I’m delighted to say that as of this past week, the manuscript for Hattiesburg, Mississippi: A History of the Hub City has left the desk, and over the next few months the wizards over at the History Press in Charleston will heat their cauldrons and wave their wands and produce what will no doubt be a beautiful book. It’s been an honor to work with them on this project, as it has with all of the individuals and institutions who have given so generously of their time and resources over the past year during the research process. Growing up there years ago, I never dreamed I’d have the opportunity to become so immersed in its history; the chance to tell the story of a town that has held a purchase on the hearts of many in its 130 years has been a rare privilege, and I’m looking forward to sharing that story this fall when the book comes out.

Further details will be posted in due course, but until then, my thanks to everyone at the History Press, and to all those with whom I had the pleasure of working in the Hub City.

What an honor it is to be included in The Evergreen, last published in Edinburgh by Patrick Geddes in the 1890s. Recently revitalized into a new series by the Word Bank under the auspices of the Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust, the first of these beautiful new volumes is set to appear in October. I am truly humbled to share space with such wonderful writers as Christine De Luca, Alan Gillis, and Stuart Kelly; more details are available on the Word Bank’s website.

I am beyond thrilled to be joining the cast and crew of Signal Fire for their summer expedition into the Wallowas Mountains in northeastern Oregon. Joining a dozen other artists, musicians, writers, and explorers for a week in the backcountry in search of wolves, art, and wide open night skies (among other things), it is an incredible honor to join the team. Should we find those wolves, well, we promise to leave them exactly where we found them.

Pelican Bomb has a brief review of Of Many Colors, a stirring exhibition of photography within the 2014 Loving Festival currently on display at Antenna Gallery. If you’re in the neighborhood, go.

The New Orleans Review has an interview with Melissa Malouf, author of the sly and elusive More Than You Know (Dalkey Archive Press). While she’s quick to recommend a certain Netflix series for summer entertainment, I couldn’t be quicker to suggest this superb new novel instead – it’s a jewel, and like the finest-cut gems, gleams ever so differently each time you look at it. Perfect for beaches, bars, or anywhere in between.