What makes Nashville's gerrymandering legal❓

📰 A True Crime Crossover

It’s taken years to unravel the unbelievable crime web woven by Erik Maund, heir to a massive Austin auto dealership, which resulted in the deaths of an escort and her estranged boyfriend here in Nashville in 2020. Hear the story on the City Cast Nashville podcast, in collaboration with City Cast Austin. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

✈️ 3 New Nonstop BNA Flights

Southwest Airlines has announced three new nonstop flights out of BNA. Travelers can fly directly to Indianapolis, Cabo San Lucas, and Punta Cana starting in March 2025. Meet me in Cabo, y’all 😎 [WKRN]

🏛️ Court Rules Nashville’s Gerrymandering Was Legal

A federal court has dismissed NAACP’s suit against Tennessee’s 2022 redistricting — which split Nashville into three House districts — ruling lawmakers were politically and not racially motivated when they gerrymandered the state. Political gerrymandering is legal. [Tennessee Lookout]

🧑‍⚖️ Vandy Protestor Could Face Jail Time

In a preliminary hearing, a judge ruled that a student arrested for misdemeanor assault while participating in a pro-Palestenian protest on Vanderbilt’s campus in March could be tried. If found guilty, he could face up to 11 months in jail. His case will now move to criminal court, and hearings for three other students have been postponed until Nov. [Nashville Banner]

Local author Lauren Thoman has published two mysteries with a speculative bent: her debut, “I’ll Stop the World,” and her most recent novel, “You Shouldn’t Be Here.” I devoured “You Shouldn’t Be Here” in two days, and promptly gave the book to my mom. It’s an edge-of-your-seat murder mystery about a first-year teacher, Madelyn, moving from Tennessee to Pennsylvania after her cousin disappears. Her cousin was working for a rich megalomaniac who owns most of the town. Once there, Madelyn discovers more missing women and girls, all with links to the same man.

While the novel doesn’t take place in Nashville, the main character’s backstory is shaped by her Tennessee childhood, and as I learned from chatting with Thoman, living in Nashville has shaped who she is as a writer. Thoman is heavily involved in our local literary community, so I asked her for tips on how you can get involved with your fellow Music City writers.

How does living in Nashville affect your writing?

“I can't even quantify how much Nashville has affected my writing; I truly think it has touched every aspect of what I do. I started plugging into the Nashville writing community over a decade ago, long before I ever got an agent or sold a book. My very best writing friends are all here in Nashville; we meet up to write together, brainstorm together, read each other's work and attend each other's events, offer advice and commiseration, and generally just support one another in every way we can. My books may not be set in Nashville, but they are very informed by the connections I've made here, and I would absolutely not be the writer I am today without my Nashville writing family.”

What are your favorite local literary spots?

“We are so fortunate here in Nashville to have such a vibrant literary community! Obviously Parnassus Books is an amazing indie bookstore that has been around for a long time now, but we've also had several lovely new indies pop up over the last few years, like The Bookshop in East Nashville and Bound Booksellers down in Westhaven, both of which have been so kind to me as a new author. We also have The Porch, which is just an absolutely fabulous resource for writers of all stripes. The people who run it are so smart and passionate and generous. I can't recommend it enough. And it may not be a literary spot per se, but I LOVE the Southern Festival of Books, which takes place here in Nashville every fall. Such an awesome way for readers and authors to connect, and totally free! It's one of the highlights of my year.”