas and experiences that shaped Paradise Pawn.