Rien Fertel Books

Delving into the origins and history of whole-hog barbecue, the book offers an engaging exploration of its methods and cultural significance. Fertel's vivid storytelling not only whets the appetite for barbecue but also paints a rich picture of the barbecue regions across the country. Readers are invited to savor both the culinary and cultural aspects of this beloved tradition, making it a must-read for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

The Drive-By Truckers' 'Southern Rock Opera' takes listeners on a road trip through the American South, with stops along mean old highways and soul-sucking swamps, iconic recording studios and doomed chartered jets, and even Heaven and Hell. Along the way, the Truckers attempt to untangle the mess that is southern history by exploring the contradictory, dualistic nature of the region.0Like twin paths intersecting and diverging before meeting again, the opera's libretto focuses on the lives of two bands: the fictional Betamax Guillotine, a stand-in for the Truckers themselves, and Southern rock gods Lynyrd Skynyrd. Rien Fertel takes us for a ride along the Truckers' winding road through the opera's Southlands, a region filled with youthful rockstar aspirations, fatal crashes, the wreckage of one band gone too soon, and the ambitions of another wrestling with the great hope and tragedy that is America