In 1991, a chicken plant burned in Hamlet, N.C. The fire exits had been locked to keep the employees from stealing—allowing workers to be trapped in the burning warehouse where 26 died. Lawrence Naumoff's new book A Southern Tragedy captures the social realism of this horrific event and the economic downturns, failing work ethic and the mistrust shared by employer and employee that marked this tragic Southern story.

North Carolina Bookwatch 2005-2006 | UNC-TV

Lawrence Naumoff: A Southern Tragedy in Crimson and Yellow | NC Bookwatch

In Michael Parker's new novel, If You Want Me to Stay, Joel Dunn Jr. tells the story of how he did everything he could to save his family after his mother left and his father's tenuous hold on sanity unraveled. On a journey from the town of Trent, North Carolina, to the coast, Joel and his little brother Tank thread their way back to their mother, fueled by potato chips, Coke, and the soundtrack of the powerful soul music that their daddy taught them to love. Always keeping the faith that their mother is waiting for them, they move from one kindly stranger to another on their odyssey, Joel ever certain they are being guided to her door.

Michael Parker: If You Want Me to Stay | NC Bookwatch

"My wife has gone. I can't say that I blame her. ... She had probably had enough of my temper, my dark moods, my foul mouth, my all-around disagreeable self. ... She had probably had enough of what most everybody wondered and some, over the years, were rude enough to ask: How in the world did a tall, thin, fair-skinned beauty and one of the most respected high school English teachers ... in all of South Carolina ... wind up married to a short, dark, fat-faced, jug-eared house painter?"

Tommy Hays: The Pleasure Was Mine | NC Bookwatch

Artist Robert F. Irwin asserts that each painting, each project in life, is a portal to the next. His new collection of art Robert F. Irwin 40 Years successfully communicates that the most fascinating aspect of an artist's life is a state of continual transformation.

Robert F. Irwin: Robert F. Irwin 40 Years | NC Bookwatch

In the ever-increasing push for longer bridges, taller buildings, bigger stadiums, and grander projects of all kinds, engineers face new challenges that redefine our sense of both aesthetics and functionality. Henry Petroski's Pushing the Limits describes two dozen adventures in engineering that provide a fresh look at the past, a unique view of the present, and a telling glimpse into the future of the discipline and how it affects our lives.

Henry Petroski: Pushing the Limits: New Adventures in Engineering | NC Bookwatch

A Well-Tempered Mind: Using Music to Help Children Listen and Learn documents an acclaimed music and education program developed a decade ago by Winston-Salem Symphony conductor and music director Peter Perret.

Peter Perret: A Well Tempered Mind | NC Bookwatch

Miss Julia's wildly popular escapades have kept readers coming back again and again. In Miss Julia Meets Her Match , she finally succumbed to Sam's charms and became Mrs. Murdoch. Will marriage dampen this proper lady's sense of adventure? Fortunately for her growing legion of fans, the answer is no.

Ann B. Ross: Miss Julia's School of Beauty | NC Bookwatch

In a hypnotic blend of oral history and travel writing, author Randall Kenan sets out to answer a question that has has long fascinated him: What does it mean to be black in America today?

Randall Kenan: Walking On Water: Black American Lives at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century | NC Bookwatch

Over the past two decades, New Stories from the South has been identified as “one of the most significant and eagerly anticipated annual collections of American short stories” ( Booklist ). The quality of the selections and the skill of its editor, Shannon Ravenel, have been lauded: “Excitingly original stories from new and recently emergent writers make this now-venerable annual a must for readers who mean to keep up with contemporary short fiction. . . . Ravenel is one of the most resourceful and intelligent editors in the business” (Kirkus Reviews).

Shannon Ravenel: New Stories From the South

UNC-TV’s North Carolina Bookwatch is the state’s premier literary series, bringing the Tar Heel State’s best and brightest Southern writers to the small screen. In every illuminating interview, host D.G. Martin sheds light on authors’ lives, books and the state’s indelible imprint on their works.