Praise for Rednecks (2024):

“Taylor Brown is one of the few [authors] who can write this well about noble men and women in such violent and difficult circumstances. . . [A]n important treatment of a lost war on American soil, an undervalued historical moment when the forces of labor rose up against their ruthless capitalist overlords. . . Every student of American history should read this book.” -Matt Bondurant, author of Oleander City and The Wettest Country in the World

 

“Just like its namesake, Rednecks is dressed in grit, moxie, and charm. The West Virginia Mine Wars’ secret history turns urgently prescient in Taylor Brown’s steady hands. Every single page sings with writing that is lyrical, agile, and bold. A matchless novel.” -Amy Jo Burns, author of Mercury

 

“A story of working class people and politics, brotherhood and bloodshed, Rednecks thrives at the line with poetry deep and deliberate. Taylor Brown’s language is the lantern in the mine shaft. Somehow he has rendered history kinetic.” -David Joy, author of Those We Thought We Knew

 

 

“An absolute stick of dynamite. . . [Rednecks is] a muddy, sinewy, utterly human story, told in short, fiery chapters that jump between characters at an exciting pace.” -Shaun Slifer, Creative Director of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum

 

“A sweeping tale of ruthless violence, corruption and injustice, Taylor Brown’s Rednecks is so action-packed you might think it was pure invention–if it weren’t true bloody history brought to life. Rednecks celebrates the courage and persistence of hardworking Americans–- evicted and gunned-down, starved and bombed–in a stratified world where the bosses don’t give “one ounce of goddamn.” Rich in historical detail and peopled with vivid characters, this novel of West Virginia’s 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain is inspiring fiction for our times.” -Kate Manning, author of Gilded Mountain

 

 

“Brown skillfully examines workers’ frustrations with large corporations and the politicians they pay off. This one hits hard.” -Publishers Weekly

 

“Brown dexterously illustrates the eternal dichotomy between capitalism and labor in this immersive novel about a united multiethnic group of miners who tied red bandanas around their necks as a symbol of solidarity.” -Booklist

Praise for Wingwalkers (2022):

“Taylor Brown writes with rare energy, spinning out history with the force of myth. Wingwalkers thrusts us into the lives of two daredevil aeronauts during the Great Depression, who happen to awaken and inspire William Faulkner. Brown’s vision is as fresh and audacious as his language. Gutsy, original, and powerfully imagined.” —Paula McClain, author of THE PARIS WIFE and WHEN THE STARS GO DARK

“Brown weaves a rich and poignant tale from a tidbit in Faulkner’s life around an aerial barnstorming couple of the 1930s. Fierce and beautiful” —Kim Michele Richardson, author of THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK

“Like flight itself, Wingwalkers defies gravity, lifting us into the ether with its beautiful and poetic grace. Fans of Faulkner will not be disappointed. Be transported to the days of early aviation, walk in the shoes of those who dared to push the boundaries of man. Taylor Brown’s characters live the kind of bold, fearless lives we all envy. This book is not to be missed!” —Susan Crandall, author of THE FLYING CIRCUS

“Brown crafts a heart-pounding plot, and his gorgeous descriptions of Southern terrain from the air resonate just as much. The result is both elegant and thrilling.” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“Vivid writing pops off the page in this sixth novel from Brown (Fallen Land). A wondrous tale, mixing fact and fiction, with colorful details of the Depression-era United States as backdrop.” —Starred Review, LIBRARY JOURNAL

Praise for Pride of Eden (2020):

“Pride of Eden is intimate in detail and thematically epic. Beautifully written and hard to put down, this book fairly bursts with a sense of place so rich you feel as if you are stepping into this lush world and characters—including the animals—with whom you don’t want to stop spending time. Taylor Brown has firmly established himself as one of our finest novelists.” —Silas House, author of Southernmost

“In prose that sings, Taylor Brown has written a crackling and propulsive new myth of environmentalism. Pride of Eden is an ode to all that is fierce, wild and resilient in this shifting world of ours, and a reminder to fight hard for the things we love.” —Robin MacArthur, author of Half Wild and Heart Spring Mountain

