The Alabama Writers’ Forum
The Alabama Writers’ Forum, a partnership program of the Alabama State Council on the Arts, works to cultivate our state’s literary culture. We do that through supporting writers at all stages. We encourage our young writers to find their creative voice through the Father Goose Poetry Festival for Kids!–and through our Alabama High School Literary Arts Awards. We support the work of our state’s literary community through our Alabama Authors Directory, First Draft magazine, and other programming and opportunities for writers across the state. And we celebrate our state’s rich literary legacy through the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame. We are, above all, a community of writers united by our desire to advance the literary arts in Alabama. If that describes you — join us! There are many ways to get involved.
Where the Wildflowers Grow
Where the Wildflowers Grow By Terah Shelton Harris Sourcebooks, 2026 Paperback Genre: Fiction Reviewed by: Dr. Charlotte C. Teague "It's easy when it's good, but what about when it ain't?" These lyrics from Inge Rose's new song, "Love Me When It's Hard," capture the emotional heartbeat of Terah Shelton Harris's newest novel, Where the Wildflowers Grow. Harris's third novel takes readers on an unexpected journey through pain, trauma, forgiveness, and love, carried almost magically on a path lined with Alabama wildflowers. Through beautiful and deeply evocative prose, Harris paints a portrait of life when money is scarce, smiles are few, and the sun seems reluctant to shine. She reminds us that memories often "enter without knocking." Leandra (Leigh) Wildes, the novel's imperfect protagonist and narrator, invites readers into her fractured world, where truth and memory blur along the familiar yet complicated lines of the rural South. Haunted by memories of her Mama, Daddy, her sister Lila, Deacon Ridley, and the painful secrets of her tragic past, Leandra gradually discovers that healing often arrives through the unexpected gifts [...]
