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Southern Essay Collections for Your TBR

This week's new nonfiction releases focus on Muscogee reservation in Oklahoma and working class America. Plus, two essayists from the South.

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Kendra Winchester

Contributing Editor

Kendra Winchester is a Contributing Editor for Book Riot where she writes about audiobooks and disability literature. She is also the Founder of Read Appalachia, which celebrates Appalachian literature and writing. Previously, Kendra co-founded and served as Executive Director for Reading Women, a podcast that gained an international following over its six-season run. In her off hours, you can find her writing on her Substack, Winchester Ave, and posting photos of her Corgis on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester.

View All posts by Kendra Winchester

I love living in the South. We have superstar authors like Jesmyn Ward and Angie Thomas and top-tier academics like Imani Perry. When it comes to nonfiction, I’m partial to personal essays about culture and identity, and here in the South, we have some INCREDIBLE essayists who write about everything from Southern cuisine to nature. These authors share their experiences living in such a diverse place with fraught history. Today we’ll be looking at the two of those collections. But first, bookish goods!

Bookish Goods

a photo of a dark blue bookmarks featuring illustrations go whale sharks

Whale Shark Bookmark by Kelsey Emblow Art

There’s something magical about the ocean, and I love that this bookmark captures the beauty of the ocean. Also, whale sharks! $4

New Releases

a graphic of the cover of By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land by Rebecca Nagle

By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land by Rebecca Nagle

In By the Fire We Carry, Cherokee writer Rebecca Nagle delves into the history of a Muscogee reservation in Oklahoma that the American government decided no longer existed. The results of this decision had a large impact on the Muscogee and other Native Nations.

a graphic of the cover of Bone of the Bone: Essays on America by a Daughter of the Working Class by Sarah Smarsh

Bone of the Bone: Essays on America by a Daughter of the Working Class by Sarah Smarsh

This new collection of essays from National Book Award and Kirkus Prize Finalist Sarah Smarsh features a decade’s worth of writing about working-class America, rural life, and politics. As a huge Sarah Smarsh fan, I can’t wait to get my hands on this one in particular.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

a graphic of the cover of Graceland, At Last: Notes on Hope and Heartache From the American South

Graceland, At Last: Notes on Hope and Heartache From the American South by Margaret Renkl

For years, Margaret Renkl wrote a column about her life in the South, sharing her thoughts on everything from politics to cuisine. Graceland, At Last features a selection of those columns, organized by topic. I loved the chatty quality of each essay as it discussed things like current events or observations about nature. Whatever the topic, I always felt like I was sitting across from her on the porch, sipping sweet tea in the sun as she shared her thoughts with me.

a graphic of the cover of Southbound: Essays on Identity, Inheritance, and Social Change

Southbound: Essays on Identity, Inheritance, and Social Change by Anjali Enjeti

Enjeti and her family moved to the South when she was small. Since then, she’s called the South her home. But as a mixed-race brown girl, many people there didn’t necessarily make her feel welcome. Now, as an adult, Enjeti writes about her experience with racism as well as her complicity in systemic racism. These essays feature her thoughts on feminism, the new South, gun violence, voter suppression, and so much more.

You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, on TikTok @kendrawinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles on Book Riot.

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