“‘Atavistic’ is one way to describe Pride of Eden. ‘Fantastic’ is another. Because Taylor Brown has accomplished something truly unique with this remarkable novel, telling a story that’s both gripping and tender, with prose as savagely beautiful as the apex predators it celebrates. Pride of Eden is simply a pleasure to read.” —Dane Huckelbridge, author of No Beast So Fierce

“Pride of Eden is a beautifully written, visionary novel of scarred souls seeking redemption not only for themselves but, in their limited way, for us all. Taylor Brown is clearly one of the best American writers of his generation. We are fortunate to have his voice in these dark times.” —Ron Rash, author of Serena and Eureka Mill

“…what makes this riveting nail-biter most impressive is Brown’s knowledge and passion.” —Booklist

“Couched in a thrilling narrative, Brown’s heartbreaking yet hopeful message of humanity’s moral responsibility for the natural world and its magnificent creatures will linger with readers.” —Publishers Weekly

“As a novel, it’s a savage tiger: fierce, proud and mysterious.” –Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Imagine Papa Hemingway swapping tall tales with Dr. Hunter S. Thompson over several bottles of tequila, and you get some of the book’s flavor.”—Wilmington Star News

“Powerful… descriptive and evocative, clearly the work of someone who loves language and knows its power, as well as someone who appreciates nature.” –Greensboro News & Record

Praise for Gods of Howl Mountain (2018):

“It’s the characters, so wonderfully vibrant and alive in their all-too-human variety—scared, tightly wound, angry, damaged, yet resourceful and resilient, some honorable, some not—that demonstrate Brown’s prodigious talent. Brown has quickly established himself in the top echelon of Southern writers, and his latest will please readers of Wiley Cash and Ron Rash.” – Booklist, starred review

“In his third novel (after The River of Kings), critically acclaimed novelist Brown gazes unflinchingly at the Howl Mountain community of 1950s North Carolina…Not to be missed, this bold, dark, gritty novel is another coup for Brown, whose lyrical descriptions of the landscape only add to the captivating story of indomitable but isolated folks bound by folklore, tradition, and a hardscrabble life.” – Library Journal, starred review

“Powerful…explosive…Brown’s lyrical prose invokes a verdant landscape whose rich past is woven into its roots and people; their dependence on the land and respect for its great mysteries are palpable. This tale of loyalty and retribution will linger with readers.” – Publishers Weekly

“The writing is strong and evocative, yielding a vivid picture whether he’s describing a forest or a car chase, and there’s plenty of action and intrigue. Pick up a copy of Gods of Howl Mountain and hold on. You’re in for a ride you won’t soon forget.” – Greensboro Triad

Praise for The River of Kings (2017):

“I read Taylor Brown’s new novel in a state of astonishment–at the bold undertaking, the exhilarating narrative, and the vivid language. I was mesmerized by the way he weaves three separate stories together over time to create a startling portrait of America’s soul.” –Bobbie Ann Mason, author of In Country and The Girl in the Blue Beret

“With language as rich as floodplain soil, The River of Kings is a stunning Southern epic of tremendous heart and scope. Taylor Brown takes risks few other writers would chance and somehow manages to traverse those waters with an astounding grace and beauty.” –David Joy, author of The Weight Of This World

“In The River of Kings Taylor Brown offers a brilliant braided history, water-tight and blood-bound. Each strand of time is laid atop the one before it to make an intricate fable: two brothers, paddling back against the past, and whatever monsters lurk beneath its surface. This book haunts itself. And Mr. Brown keeps getting better and better.” –Ashley Warlick, author of The Arrangement

“The most exciting literary adventure fiction I’ve read since Deliverance. Taylor Brown’s The River of Kings has it all: crackling drama, unforgettable characters, myth, the unspoiled natural world, love, laughter, and tragedy – all rendered in Brown’s gorgeous, precise prose. The River of Kings is truly a great American novel.” –Howard Frank Mosher, author of God’s Kingdom

