In Which I Disagree with Peter Cooper a Little

Peter Cooper’s writing about Hank Jr., poor Hank Jr. who finally shot off his mouth and embarrassed ESPN. But, here’s the thing: Hank Jr., Charlie Daniels and Ted Nugent are all awesome. Or at least “Family Tradition,” “Devil Went Down To Georgia” and “Cat Scratch Fever” are awesome. And that’s all that matters here. Not [...]

The Reading at the Southern Festival of Books

Oh, you guys, it was awesome. First of all, Peg came by to say hi, even though she couldn’t stay for the reading, and I was all “What are you doing here, person from Illinois?!” This probably should have been a clue things were about to get Midwestern. I ran to the bathroom and then [...]

Things and More Things

In the future, I will try to arrange it so that I read before I work at the Southern Festival of Books, if I’m lucky enough to get this opportunity again. I’m feeling completely like I want to stay in and see no one and I need to get revved up to read some stories. [...]

Almost a Thousand State Employees on Food Stamps

Holy shit. It remains to be seen if we have sense enough to be embarrassed about this.

Southern Festival of Books!

For me, the Southern Festival of Books is like a perfect holiday. I get to see a bunch of people I adore. I get to hang out and talk about things I love (in this case, books). I get to talk shop, but in a way that isn’t all “Ebooks, ayyyyy, we’re all going to [...]

Gentlemen, Let’s Not Fight About Mike Turner

It started with Jeff Woods, followed by Memphis Steve Ross, then anonymous T3 dude*, and then Braisted. All are up in arms either about Mike Turner’s defense of Curry Todd or up in arms about people being up in arms about Turner’s defense of Curry. But everyone seems to be leaving out the enormous detail [...]

Everyone Wants to Do Right But Not Right Now

I love Gillian Welch. Period. Full stop. But I am baffled in the most delighted way that “Miss Ohio” has become a song folks like to cover. Over at Nine Bullets, they have an enthusiastic version by Lizzie Huffman that makes me happy.

The Sexy Wizard

Today was the first day I walked after falling into the grave and it didn’t go well. My ankle didn’t hurt. It just didn’t work. I was lurching around the neighborhood like some kind of horror movie zombie. Finally, finally towards the end it hurt in a way that suggested that it still had some [...]

I Have a New History Boyfriend

Yes, I still love Timothy Demonbreun, but he can be my late 1700s-early 1800s history boyfriend and Hamlin Garland can be my late 1800s-early 1900s boyfriend. He’s a Midwesterner. He won a Pulitzer. He loved occult things. And he’s very handsome in a hairy way.

My Favorite Hauntings

I’m trying to distill all of my thoughts on Ben and Sue Allen’s entity–The Thing–down to 1,000 words. It’s tough. What tickles my mind about it is why the Bell Witch is still a legend and The Thing has ceased to be. Is it just because the Bell Witch had a body count? Albeit a [...]

Nothing Inspires Confidence Like Everyone Being Snippy With Each Other

I am on the record as holding one of the wishy-washy-est opinions on the new convention center. I think it is a terrible idea AND I think that now that it’s a terrible idea 18 months from opening, we should all pray to our various gods that it works. Believe me, I hope that, in [...]

Tangled Nashville Webs

I was wondering how Margaret Lindsley Warden knew so much about the Allens. Well, it turns out that Margaret is second cousins with Cornelle Lindsley (Cornelle’s father, Adrien, was Margaret’s mother, Annie’s first cousin). (Yes, the same Lindsleys of  Third and Lindsley fame). Cornelle Lindsley married Sloss Baxter, who was Sue’s nephew. Her reporting isn’t [...]

Just a Little More on Curry Todd

He was driving so shitfaced drunk that you can smell the alcohol on his mug shot down 21st Avenue?! He is so very, very lucky he didn’t hit a pedestrian. So very lucky. If he thinks things look grim now, he should imagine how grim they’d be if he’d hit a Vanderbilt or a Belmont [...]

The Phillips Brothers

Other than the whole falling into a grave thing, which I did not enjoy when it happened, though I am enjoying being able to say that I fell into a grave, I had a really nice time with my brothers yesterday, first one and then both. It’s weird. We grew up so close, not because [...]

It’s Funny…

It’s funny to me how there’s always money to fund whatever anti-abortion hoop-jumping folks want to come up with. But there’s no money to prosecute domestic violence cases. It’s almost as if people think women’s concerns about what happens to our bodies come last.

In All Fairness to Curry Todd

It is easier to rob really drunk people than it is sober ones. So, in a way, I guess if you’re going to drive around town plastered, it makes sense to be armed.

It Was Bound to Happen

I fell into a grave. One of Ben Allen’s grandparents. I said “Brother, watch out. There’s a hole here.” And then I fell in it. It felt like it took me forever to fall. Just whole minutes. And then I finally was fallen and so I hollered “I fell.” And then I laughed. I called [...]

Breakfast

My brother is buying me breakfast at McDonald’s, because we’re fancy like that. Then we’re going to spend the day doing free stuff, I hope. Errands are mostly free, right? Had a little bit of a freakout yesterday, but I’m pulling myself together today. Much like this baby*, who is working hard to grow into [...]

My Brothers

Both of my brothers are safely here and my anxiety has gone way, way down. They’re talking football. I’m chiming in with MMA stuff when applicable. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, they’re in the same fantasy football league. Our Georgia brother’s cat got bit by a copperhead. I think I mentioned that. Snake [...]

Things I Love

–I love when someone says something like “You probably think I’m an alcoholic” when the thought never once entered your mind, because, damn it, now I wonder if I should. –I love when people who have long ago flounced off the internet leave the shitty things they said about you up on their untended blog [...]

A Weekend of Old Things

People, my desire to sit out in the hammock and nap is so strong that I had to  make myself a to-do list full of the shit I do every Sunday just to keep myself on track. I could have spent all day at Watkins Park and been happy about it. Quite possibly, my biggest [...]

Self-Promotion to Promote Myself

Remember, the spooky thing this year is “The Witch’s Friend” and next Sunday at the Southern Festival of Books. 1:30, me on the Chapter 16 stage, reading from A City of Ghosts, which, for the record, makes an excellent present for all your friends and relatives.  

Jesus Ween

Nothing says “Turn your back on heathen practices” like “Our Lord and Savior’s Penis.” There’s no on affiliated with that group who knows a 13 year old boy they could have tried that name out on? But ignoring that “ween” means “penis,” let’s talk about Jesus Ween as a concept. When I first moved to [...]

Stuffed

1. Went to Ashland City, which is my favorite place to go to in Tennessee. I can’t really explain it. I don’t particularly care to be in Ashland City, especially now that they tore down the restaurant with the awesome fries. But mark my words, people, someday I will write a book called Going to [...]

“A Fan of the Ghost”

Man, this sentence: “ I was a fan of the ghost more than the band.” Lord almighty that’s brilliant. Perfect. And her larger point is one that I think is important. Ruth Hill in her book on Bourbon Spanish America says that our biggest problem in understanding race in that era is that we look [...]