Mitch Ploskonka traces the rise of Grit Lit, a genre of contemporary literature that grapples “with the sociohistorical baggage of poor white representation.”
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The Best Southern Books of May 2026
Check out May’s roundup of new Southern fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
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Voting Rights and Community Care in “Ballot”
A conversation with Anjali Enjeti on her recent book, “Ballot,” part of Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series.
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It Was the Future Brewing: On Nancy Lemann’s “The Oyster Diaries”
A review of Nancy Lemann’s newest novel, “The Oyster Diaries.”
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“Queen of Bats” Questions Convention
The stories in Rachel Reeher’s debut collection underscore the gap that often exists between appearance and reality.
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The 2026 Southern Summer Book Club
Join this year’s Southern Summer Book Club!
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“The Book Witch” Casts a Spell
A review of Meg Shaffer’s “The Book Witch.”
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Startling and Sublime: Beth Ann Fennelly’s Micro-Memoirs
Former poet laureate of Mississippi, Beth Ann Fennelly, maven of the micro-memoir, has done it again with “The Irish Goodbye: Micro-Memoirs.”
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Coming of Age in Appalachian Country: “Into the Night Woods” by Davis Enloe
An interview with Davis Enloe on his new novel, “Into the Night Woods.”
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The Distance Between the Truth and What We Choose to Believe in “Make Sure You Die Screaming”
Make Sure You Die Screaming by Zee Carlstrom is a delightfully dark thrill ride perfect for a quick weekend read. The “thriller” label is well-earned as Carlstrom’s narrator drags the reader along on a full-fledged crash out that is orders of magnitude beyond the average burnout response. The narrator claims to have “burned [their] entire…
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Southern Review of Books 