August 25, 2019
by jenniferpuryear
“My favorite words about the meaning of life come from a commencement speech Tim Minchin gave a few years back – ‘Don’t go looking for it. Searching for meaning is like searching for a rhyme scheme in a cookbook: you won’t find it and you’ll bugger up your soufflé,’” said Maria Browning, new Editor of Chapter16.org, Tennessee’s online literary journal. One would hate to bugger …
February 24, 2018
by jenniferpuryear
You feel a sense of shared humanity at a funeral – always. Shared grief is one of the few consolations in a time of deep sorrow and shock. Sometimes, also, in the woods, you might have the feeling of shared humanity – when you’ve seen something strange or beautiful, and someone else has, too. If you live in Nashville, you’ve heard about the rare piebald …
July 10, 2017
by jenniferpuryear
Maria Browning walks in the woods, and you can tell; the stillness and depth of the forest breathe through her words. She’s a beautiful writer who teaches creative nonfiction classes at The Porch, Nashville’s Independent Center for Writing, and contributes regularly at Chapter 16, a website devoted to the literary culture of Tennessee. Today, she agreed to be the closer for Bacon’s Summer Series. …
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 8, 2016
by jenniferpuryear
Today’s Bacon Blast features the faces, voices, and summer reading choices of thirteen terrific Chapter 16 writers. I’ve already chosen three new books from their recommendations and had a hard time stopping there! You won’t want to miss Chapter 16’s new website, just launched, for more great ideas about what to read next. Humanities Tennessee founded Chapter 16 in 2009 to provide comprehensive coverage of literary news and events in …