By Suzy Alstrin
Reinhardt University students Na’Yel Camper (RU-2028) and Addison Summers (RU-2028) recently had their work published in the Southern Literary Review, a respected national magazine. The opportunity arose after its editor, Donna Meredith, donated several newly published books to Professor Bill Walsh’s Composition, Rhetoric, and Research course. The interaction spurred Walsh to challenge students in the class to compose and submit a book review for consideration.
Camper described A Tissue of Lies (Historium Press 2025) by Atlanta-area author Mike Nemeth as “an exciting mystery set in 1966 about family secrets and the impact of lies.” The fictional story follows a teenager Camper describes as “caught in a web of deception that changes everything he thought he knew about his family.”
Summers detailed how Georgia author Mark Beaver’s The Ballad of Karla Faye Tucker (University Press of Mississippi 2023) captivated the reader. The book recounts the true story of the first woman executed in Texas since 1963. Summers stated, “The narrative does not shy away from the brutality of Tucker’s crime; nor does it attempt to erase her guilt. Instead, it presents her journey with honesty and grace, allowing the readers to witness her remorse and transformation in an intimate, deeply personal manner.”
With Walsh’s guidance, students refined their work into compelling reviews for a broader literary audience. In May, Southern Literary Review selected and published Camper and Summers’ submissions from among many others—an impressive accomplishment for undergraduate writers. “To be published at such a young age in a well-respected literary journal is a high achievement,” said Walsh.
By analyzing literature and professionally composing their perspectives, these Reinhardt students deepened their understanding of written work, developed critical thinking skills, and enriched their appreciation of the experience of reading literature.
The reviews can be read here:
https://southernlitreview.com/reviews/a-tissue-of-lies-by-mike-nemeth.htm
https://southernlitreview.com/reviews/the-ballad-of-karla-faye-tucker-by-mark-beaver.htm
