Introducing Marginal Moments: A New Chapter in Storytelling
In our inaugural issue of Marginal Moments, the paid-only section of Front Porch Wisdom & Southern Prose, we’re excited to introduce two segments that reflect the heart of Southern Momentum Publishing
Monthly Segments
1. The Green Travel Book
What It Is: Inspired by the Civil Rights-era Negro Motorist Green Book—a guide for Black travelers navigating Jim Crow America—we’ve created The Green Travel Book to uncover the South’s forgotten places. These locations hold stories of resilience, defiance, and survival, often overlooked in mainstream histories.
What Inspired It: The original Green Book was more than a travel guide; it was a lifeline. It connected Black travelers to safe spaces, community, and a way forward. Our version builds on this legacy, not just to inform, but to guide storytellers in uncovering and preserving these powerful narratives.
How It’s Meant to Be Used: Each month, we highlight one location—be it a Freedom Rider diner, a hidden stop on the Underground Railroad, or a sundown town with secrets still buried. These places are windows into the South’s layered history, ready to inspire your settings, characters, and stories.
2. The Grown-Up Table
What It Is: If Front Porch Wisdom is where we reflect and connect, The Grown-Up Table is where we confront. This segment explores the South’s heaviest truths—the ones its people often avoid but desperately need to face. From generational trauma to systemic inequities, this is where we unpack the South’s unvarnished reality.
What Inspired It: Southern families know the unspoken rule: what’s said at the kids' table doesn’t leave it. But at The Grown-Up Table, the conversation is different. It’s raw, honest, and necessary. This segment is for those who want to pull up a chair and grapple with the South’s past, present, and potential future.
How It’s Meant to Be Used: Writers and readers alike can draw from these articles to challenge their perspectives, enrich their work, and ignite conversations. These pieces aren’t just critical—they’re catalytic.
Bi-Monthly Segment
3. Fight, Flight, Freeze
What It Is: This interactive segment starts with a scenario—a moment of tension or conflict inspired by contemporary Southern life. The twist? What happens next is entirely up to you. Each story takes a different path depending on the choice you make: fight, flee, or freeze.
What Inspired It: Southern storytelling thrives on pivotal moments where the stakes are high. Whether it’s standing your ground, escaping danger, or being paralyzed by fear, these choices define us—and our stories. Fight, Flight, Freeze brings these moments to life and puts the narrative power in your hands.
How It’s Meant to Be Used: The story begins in Marginal Moments, but it doesn’t end there. Paid subscribers continue the journey in the weekly chat, choosing their path and exploring where it leads. By month’s end, writers can submit their final stories for a chance to be featured in the next issue of Marginal Moments, complete with:
A byline and headshot.
A short interview.
A featured bio.
This is more than a writing exercise—it’s a platform to showcase your voice and connect with other storytellers.
Rotational Segments
4. Writing in the Margin
What It Is: A craft-focused segment designed to deepen your understanding of Southern literary techniques and how to apply them. Each month, we explore a specific element of Southern storytelling—from dialect and setting to narrative tension—and provide actionable insights to elevate your work.
What Inspired It: The magic of Southern literature lies in its layers—its ability to immerse readers in a time, place, and feeling. Writing in the Margin is here to help you capture that magic in your writing.
How It’s Meant to Be Used: This segment breaks down the techniques that make Southern fiction so evocative, offering practical advice and examples to incorporate into your own stories. Whether you’re crafting dialogue that rings true or painting a setting that feels alive, Writing in the Margin is your guide to honing the craft.
If you write Southern fiction/nonfiction and would like to be featured as a guest-pert in Southern writing craft, please send me a message with your contact information, social media handles, and your author's website. I never claimed to know it all when I taught creative writing and I don’t claim to know it all as a publisher. *(All contributors will receive a 3-month free subscription to Marginal Moments, after which the monthly charge will start automatically unless you unsubscribe.)
5. Marginal Notations
What It Is: An exclusive look at how readers and book influencers engage with Southern fiction. This segment features interviews with influencers, exploring their marginal notes, favorite moments, and how they interact with the stories they read.
What Inspired It: Readers’ marginal notes are a window into their connection with a story. By highlighting these personal insights, Marginal Notations celebrates the ways Southern fiction resonates, challenges, and inspires.
How It’s Meant to Be Used: Each month, we’ll feature a book influencer and their insights on a notable Southern fiction title. This isn’t just about the books—it’s about building a network of readers and influencers who amplify the voices of Southern writers. If you’re a writer, this segment offers a unique opportunity to see how your audience might experience your work.
If you’re a book influencer who also reads Southern Fiction/Nonfiction, and would like to participate in this segment, please use the button below to send me a message with your contact information, and your social media handles. What you do for the book world is invaluable, you deserve to be recognized for it. *(All contributors will receive a 3-month free subscription to Marginal Moments, after which the monthly charge will start automatically unless you unsubscribe.)
Why It Matters
At SOMO, we believe that storytelling is a collaborative process—between the writer and the page, the reader and the words, and the community that brings them together. These Marginal Moments are here to spark creativity, deepen understanding, and build a bridge between Southern stories and the people who live them.
Welcome to Marginal Moments. Let’s tell these stories together.