Between the Pages of WELL READ Magazine

INSIDE VOICES - Robert Gwaltney and Jeffrey Dale Lofton interview Neema Avashia

Neema Avashia was born and raised in southern West Virginia to parents who immigrated to the United States from India. She has been a history and Civics teacher in the Boston Public Schools since 2003. Her essays have appeared in the Bitter Southerner, Catapult, Kenyon Review Online, and elsewhere. Her memoir, Another Appalachia, Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place, was released to much acclaim in March 2022.

Annie Asks Amy Ferris

Annie McDonnell asks Amy Ferris some interesting questions...
Amy Ferris is an author, screenwriter, editor and playwright. Her memoir, Marrying George Clooney: Confessions From A Midlife Crisis debuted theatrically (Off-Broadway) in 2012.
Ruth Pennebaker of The New York Times called her memoir "poignant, free-wheeling, cranky and funny." Amy co-edited, along with Hollye Dexter, the new anthology DANCING AT THE SHAME PROM. She has contributed to numerous anthologies including: He Said What? The Drinking Diaries, Exit Laughing, and The Buddha Next Door.
Amy is on faculty at The San Miguel de Allende Literary Festival, on the Advisory Board of The Women's Media Center, she serves on the Board of Directors at Peters Valley Art, Education, and Crafts Center, and is a founding Board member of the Scranton, PA based Pages & Places Literary Festival. She primarily writes about all things women-centric. While she often feels like she's in retrograde, she quite enjoys her life, and her fervent wish is that all women awaken to their greatness. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her husband.

INSIDE VOICES - Robert Gwaltney and Jeffrey Dale Lofton in conversation with Zak Salih

Zak Salih earned his BA in English and Journalism from James Madison University, and his MA in English from the University of Virginia. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Foglifter, Epiphany, Crazyhorse, The Florida Review, The Chattahoochee Review, The Millions, Apogee Journal, Kenyon Review Online, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and other publications. Let's Get Back to the Party is his debut novel. He lives in Washington, D.C.

ANNIE’S ANTICS with Meg Nocero

From Annie: "The author I choose each month is one that I believe was born to shine - this month I want to introduce the smart, motivational, inspiring, and wise author - Meg Nocero."

Donna Everhart reads Saints of Swallow Hill

Few writers evoke the complexities of the heart and the gritty fascination of the American South as vividly as Donna Everhart, whose lyrical new novel, set against the background of the Great Depression, is a powerful story of courage, survival, and friendship . . .

Donna Everhart reads from The Moonshiner’s Daughter

“Rousing… movingly explores Jessie’s struggle with her eating disorder, viscerally describing her twin desires for nourishment and purging in relation to a deep need to define herself… Everhart’s story of self-discovery, rife with colorful characters and a satisfying twist, will thrill readers.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review

Donna Everhart reads from The Forgiving Kind

“Reminiscent of the novels of Lee Smith, Kaye Gibbons, and Sandra Dallas, Everhart builds a firm sense of place, portraying the tiredness and hope of a dry southern summer and voicing strong southern women.” ~Booklist

Donna Everhart reads from The Road to Bittersweet

“Readers will find The Road to Bittersweet to be a lovingly crafted coming-of-age novel set in the unforgiving Carolina hills. Everhart understands the mindset of a young girl on the cusp of womanhood as her world fills with hardship, betrayal, and the wonderment of growing up. Readers will be struck by how beautifully Everhart captures the dialect of her well-drawn characters and the landscape – both harsh and beautiful. Here is a story that tugs at the heartstrings with its believability and evocative prose, leaving readers believing there is always hope when a family stands together.”- RT Book Reviews

Donna Everhart reads from The Education of Dixie Dupree

“Young Dixie Dupree is an indomitable spirit in this coming-of-age novel that is a heartbreaking and honest witness to the resilience of human nature and the fighting spirit and courage residing in all of us, and for those who have lived in the underbelly of betrayal and child abuse. A triumphant debut novel which can transform a brokenness, bring forth a wholeness, The Education of Dixie Dupree would make a wonderful resource and academic book as well.” – The Huffington Post (Kim Michele Richardson)

Lenis by Holly Hart Shirley

Welcome to The Holley House! Each month, Holly Hart Shirley will share stories with WELL READ. In February's issue, Holly shares the story of her grandmother, Lenis Holley.