Salvation South

Transplants, retirees, and second-homers thought western North Carolina would be a refuge from the ravages of climate change. Hurricane Helene thought otherwise.

In celebration of National Book Month, a poem about little free libraries, those humble guardians of literature that stand watch in our neighborhoods.

A poem from Frank X Walker’s latest collection, Load in Nine Times

In a candid conversation, the author of Everywhere the Undrowned reveals how she transformed childhood abandonment into a powerful memoir.

As part of our “Love Louder” initiative, Neema Avashia interviews Rae Garringer about their groundbreaking oral history project celebrating LGBTQ+ lives in rural Appalachia.

A mother grapples with her own mother’s fading memory and acceptance, while finding strength in unlikely places. Fox’s poems blend the flavors of Texas cooking with the rituals of Jewish mourning, creating a unique portrait of healing and liberation.

An excerpt from Everywhere the Undrowned: A Memoir of Survival and Imagination, by Stephanie Clare Smith, centered on one summer in the young life of this North Carolina poet and essayist.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, a young writer chronicles the devastation of her beloved mountain community—and the resilience of her people.

Southern writers respond to our region’s current troubles with words that offer human healing—and pointed challenges.

In Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, a historic tunnel stands as a testament to the region’s boom-and-bust cycles. Amelia Loeffler explores how this “Gateway to the Red” reflects the area’s complex past and uncertain future.

Two Southern poets confront the tragedy of school shootings. Johnson and Lawson’s raw, visceral words help us reflect on the Apalachee High School killings and the broader epidemic of gun violence in America’s schools.

In his new book, Wright Thompson explores the murder of Emmett Till and its lasting impact. John T. Edge interviews Thompson about confronting Mississippi’s past.