Leslie Anne Tarabella Southern With a Gulf Coast Accent

Above, you’ll see author, editor and publisher, Sonny Brewer, and his little friend Bobby, along with singer/songwriter Grayson Capps and the 2025 Truman Capote Award winner, Suzanne Hudson. And yes, they are all from Fairhope. I’m not sure who took this photo – I found it on Suzanne’s facebook page. My pictures weren’t so great – sorry.

A gathering of writers and those who love to read what we write assembled last weekend to honor Suzanne for the award she received the previous week at the Monroeville Literary Festival. Although I had a wonderful time in Monroeville last year, I was unable to attend this year, so it was good to honor Suzanne here in Fairhope. In the photo above with Sonny speaking, is Tom Franklin, an award winning writer and Creative Writing professor at The University of Mississippi and Joe Formichella who is married to Suzanne and also an award winning author.

I think there are so many writers, artists, musicians and other creative minds in this small town because everyone is so encouraging. If you want to dance, paint, start a business or sing, there are people who will help you. And of course, if you want to write, there are groups all over town. Sonny Brewer is one who challenges me every time I run into him. “What are you writing?” is usually how he greets me, followed with an assignment like, “I want you to go home and start working on the first chapter.”

I first read Suzanne’s work several years ago and thought it was pretty edgy. But I really liked what she wrote, maybe because I’m always the one who tells eveyone not to look when a gory medical story is shown on TV — but I keep watching. Reality is harsh, but we all want to sneak a peek every now and then. A taste of reality keeps us grounded and real. Suzanne has an overall message of survival and hope – something I also write about quite a bit, but in a different way. Each of her sentences can stand alone as well crafted art, but they come together in stories that have you squirming or cheering for the underdog to overcome, break free or shoot their no-good-low-down stepfather.

It’s not only an honor for Suzanne to win this award, but I think all of the writers in Fairhope feel a sense of pride and ownership, because she’s one of us. She’s “our people.” Congratulations to her.