What to Expect When You're Expecting: Your First Book

The dark-haired kid in the back row raised his hand yet again. It was the third question that he had asked and the fifth one total that I had fielded from the sleepy-eyed, bored teenagers scattered throughout the small auditorium of my old high school. I scanned the sparse crowd looking for someone else, anyone else who might lob me a softball: “Who’s your favorite writer? “What’s your favorite book?” “Are you married?” Having no luck, I pointed at him, and he haughtily threw another query in my direction.

A Conversation With: Bobby C. Rogers

I’m seated by a floor-to-ceiling window in a Memphis coffee shop waiting for a former professor of mine. Memphis, because it’s his home turf. I watch the passersby coming and going on this sunny Saturday, and as I’m looking outside, I see Bobby C. Rogers turning the corner of Cooper and Cowden. He is a professor of English at Union University.

A Conversation With: Andrew Peterson

A husband of twenty-one years and the father of three teens, Andrew Peterson is a Christian singer-songwriter and author based out of Nashville, Tennessee. Since moving there from the homeland he lovingly calls "redneck Florida," Andrew has produced seventeen albums and written a four-part book series, The Wingfeather Saga. The Star Center has the joy of welcoming Andrew to Jackson this Saturday, February 20, for a concert at Fellowship Bible Church benefiting their Literacy Lab scholarships.

Hidden Pages of Jackson: Local Library Guide

I remember standing there looking at the thousands of books that lined the University of Memphis library. French literature, Biblical history, new theories in neurology, African American authors, North American archeology; all of these and much more laid before my eyes. I was truly overwhelmed. Thankfully, I am not the only one to feel the very existential tingle that shoots through my mind when I think of a good book. There is some strange power in a book.

Hello Jackson: OZ Rare & Used Books

As a long-time bookworm, I am excited to be writing about a quaint little bookstore today. OZ Rare & Used Books, where you can find everything from popular drama novels to classic literature, opened its doors downtown this past March. Just like the books inside, OZ isn't brand new; it has a history. The store began as The Book Rack and was owned by Brenda McKinney. Beginning in January current owner Denver Chandler began an apprenticeship with McKinney.