Who: Brenda Sparks Prescott is co-editor of Solstice Literary Magazine and her writing has appeared in publications such as The Louisville Review, Crab Orchard Review, and Portland Magazine. She also serves on the advisory board for the Solstice MFA in creative writing program.

Musicians Roy Nathanson, Longineu Parsons, Aidan Scrimgeour, Joanna Sobkowska.

What: A night of music and literature to celebrate the release of Home Front Lines, a featured titled on The Root and BookRiot. Coming together to celebrate literary achievement and strengthen our community of readers is exciting and fulfilling. Fostering that connection has been challenging throughout the pandemic but virtual events are helping us forge a path through to hope and joy.

When: Friday, May 21 at 7 p.m. EST.

Where: This is a virtual event. The event link will go live here on May 21.

Why: Solstice is a literary magazine that seeks to center diverse voices. They believe probing into diversity can promote unity. Home Front Lines is a story of strong and determined women. It is a story of BIPOC historical fiction in the 20th century, a genre that too often leaves out narratives not directly tied to the World Wars, the Great Migration, or Civil Rights movement. But these communities existed in every time and place, and their stories deserve to be told.

More about Home Front Lines: In 1962 tensions are rising between the United States and the Soviet Union. But it is the everyday tensions of home, family, and military life that are top of mind for military spouse and African American Betty Ann Johnson in D.C. and Cuban Lola Montero who is asked to cook for the Soviet troops amassing on her island. At a time when many Americans feel unsettled and fearful of nuclear war, these women harness their agency to prepare their families for the worst in Home Front Lines by Brenda Sparks Prescott [March 16, 2021, Bedazzled Ink Publishing].
When Betty Ann catches wind that military preparations are being made for something more than just practice drills, she gathers a small band of military spouses to develop an evacuation plan for their children. Across the Florida Straits, Lola accidentally witnesses the installation of a Soviet missile. She and her sisters secretly make plans to send their children to Florida without their husbands’ knowledge. The two women are on opposing sides of the conflict, but they share the same fierce determination in protecting their children.