Jim Shepard is the acclaimed author of the story collection, The Queen of Bad Influences (Knopf).

In a dozen historical short stories, Shepard gives us “catastrophe fiction,” in which lives are upended as much by broken hearts as by collapsing dams, hideously mismanaged wars, gargantuan wildfires, and apocalyptic storms.

Booklist: “These magnificent, all-consuming stories of unflinching precision, breathtaking artistry, deep compassion, and lifeline humor pit the merciless might of nature against the transcendence of love.”

[Jim Shepard’s] “talent is so various and canny he can write about seemingly anything and make it thrilling to us.”—Richard Ford

“… compassionate, funny, and fearless- Shepard’s work does what great writing always does: inspires us to look more closely at life and be more caring.” —George Saunders

Jim Shepard has written eight novels, including The Book of Aron, which won the Sophie Brody Medal, the PEN/New England Award, the Ribalow Prize, and the Clark Fiction Prize.

He is also the author of six story collections, including Like You’d Understand, Anyway, which won the Story Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Award.

Shepard lives in Williamstown, Massachusetts, with his wife, the fiction writer Karen Shepard, and a Pittie mix and a beagle.

Jim White is reportedly putting the finishing touches on a new album, Gone Forever, Be Back Soon.

White is a singer and songwriter from Pensacola, FL who brings a surreal wit (he drove a cab in New York City for years) and Southern Gothic sensibility to his work.

His releases include his acclaimed debut on Luaka Bop (recently re-issued), Wrong-Eyed Jesus! (The Mysterious Tale of How I Shouted).

Also, Drill a Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You See, (recently released in a 20th anniversary Deluxe Edition).

Other releases: Take It Like a Man and, his most recent, Misfit’s Jubilee, that includes the cult hit, “The Divided States of America” and our personal favorite, “Highway of Lost Hats.”

Yet another recent release of note: Precious Bane, (named for an eccentric 1920s British novel) is a moody soundscape in collaboration with Trey Blake, a neurodivergent artist living in Brighton, UK.

White is also an author. His latest book is the story collection, Sometimes by the Sea (Cool Dog Sound).

His previous book, Incidental Contact, is a memoir/novel unspooling around a cluster of baffling events that befell White during his cabbie years which led to him being “discovered” by Talking Heads frontman David Byrne.

A story from the book, Superwhite, was awarded a Pushcart Prize for short fiction.

White lives in Winterville, Georgia.

Taylor’s newest single is “Shady People.” It is the first single from his upcoming full-length LP, Folk n’ Roll, coming out August 21 via Dial Back Sound.

HUGE NEWS: Taylor will appear as a pop-up artist at this year’s Newport Folk Festival – July 24-26, 2026.

Congrats, Taylor!

More news: Taylor’s song, “Ring Around Saturn” won First Place in the Americana category at the 2025 International Songwriting Competition, sponsored by Music for Humanity.

Listeners may recall Hollingsworth’s former collaborations with his own band, as half the duo Dead Fingers (with Kate Taylor) and from his days touring with Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band.

Following the birth of his daughter, Hollingsworth took a hiatus from the road to dedicate himself to his family and cultivate his craft as a full-time local musician in Birmingham, AL.