In this episode, Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya dive into Seven Islands of the Ocmulgee: River Stories by Gordon Johnston, a haunting collection of short stories set along Georgia’s Ocmulgee River. With themes of mystery, class, and transformation, the river becomes both setting and character in tales that linger long after they end.

A candid journey into 21st-century Southern literature——queer voices, hard truths, and the persistence behind every “overnight” success, live from Tallahassee’s Word of South Festival.

In this episode, Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya dive into In the Rhododendrons: A Memoir with Appearances by Virginia Woolf by Heather Christle. The memoir blends personal trauma, family history, and literary obsession, as Christle explores her past through the lens of Virginia Woolf’s life and work. The hosts discuss Christle’s emotional journey, from revisiting the site of a childhood assault to breaking into the grounds of a historic house tied to Woolf’s novel Orlando. It’s a thoughtful, surprising read about healing, memory, and the power of art to make sense of pain.

Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya explore The Way You Want to Be Loved by Aruni Kashyap, a short story collection that tackles identity, displacement, and resilience. Through conversations about folklore, campus life and queer love, the episode highlights how Kashyap’s writing confronts cultural blind spots with depth and sensitivity.

In this episode, Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya explore Love Sick Century, a poetry collection by Atlanta writer Elly Bookman that finds meaning in life’s everyday contrasts. Through poems that blend the personal and political, the hosts reflect on how Bookman’s work captures both the beauty and complexity of being human.

Inspired by a real-life scandal that was shocking even for the tumultuous Roaring Twenties, this captivating novel tells the story of a pioneering Black journalist, a secret interracial marriage among the New York elite, and the sensational divorce case that ignited an explosive battle over race and class. Join Peter and Orlando as they dive into this riveting tale from Savannah resident Denny Bryce. 

Inspired by painting, poetry, and jazz, poet Tony Whedon says he "can't wait to get to that computer every morning to see what's going to happen." Join Peter and Orlando as they explore Blue Ray, a collection of poems by Tony Whedon of Darien, Ga. 

Evil in Me is bestselling author Brom's novel of possession, damnation, and rock-n-roll where one woman must get the world singing in order to save her soul.

When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her children, and her closest friend are left to find a way forward without the woman who has been the lynchpin of all their lives. Recorded live at the Savannah Book Festival, this special bonus episode of Narrative Edge features Peter Biello's full conversation with author Anna Quindlen. 

Peter and Orlando explore this rich, intimate biography, from critically acclaimed author Peter Ames Carlin. This book looks beyond the sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll to open a window into the fascinating lives of four college friends — Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry — who stuck together at any cost, until the end.

Killer Mike, a Black man from Atlanta, Ga., and El-P, a white man from Brooklyn, N.Y., have transformed what should have been the twilight of their careers as rappers into their biggest spotlight yet. Known as the hip-hop duo Run The Jewels, they have headlined festivals worldwide, become action figures and Marvel comic book characters, spearheaded a worldwide countercultural movement, and played a significant role in the last two presidential elections.

Peter and Orlando discuss this powerful memoir from Neesha Powell-Ingabire. In it, she chips away at coastal Georgia’s facade of beaches and golden marshes to recover under-told Black history alongside personal and family stories.

Unstuck is the inspiring firsthand account of Stephanie Stuckey’s rise to CEO upon suddenly acquiring her family’s beloved yet struggling brand, which had become a fading memory for most Americans. Peter and Orlando discuss this captivating and inspiring memoir of the beloved, Georgia-based roadside icon. 

On this episode of Salvation South Deluxe: Chuck Reece explores the evolution of Southern fiction through conversations with acclaimed authors David Joy, Tayari Jones, Michael Farris Smith, Chris Offutt, and S.A. Cosby. From Appalachian hollows to Atlanta's streets, these authors craft thrilling narratives that challenge stereotypes and confront issues of race, class, and justice. 

A friend of Salvation South editor Chuck Reece had a hard year because of things that were out of his control. Chuck didn’t have any answers to the hand that life dealt his friend, but he did have a few ideas about certain uniquely Southern constants we can turn to when the rough patches come, as they inevitably do.

In this episode, Peter and Orlando explore the comprehensive, authoritative biography of civil rights icon John Lewis, “The Conscience of the Congress.” The 700-page volume draws on interviews with Lewis and approximately 275 others who knew him at various stages of his life and never-before-used FBI files and documents. 

Next month, the bestselling novelist Percival Everett, who was born in Fort Gordon, Georgia, could take home one of the most prestigious prizes in publishing, the National Book Award, for his novel James. The National Book Awards are Salvation South editor—and avid reader—Chuck Reece’s favorite awards show. Here’s how he gets ready to watch.

Peter and Orlando discuss Erin Carlyle’s Girl at the End of the World, a collection of poetry that considers the complex grief of a parent lost to Opioids. In the book, the speaker works through her father's death with a sharp focus on place, expanding into the realms of science fiction and mythmaking. 

We're all a little bit broken, aren't we? Young widow Tracie Shaw may be more than most. She spends her days hidden away making beautiful treasures out of other people's trash. Her life changes when she finds someone's abandoned ashes in a storage bin auction. When she meets a woman who might have a clue as to where the ashes came from and what they mean, her life turns upside down. 

In this episode of Narrative Edge, hosts Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya explore Flight of the Wild Swan by Melissa Pritchard, a novelization of Florence Nightingale’s life. They discuss Nightingale's pioneering role in nursing, her complex personal journey, and the challenges she faced during the Crimean War. The hosts delve into her groundbreaking use of statistics to improve healthcare and her intense dedication to her calling, while reflecting on the novel’s portrayal of her remarkable legacy.