Leah Tyler

Arts & Entertainment Old South traditions, gender disparity and a desire to fit in drive narrative in Sheri Joseph’s new novel. In "Angels at the Gate," the mystery behind the death of student Brantley Simms is told from Leah Gavin's adult perspective and highlights themes of gender, class and privilege.

For anyone who has speculated about what could happen with the miscellaneous social media accounts people have started and abandoned over the years — thinkMyspace, Friendster or the multitude of forgotten blogs still cycling through cyberspace — North Carolina author Joseph Worthen ventures into the nefarious world of dark-web chat rooms to assert a stunning possibility.

Acclaimed North Carolina author Jason Mott made a memorable statement about racial violence in his 2021 National Book Award winner “Hell of a Book” when he introduced his character Soot — a little Black boy who turns invisible when he senses danger. The story follows an unnamed narrator who is an Author on a book tour promoting his bestselling novel of the same title.