“Like a great body of water itself, The River of Kings is one moment grace and serenity, and the next moment hazard and threat, shifting in wonderfully unexpected ways, yet always in possession of a natural beauty you cannot help but admire.” –Michael Farris Smith, author of Desperation Road and Rivers

“Taylor Brown spins fantastic and riveting historical fiction like no one else. The River of Kings is engrossing, exciting, poetic, with surprising moments of tenderness, and crafted with a master hand. The writing exhibits shades of Philipp Meyer, Richard Ford, Annie Proulx, and Anthony Doerr, but every book by Brown is all his own. If your curiosity is piqued by an exciting river adventure with rich character study and language that fairly leaps off the page, look no further—you’ve found your book.” –Andria Williams, author of The Longest Night

“Captures the essence of an enchanting place with a story combining adventure, family drama, and local history.” —Publishers Weekly

“The River of Kings is almost impossibly visual—cinematic in the best sense. Like Cormac McCarthy and Annie Proulx, Brown possesses rare and wild gifts, writing with the arresting precision and unremitting intensity that can keep a reader’s jaw clenched for books at a time.” —Paste Magazine

 

Praise for Fallen Land (2016):

Starred Review of Fallen Land by Booklist [link]:

“Much like Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain (1997) in style, subject, and mood, but also as evocative of the nineteenth-century American landscape as Karen Fisher’s A Sudden Country (2005), this is a masterpiece that deserves a full serving of accolades.”

Starred Review of Fallen Land by Kirkus [link]:

Like McCarthy’s Border Trilogy or Frazier’s Cold Mountain, this is American literature at its best, full of art and beauty and the exploration of all that is good and bad in the human spirit.

Starred Review of Fallen Land by Library Journal:

“Brown’s expressive language captures the harsh realities of the South at the time. A nail-biting journey from first page to last.“

Review of Fallen Land by Publishers Weekly [link]:

 “This is a Civil War odyssey in the tradition of Charles Frazier’s COLD MOUNTAIN and Daniel Woodrell’s WOE TO LIVE ON, written in a vernacular that resurrects the era and fully brings alive Callum and Ava’s adventures on the road.”

Fallen Land chosen Favorite Winter 2016 Debut by Macmillan Library [link]:

“We’ve come out of our candy comas, shaken off the cobwebs, and are ready to tell you about our favorite Winter 2016 debut: FALLEN LAND by Taylor Brown.”

Praise for In the Season of Blood and Gold (2014):

In the Season of Blood and Gold chosen Top 10 Best Book of 2014 on Bent Country [link]:

“Taylor Brown wrote, in my opinion, the best short story collection this year.  In the Season of Blood and Gold restores faith in the short story as a form.  It’s that simple.”

In the Season of Blood and Gold chosen Best Books of 2014:  Staff Picks on The Spark [link]:

“Brown’s stories are gritty and full of heart, full of the blood that pumps through our veins and ties us together to our family without question. His prose is tight, and he is probably one of the loveliest souls in existence, in person as on the page.”

In the Season of Blood and Gold chosen Best Books of 2014:  Author, Reader, Editor, and Publisher Picks on The Spark [link]:

“[Taylor Brown] writes with a powerful economy of language while making good narrative choices that provide rounded characters bombarded with intense twists.”

 In the Season of Blood and Gold chosen Book Most Likely to Renew Your Faith in Short Stories on Steph Post…and Writing [link]:

“Taylor Brown’s IN THE SEASON OF BLOOD AND GOLD [is the] book most likely to renew your faith in the power of short stories. Monumental award for Best Short Story of the year for “Sin Eaters” as well.”

Review of story collection, In the Season of Blood and Gold, on the Star News [link]:

“[Taylor Brown’s] words have an undeniable power, and it’s exciting to think what this young writer will accomplish as he picks up experience and refines his powers.”

Review of story collection, In the Season of Blood and Gold, on Necessary Fiction [link]:

“While Brown is certainly not the first to accomplish the task of spanning eras, only the story collections of Ron Rash come to mind when considering a Southern writer’s versatility in managing to bridge generational gaps while illustrating how a region and its people have changed—or not changed—over the course of time.”

