Writers at the Wrecking Presents Michael Farris Smith - Blackwood
Thursday, Mar 26, 2020 7:00 PM
Location:
Wrecking Bar Brewpub
292 Moreland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307
At the March edition of Writers at the Wrecking Bar, we welcome author Michael Farris Smith to discuss his latest novel, "Blackwood," a timeless, mythical tale of unforgiving justice and elusive grace in which rural Mississippi townsfolk shoulder the pain of generations as something dangerous lurks in the enigmatic kudzu of the woods.
Smith will appear in conversation with Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of “Becoming Mrs. Lewis.”
Atlanta singer-songwriter Caroline Herring will kick off the evening with a short set.
This event is free and open to the public. If you are unable to attend, you may pre-order a signed copy of the book for pick-up in-store or delivery below:
About the Book
The town of Red Bluff, Mississippi, has seen better days, though those who’ve held on have little memory of when that was. Myer, the county’s aged, sardonic lawman, still thinks it can prove itself — when confronted by a strange family of drifters, the sheriff believes that the people of Red Bluff can be accepting, rational, even good.
The opposite is true: this is a landscape of fear and ghosts — of regret and violence — transformed by the kudzu vines that have enveloped the hills around it, swallowing homes, cars, rivers, and hiding a terrible secret deeper still.
Colburn, a junkyard sculptor who’s returned to Red Bluff, knows this pain all too well, though he too is willing to hope for more when he meets and falls in love with Celia, the local bar owner. The Deep South gives these noble, broken, and driven folks the gift of human connection while bestowing upon them the crippling weight of generations. With broken histories and vagabond hearts, the townsfolk wrestle with the evil in the woods — and the wickedness that lurks in each and every one of us.
About the Author
Michael Farris Smith is the author of “Desperation Road,” “The Fighter,” “Rivers,” and “The Hands of Strangers” and is the recipient of the 2014 Mississippi Author Award. His short fiction has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and his essays have appeared in the New York Times, Catfish Alley, Deep South Magazine, and more. He lives in Oxford, Mississippi, with his wife and two daughters.
About Writers at the Wrecking Bar
A Cappella Books presents Writers at the Wrecking Bar, a series of live author interview events showcasing some of the country's freshest voices in literary and contemporary fiction, held at our neighborhood brewpub. Each program includes writers in conversation with an arbiter of Atlanta's book scene, giving the audience a chance to experience and participate in the Q&A, and get a signed copy of the book. Select events will feature performances by notable local musicians.
Held upstairs in the Marianna Room of the Wrecking Bar Brewpub, Writers at the Wrecking Bar hosts a cash bar with signature cocktails inspired by the books, starting at 7 p.m. The author conversation and book signing follow at 7:30 p.m.