Rooted

In August, best-selling author Aimee Nezhukumatathil joined our book club to talk about her delectable and life-giving collection of food essays, Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees. The chat was hopping with questions and comments from listeners, and Aimee graciously responded to them all. (Most memorably, Eric shared that he tried the rice cooking hack that Aimee writes about in her essay on rice, much to the author’s delight.) Our conversation meandered from the lighthearted to the deeply personal, as we touched on topics like the pleasure of reading books with beautiful illustrations (each chapter of Bite by Bite starts with an illustration by Fumi Nakamura), to searching for joy and connection in times of darkness, to the importance of writing about race and identity. As usual, the book club starts off with a reading from the author, which is a real treat (as Tatia aptly noted in the discussion). I hope you enjoy this conversation.

You can now listen to these recordings on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Subscribe to the show in your app to get notifications when new episodes are released.

If you want to go the extra mile, leave Bite by Bite a five star review on Goodreads and Amazon (even if you didn’t buy the book on Amazon), share a picture of the book to your social media, or recommend it to a friend. These small actions can make a big difference to the authors whose books mean so much to us.

Thank you, Aimee! And thanks again to our partners: Mississippi Book Festival, Lemuria Books, and Friendly City Books. Thank you to the team at Red Squared for recording our production at their studio in The Hangar.

Up next: catch us at the Mississippi Book Festival TOMORROW! I’ll be moderating the Southern Fiction panel with Minrose Gwin, Mary Annaïse Heglar, Gerry Wilson, and Jamie Quatro. I can’t wait!

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Last month, author Boyce Upholt joined our book club to talk about his ambitious and riveting history, The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi. There was a vibrant discussion in the book club chat! Folks asked great questions and Boyce captivated us with his knowledge and stories about Earthworks, the Army Corps of Engineers (yes, he makes engineering history interesting!), and the future he sees for flood control on the Mississippi. Boyce will be in Jackson for the Mississippi Book Festival on September 14, so you can get him to sign your book then. And if you’re interested in more of Boyce’s writing on nature in the South, subscribe to his excellent newsletter, southlands.

You can now listen to these recordings on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Subscribe to the show in your app to get notifications when new episodes are released.

If you want to go the extra mile, leave The Great River a five star review on Goodreads and Amazon (even if you didn’t buy the book on Amazon), share a picture of the book to your social media, or recommend it to a friend. These small actions can make a big difference to the authors whose books mean so much to us.

Thank you, Boyce! And thanks again to our partners: Mississippi Book Festival, Lemuria Books, and Friendly City Books. Thank you to the team at Red Squared for recording our production at their studio in The Hangar.

Up next: we’re reading Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. Join us on August 29 at 7 p.m. CT.

Rooted Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Last month, author Gerry Wilson joined our book club to talk about her richly imagined Southern Gothic novel, That Pinson Girl. She talked to us about writing about the influenza epidemic of 1918 while in the early days of the COVID pandemic, the family stories that served as inspiration for her characters, and the difficulty—and fun—of writing from a villain’s POV. Our book club members (me included!) really loved the novel. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly suggest picking up a copy of That Pinson Girl from your local bookstore or library.

You can now listen to these recordings on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Subscribe to the show in your app to get notifications when new episodes are released.

If you want to go the extra mile, leave That Pinson Girl a five star review on Goodreads and Amazon (even if you didn’t buy the book on Amazon), share a picture of the book to your social media, or recommend it to a friend. These small actions can make a big difference to the authors whose books mean so much to us.

Thank you, Gerry! And thanks again to our partners: Mississippi Book Festival, Lemuria Books, and Friendly City Books. Thank you to the team at Red Squared for recording our production at their studio in The Hangar.

Up next: we’re reading The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi by Boyce Upholt. Join us on July 25 at 7 p.m.

And in if you’re in the Jackson area this Thursday July 11, we’ll be doing a Happy Hour Book Club Meet-Up at Aplos, starting at 5 p.m. If you haven’t already told me you’re coming, you can respond to this email! (That way I know how big of a table to reserve.)

In May, Dionne Ford joined our book club to talk about her luminous and forthright memoir Go Back and Get It: A Memoir of Race, Inheritance, and Intergenerational Healing. We talked about her writing process, finding the photo that started her quest through the annals of historical archives and genealogical records to find her ancestors, and the many research detours she took along the way. I especially loved hearing her talk about her experiences in Mississippi, including that she was able to bring her father, who was born here, back to Mississippi for the first time since leaving the state as a child. Also, Dionne will be at the Mississippi Book Festival on September 14 in Jackson! I hope you can come out to hear her talk about the book in person. I’ll be there!

