Local Authors Are Gathering This Weekend At Franklin Book Festival – And You’re Invited By TOM WOOD / JUNE 2, 2022 Think of it as a big – a really big – book club meeting that you’ve been invited to join. The Authors Circle Franklin Book Festival is this weekend (June 4-5) at Williamson County Library, a gathering of some three dozen Nashville-area authors. It’s a free event Continue reading →

What would it take for Nashville to host a Super Bowl? A new stadium and hotel rooms By TOM WOOD / May 13, 2022 Barring unforeseen circumstances, Nashville will host a Super Bowl before the end of the decade. I explore that possible scenario for the Ledger in its May 13-19 edition. That may sound like a bold prediction, but based on ongoing discussions between the Tennessee Titans, Continue reading →

Author Womack – Just Like His PI Denton – Makes a Comeback in ‘Fade Up From Black’ By TOM WOOD / April 2, 2022 I first met Nashville author Steven Womack about a decade ago when I attended my first Killer Nashville writer’s conference. He’d been a journalist, like me, and I listened and learned to what he had to say about the writing process and publishing industry. Continue reading →

I first met Nashville author Steven Womack about a decade ago when I attended my first Killer Nashville writer’s conference. He’d been a journalist, like me, and I listened and learned to what he had to say about the writing process and publishing industry. I still am. Author Womack with his new book and 1994 Edgar Award -Courtesy of Steven Womack Our paths crossed occasionally Continue reading →

MTSU gambles that $100 million facilities makeover will lead to other upgrades as well By TOM WOOD / January 21, 2022 Middle Tennessee is in the process of investing $100 million in its athletics facilities, a process that could boost everything from attendance to future conference affiliation during a time of fast-moving changes in collegiate athletics. I explore the subject for the Ledger in the January 21-27 edition, Continue reading →

COVID-19 is a national disaster for families and FEMA funeral assistance program aids By TOM WOOD / NOVEMBER 19, 2021 Before being assigned the Ledger’s Nov. 19-25 cover story, I had no idea that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had a funeral assistance program. And unless you lost a loved one to COVID-19 over the last two years, you probably weren’t aware of its existence, either. But as Continue reading →

Lipscomb University program helps make Nashville a destination for animation projects By TOM WOOD / OCTOBER 22, 2021 I’ve lived in and written about Nashville for more than 40 years, but until recently I had no idea of how big Nashville’s reputation for animation had gotten. Sure, I knew “VeggieTales” was done here. But I didn’t know that in 2015 Lipscomb University launched an animation program that was Continue reading →

Staying Fit During the Pandemic Isn’t Easy, Choosing Between a Trip to the Gym or Home By TOM WOOD / SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 Stay home or go to the gym for a workout? That’s a question people face daily as they try to stay in shape during the pandemic era. Some have no qualms about heading to a fitness facility and working up a good sweat next to Continue reading →

Dollar General Expansion Plans Grow; Killer Nashville Celebrates 15th Anniversary By TOM WOOD / AUGUST 20, 2021 The past decade has taken a toll on some of America’s most recognizable company brands, a situation only made worse since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Paul Dittman, the Haslam College of Business assistant department head for Supply Chain Management, says the “retail apocalypse” of store closings experienced during both the 2008 Continue reading →

Pigskin, Papers and Publications: August Has Football, Writing and Killer Nashville Ahead By TOM WOOD / AUGUST 10, 2021 Now that the Music City Grand Prix is in the rearview mirror, let’s turn our attention to my three-pronged passion for books, football and newspapers … not necessarily in that order. High schools, colleges and the NFL are all in camp and the Titans’ first preseason game is Friday, Continue reading →