Review of story collection, In the Season of Blood and Gold, on Heavy Feather Review [link]:

“Brown has put his command of the English language on display here, forcing readers to confront not only the humanity of his characters, but often their own as well. What is the most exciting thing about, Season, really, is that it is only the beginning.”

Review of story collection, In the Season of Blood and Gold, on Atticus Review [link]:

“The juxtaposition between this so-thought ancient violence and modernity is telling. Violence, as the other stories elucidate, is an ancient thing yet awake even today. .”

Awards & Recognition

Finalist, 2024 Southern Book Prize, awarded by SIBA:  Rednecks

Rash Award in Fiction, 2024, awarded by Broad River Review for “The Trembling Earth”

2021 Georgia Author of the Year Award, awarded by the Georgia Writers Association:  Pride of Eden
2019 Visiting Writer, University of North Carolina-Wilmington
Finalist, 2019 Southern Book Prize, awarded by SIBA:  Gods of Howl Mountain
Finalist, 2018 Southern Book Prize, awarded by SIBA:  The River of Kings
Finalist, 2017 Southern Book Prize, awarded by SIBA:  Fallen Land
2017 Books All Georgians Should Read, Georgia Center for the Book:  The River of Kings
2016 Books All Georgians Should Read, Georgia Center for the Book:  Fallen Land
Finalist, 2023 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize, awarded by NC Writers’ Network
Finalist, 2016 Danahy Fiction Prize, awarded by the Tampa Review
Finalist, Short Story Category of 2015 International Book Awards:  In the Season of Blood and Gold
Finalist, 2014 Wabash Prize in Fiction, awarded by Sycamore Review (story withdrawn due to publishing conflict)
Finalist, 2014 Doris Betts Fiction Prize, sponsored by NC Writers’ Network and awarded by NC Literary Review
Finalist, 2012 Machigonne Fiction Contest, awarded by The New Guard, judged by Rick Bass
2nd Place Short Fiction, Press 53 Open Awards:  “Kingdom Come”
Other Distinguished Mystery Stories, “Cajun Reeboks,” Best American Mystery Stories 2010
Montana Prize in Fiction, 2009, awarded by CutBank, judged by Joy Williams:  “Rider”

Interviews

Interview with Joel Finsel of Focus on the Coast [link]
Interview with Ashley Reynolds of UCR Palm Desert MFA [link]
Interview with Bethany Chafin of Triad Arts (88.5 WFDD) [link]
Interview with Sheldon Lee Compton on Revolution John [link]
Interview with Mark Febbo of The Editorial Department [link]
Interview with Steph Post of Steph Post…and Writing [link]
Interview with Gina Gambony of WHQR Public Radio [link]
Interview with Writer’s Bone [link]
Interview with Wrath-Bearing Tree [link]
Interview with Emily Colin [link]
Interview with Deborah Kalk [link]
Interview with Kelley Vick of Literary Prospects [link]
Interview with WTOC Savannah [link]
Interview with Don Noble of Alabama Public TV’s Bookmark [link]
Interview with Foster Steinbeck of Savannah Morning News [link]
Interview with Carl Rolyson of the New York Sun [link]

 

Newspapers and Articles

Star News:  Local Writer is Finalist for Betts Prize [link]
Star News:  Local Writer Gets Novel Contract [link]
Star News:  Good Reviews for Local Writers [link]
Star News:  Brown’s Writing Career is Taking off [link]
WHQR:  Prologue: Taylor Brown on “Fallen Land” and “In the Season of Blood and Gold”  [link]
Florida Times-Union / USA Today Network: “Sweeping Tale of a threatened natural world” [link]
Goodreads: “33 Reader Approved, Highly Rated Fiction to Discover Now” [link]
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Taylor Brown tackles fear and fate in The River of Kings” [link]
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Faulkner meets aerial daredevils in Taylor Brown’s Wingwalkers” [link]
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Georgia authors share their favorite writing tips” [link]
New York Sun: “Biographical Novel Adds New Depth to the Term Faulknerian” [link]
Le Monde: Taylor Brown, Appalachian Magician [link]