You can now listen to these recordings on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Subscribe to the show in your app to get notifications when new episodes are released. Note: This was my first time using Streamyard, and I’m sorry to say that there were technical difficulties on my end that cause my video to freeze throughout the recording. Fortunately, the audio worked throughout and Dionne’s video is great!

If you want to go the extra mile, leave Go Back and Get it a five star review on Goodreads and Amazon (even if you didn’t buy the book on Amazon), share a picture of the book to your social media, or recommend it to a friend. These small actions can make a big difference to the authors whose books mean so much to us.

Thank you, Dionne! And thanks again to our partners: Mississippi Book Festival, Lemuria Books, and Friendly City Books. Thank you to the team at Red Squared for recording our production at their studio in The Hangar.

In April, Harrison Scott Key joined our book club to talk about his heartbreaking and hilarious memoir How to Stay Married. I think we were all struck by how open and honest Harrison was about his life and writing. He talked to us about his writing process, why religion and spirituality is such an important piece of the book, and what it’s been like to have a deeply personal and vulnerable memoir out in the world. I think you will enjoy this discussion even if you haven’t read the book.

You can now listen to these recordings on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Subscribe to the show in your app to get notifications when new episodes are released. (Warning: there is some cussing in this episode.)

If you want to go the extra mile, leave How to Stay Married a five star review on Goodreads and Amazon (even if you didn’t buy the book on Amazon), share a picture of the book to your social media, or recommend it to a friend. These small actions can make a big difference to the authors whose books mean so much to us.

Thank you, Harrison! And thanks again to our partners: Mississippi Book Festival, Lemuria Books, and Friendly City Books. Thank you to the team at Red Squared for recording our production with intention and care at their studio in The Hangar.

Catch up on past book club discussions here:

In March, I talked with Katy Simpson Smith and Rooted book club members about Katy’s layered and immersive novel, The Weeds. Katy spoke about her research process, how her experience in academia shaped the narrative arc of one of the protagonists, and the surprising ways in which her home state creeped into the novel. This was a fun discussion. Even if you haven’t read the book, I think you will enjoy listening in. There are no spoilers in this one!

If you want to go the extra mile, leave The Weeds a five star review on Goodreads and Amazon (even if you didn’t buy the book on Amazon), share a picture of the book to your social media, or recommend it to a friend. These small actions can make a big difference to the authors whose books mean so much to us.

Thank you, Katy! And thanks again to our partners: Mississippi Book Festival, Lemuria Books, and Friendly City Books. Thank you to the team at Red Squared for recording our production with intention and care at their studio in The Hangar.

In February, I talked with Tyriek White and Rooted book club members about Tyriek’s lyrical and award-winning novel We Are a Haunting (Astra House, 2023). Tyriek spoke about the meaning behind his beautiful book cover, his unique approach to crafting setting and character, and the ways in which living in Mississippi influenced the writing of this book. This was a deep and valuable discussion. Even if you haven’t read the book, I think you will enjoy listening in. Just know that we do discuss a couple light spoilers.

If you want to go the extra mile, leave We Are A Haunting a five star review on Goodreads and Amazon (even if you didn’t buy the book on Amazon), share a picture of the book to your social media, or recommend it to a friend. These small actions can make a big difference to the authors whose books mean so much to us.

Thank you, Tyriek! And thanks again to our partners: Mississippi Book Festival, Lemuria Books, and Friendly City Books. Thank you to the team at Red Squared for recording our production with tons of intention and care at their studio in The Hangar.

In January, I talked with Ellen Ann Fentress and the book club squad about her brilliant memoir The Steps We Take: A Memoir of Southern Reckoning (University Press of Mississippi, 2023). Ellen Ann always speaks with candor and clarity about even the most complex and uncomfortable of topics. I enjoyed diving into this rich discussion with her and the rest of our fabulously insightful participants. Talking about The Steps We Take was a great kick-off to the Rooted Book Club! I hope you enjoy this replay.

If you want to go the extra mile, leave The Steps We Take a five star review on Amazon (even if you didn’t buy the book on Amazon) and Goodreads, share a picture of the book to your social media, or recommend it to a friend! These small actions can make a big difference to the authors whose books mean so much to us.

Thank you, Ellen Ann! And thanks again to our partners: Mississippi Book Festival, Lemuria Books, and Friendly City Books. Thank you to the team at Red Squared Communication & Design for recording our production with tons of intention and care at their studio in The Hangar.

Get updates on all future Rooted Book Club meetings and replays.