Callie Collins is author of the novel, Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine (Doubleday).

Against the bluesy backdrop of 1970s Austin, Texas, this debut follows the collision between hicks and hipsters that ultimately results in tragedy.

Austin, Texas is a town in the throes of social upheaval and the Rush Creek Saloon, five miles on its outskirts, is a bar without a crowd. Until a strange new house band transforms it from moribund honky-tonk to thriving blues bar.

“Collins debuts with a finely tuned tale of artistic ambition and cultural shifts in the 1970s Texas music scene…Brilliantly conveys the nitty-gritty details of a working musician’s day-to-day. Music lovers will especially dig this.” – Kirkus Reviews

“The old, weird Austin is not dead! It’s alive and kicking on the pages of Callie Collins’s beautiful novel, a soulful, funny and note-perfect ode to that renegade city and to the righteous music that made it what it is. Fans of Denis Johnson and Willy Vlautin will DEVOUR.”

– Kevin Barry, author of Night Boat to Tangier and The Heart in Winter

Callie Collins is a writer and editor from Texas. She cofounded A Strange Object, a small fiction-focused press based in Austin.

Her story collection, Other Names for Texas, is forthcoming from Doubleday.

She lives in Austin and plays sandlot baseball for the Cap City Cobras.

From the artist:

Wildwood Reverie is a folk/Americana trio from Memphis, Tennessee, featuring Rachel Maxann, Victoria Dowdy, and Montana Jones. With rich harmonies and a soulful blend of guitar, banjo, and bass, they craft songs that celebrate healing, resilience, and women’s empowerment. Rooted in the storytelling traditions of folk and country, their music is both timeless and refreshing, offering a sound that uplifts and unites.

Splitting his time between touring and Memphis session work, Wyly Bigger has released his debut album Broken Telephone (Madjack Records).

The title track was a finalist for the Memphis Songwriter of the Year in 2021.

The album brings the buried spirit of rock n’ roll piano back to life and includes an all-star cast of Memphis musicians.

Truly “Original old school music.”