The Southern Lit Alliance will host author Jim Minick for an afternoon reading from his debut novel, Fire is Your Water. The event will take place on Sunday, Aug. 27 at 2 p.m. and will be followed by a discussion and book signing with the author.
Jim Minick is the acclaimed author of five books. His memoir The Blueberry Years, A Memoir of Farm and Family won the Southern Independent Booksellers Association Award for Best Nonfiction Book of the Year, and his collection of poetry Burning Heaven received the Jefferson Cup for best book of the year from the Virginia College Bookstore Association.
He also received the Jean Ritchie Fellowship in Appalachian Writing and the Fred Chappell Fellowship at University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
His debut novel, Fire is Your Water, examines the fascinating mystical beliefs of the Pennsylvania Dutch and draws from his own family history. It tells the story of Ada Franklin, a woman who is seemingly blessed with the power to heal through only her words and her faith—until a close brush with death shakes her faith in God and robs her of her healing abilities. It is then that she meets Will Burk, an agnostic, and his talking raven, Cicero.
The reading will be held in the Arts Building at 301 East 11th St. in downtown Chattanooga. Tickets are $10 per guest, and a copy of Fire is Your Water can be purchased for an additional $22. Reservations can be made online at
www.SouthernLitAlliance.org or by calling Lynda LeVan at 423-777-4221. As seating is limited, reservations are strongly recommended.