April 19, 2018
by jenniferpuryear
Last week I found myself on a small stage but in big company with Alice Randall, Adam Ross, and Gary Shockley. We were talking about Lincoln in the Bardo, the Man-Booker-Prize-winning novel by George Saunders. (Thank God all I had to do was ask the questions.) The novel imagines Lincoln on the night after his 11-year-old son’s death in February of 1862. Newspapers reported that …
June 20, 2017
by jenniferpuryear
I love to dip in and out of The New Yorker, Garden & Gun, other glossies. I do interplanetary research on another species – men – by reading my husband’s Esquire. I hadn’t picked up a literary magazine in years until a Nashville friend – Adam Ross – took over as editor of The Sewanee Review in 2016. Now I’ve added it to the stack, with pleasure! It’s a …
December 18, 2016
by jenniferpuryear
Bacon readers from near and far have sent in their top picks of 2016, and I’m thrilled to share their rousing recommendations in this last post before Christmas! Each contributor’s name is linked to a website of particular interest. Without further ado, and with sincerest thanks to those who sent in their favorite reads of the year (Christina Apperson, Kobie Pretorius, Maria Browning, Ed Tarkington, Leslie Zmugg, Adam …
July 16, 2015
by jenniferpuryear
Book Title: Act One: An Autobiography
I have a book to recommend to you – a grown up tale, and true – that has every bit as much cruelty, wonder and suspense as you find in the world of Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka. “I grew up in an atmosphere of unrelieved poverty, with … ‘the dark brown taste of being poor’ forever in my mouth and the grim smell of …
April 18, 2015
by jenniferpuryear
You enter The Stone Fox not knowing what to expect. It’s just a local spot, with a bar and some tables and overworked waitresses. There’s an energy in the room, but it’s not all good. You’re waiting for the blood sport – or whatever lies ahead – to begin. Then the house lights go down, and the stage lights go up, and you realize you’re part …
April 14, 2015
by jenniferpuryear
This may be bloodier than Game of Thrones. I’m going but expecting the worst. Please join me tomorrow night for an evening that may horrify and/or delight! Other cities enjoying the Literary Death Match in April and May include Austin, Los Angeles, Boston, and London (participants vary by city). Here’s what the organizers have to say: After an electric October debut, Literary Death Match is teaming with …
February 3, 2015
by jenniferpuryear
Book Title: Ladies and Gentlemen
When you’re meeting a person for the first time – at a Starbucks, say – it helps to know how to identify each other. “I’ll be easy to spot in a bright pink coat,” I emailed Nashville author Adam Ross. “I’ll be topless in a cape, tights, and rainbow wig, so I should be easy to spot as well,” he replied. Not exactly what I’d …
February 2, 2015
by jenniferpuryear
I’m not even a Seahawks fan and I’m “stuck in a moment,” in the words of U2. I went to bed thinking about that final second down play and woke up thinking about it – that decision to pass 1 yard and 20 seconds away from a near-certain win. Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I think we love games in part …
January 17, 2015
by jenniferpuryear
Pepper and I had a heart-to-heart following her “graduation” from puppy training. We went with our trainer to PetSmart, where Pepper was supposed to demonstrate all she had learned in the last three months, including sit, stay, leave it, drop it, come and compliant loose leash walking. She was also supposed to show off her good manners towards people and dogs. Well, Pepper had her own ideas …