Flannery O’Connor(Floyd Jillson)

Flannery O’Connor was born nearly a century ago in Savannah, Georgia - and her complex legacy as a Southern Gothic writer reverberates to this day.

“Flannery’s Cafe” is a play that delves into her notions of prejudice, grace and redemption through the characters in her stories.

Written by Peggy Douglas and Jason Tinney, the play opens Friday at Chattanooga State Community College, in partnership with the nonprofit Mark Making.

Due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter, a public talkback will be held after the play - moderated by Donivan Brown, director of the Horton-Keller Center for Traumatic Healing in East Chattanooga.

In back-to-back conversations about the play, I spoke with Peggy Douglas and Donivan Brown - and our own Richard Winham spoke with Jason Tinney.

(Chattanooga State Community College)

Marilyn & Neville Forsythe(Neville Forsythe)

Richard Winham speaks with Marilyn Forsythe - wife of the late Chattanooga chef Neville Forsythe - about “Gone Nuts About Herbs,” a collection of his favorite recipes that she edited.

Lisa Baker(Wes Tobayoyong / lisabakerguitar.com)

Richard Winham shares a conversation with Lisa Baker - guitarist, composer, painter and educator - who will give a presentation at UTC on Monday, February 28th on some of the women whose seminal creative influence has been largely overlooked.

(Moonshine Cove Publishing)

Richard Winham shares the second part of his conversation with Robert Gwaltney, vice president of Easter Seals North Georgia - and author of the debut novel “The Cicada Tree,” set in a small Mississippi town in the 1950’s.

Robert Gwaltney(Robert Gwaltney)

Robert Gwaltney(Robert Gwaltney)

Richard Winham shares the first part of his conversation with Robert Gwaltney, vice president of Easter Seals North Georgia - an author of the debut novel “The Cicada Tree,” set in a small Mississippi town in the 1950’s.

(Moonshine Cove Publishing)

Douglas Wolk, at right - and the cover of his book, at left.(Penguin Random House)

(aired Weds 11/24/21)

Richard Winham speaks with Douglas Wolk, author of the book “All of the Marvels: A Journey to the Ends of the Biggest Story Ever Told,” published by Penguin Random House.

Dr. Jing Tsu(Yale University)

Richard Winham shares a conversation with Dr. Jing Tsu, literary scholar and cultural historian at Yale University, on her new book, “Kingdom of Characters: The Language Revolution That Made China Modern.”

(Penguin Random House)

Gwen Kirby(Gwen Kirby)

(aired Weds 1/19/22)

Richard Winham shares a conversation with author Gwen Kirby on her debut collection of short stories.

(followtheseinstructions / Creative Commons)

(aired Weds 1/12/22)

Richard Winham shares the second part of conversation with four writers in the Chattanooga area: Helga Kidder, Cynthia Young, KB Ballentine and Rachel Landrum Crumble.

(chimpwithcan / Creative Commons)

(aired Weds 1/05/22)

Richard Winham shares the first part of conversation with four writers in the Chattanooga area: Helga Kidder, Cynthia Young, KB Ballentine and Rachel Landrum Crumble.