Last month I had the pleasure of joining the Bottom Reader Book Club for the first time as the author guest, rather than facilitator. It was thrilling to be on the other side of the proverbial table, knowing that I’d be in good hands with my perceptive friend and fellow 2025 debut author Catherine Simone Gray as facilitator and our cohort of gracious and insightful readers tuning in with their insights and questions. There’s a reason why multiple authors have said that the Bottom Reader Book Club discussions rank among their favorite author appearances—these are conversations that go below the surface, touching on writers’ craft decisions, their missteps and unexpected triumphs, their conceptions of place and home, the nitty gritty of their journeys to publication.
In our conversation about Split the Baby, we talked about why I decided against reaching out to my former stepmother during the writing of the book, my shock of discovering the role of the Klan in a Colorado town where I spent a large chunk of my childhood, and how my understanding of home has changed since I started Rooted just a few years ago. I hope you enjoy the conversation!
You can listen to these book club recordings in the Substack app, in your web browser, or on Spotify1. Subscribe to the show on Spotify to get notifications when new episodes are released. Recorded book club conversations are only available to paid subscribers, but the live book club sessions will continue to be free and open to all readers.
My deep gratitude to Catherine and the Bottom Readers who joined the call. Thanks again to our partners: Mississippi Book Festival, Lemuria Books, and Friendly City Books.
Save the date! Our next book club conversation will take place on August 6 at 7pm with Martha Park about her debut book, World Without End: Essays on Apocalypse and After.
Plan ahead and check out our upcoming book club picks!
August 6 at 7pm: World Without End: Essays on Apocalypse and After with author Martha Park
September 3 at 7pm: Before Elvis: The African American Musicians Who Made the King with author Preston Lauterbach and moderator Talamieka Brice
September 13: Don’t miss the Mississippi Book Festival!
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