It’s no secret that Mississippi writers dominate American literature. Likewise, it’s no surprise that several authors hailing from the Magnolia State are coming out with some of the most anticipated books of the new year — including a major announcement from the legendary Jesmyn Ward.
This shortlist of new material from both veteran and up-and-coming Mississippians will give avid readers plenty to look forward to during 2023. And while favorite son John Grisham has not revealed any news just yet, he typically produces at least one new book each year.
Note: Publication dates are subject to change.
April 18: “Stalking Shakespeare” by Lee Durkee
Good news: Readers won’t have to wait 19 years for a new book from Oxford’s Lee Durkee.
Durkee is the author of two novels, “Rides from the Midway” and “The Last Taxi Driver,” published in 2001 and 2020, respectively. With his third book due this spring, Durkee is branching out into nonfiction.
In “Stalking Shakespeare,” Durkee dives down a rabbit hole of serious research and personal reckoning as he indulges in the theory that William Shakespeare may not be the bald man in a dramatic collar that usually comes to mind.
Durkee weaves history and memoir in a manner reminiscent of fellow Mississippian Beverly Lowry’s “Deer Creek Drive” as his obsession takes on the flavor of a true crime expose, following the trail of a 17th century murder along the way.
April 18: “The Weeds” by Katy Simpson Smith
Jackson native Katy Simpson Smith’s forthcoming novel “The Weeds” is poised to be her strongest book yet.
Following in the vein of the title, plants are a recurring theme throughout this parallel tale of two women across time absorbed in scientific pursuits to fend off their pain. The scenario provides fertile ground for Simpson Smith, who shines when writing about strong female characters and transporting readers into the past.
It also doesn’t hurt that Simpson Smith sets this book, like her 2020 novel “The Everlasting,” in the eternally alluring city of Rome.
“The Weeds” will be a great pick for readers who enjoy beautifully crafted nature writing like Robin Wall Kimmerer’s “Braiding Sweetgrass” and Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s “World of Wonders.”
April 25: “Salvage This World” by Michael Farris Smith
Michael Farris Smith is synonymous with Southern gothic literature, and he returns to his gritty, rural roots with “Salvage This World.”
His new novel is perfectly timed to coincide with the release of his film screenwriting debut “Rumble Through the Dark,” based on his popular novel “The Fighter.”
In “Salvage This World,” the devastated landscape of South Mississippi, after one too many major hurricanes, sets the scene for the unraveling of society. It’s not much of a stretch to see a resemblance to the post-apocalyptic setting of “The Last of Us.” Like a compelling television series, the novel lends itself to binging, at a single-sitting length of under 300 pages.
Meanwhile, Smith is already at work on his next movie, based on his book “Desperation Road.”
June 13: “How to Stay Married” by Harrison Scott Key
In his third memoir, Thurber Prize-winning humorist Harrison Scott Key takes on his toughest subjects yet: marriage, infidelity and the prospect of divorce.
It’s possible to think that readers already know everything about Key’s family and relationships from his two previous candid, painfully funny personal histories “The World’s Largest Man” and “Congratulations, Who Are You Again?” Such intimacy makes the premise of his new book — discovering his spouse’s affair — seem nearly unbelievable.
But by staying true to his soul-baring style, Key takes the reader along on his journey to emotional depths and back. And in a unique twist, Key turns over part of the book to his wife Lauren, who writes her own chapter on what happened.
October 3: “Let Us Descend” by Jesmyn Ward
Delisle’s Jesmyn Ward may well be Mississippi’s greatest living writer, and she’s still in her prime. Just last year, she earned a lifetime achievement award from the Library of Congress, and in the past month she announced her most ambitious novel yet, “Let Us Descend.”
While Ward has written both novels and memoirs, she returns to fiction in her new book. Although it is set in the familiar terrain of the rural South, she departs from her usual contemporary setting on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to address the era of slavery in America, embodied by the character of Annis, who must travel on foot across several states to a new plantation after being sold.
Ward is one of only six writers — as well as the only Black writer and woman — to receive the prestigious National Book Award more than once. While William Faulkner is one of the few in her company, Ward was nearly two decades younger than he was when she earned her second honor in 2017. At this rate, it likely will not be her last.
Emily Liner is the owner and founder of Friendly City Books, an independent bookstore and press in Columbus, Mississippi.
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