Picture a Tennessee storyteller who weaves grief, ghosts, and gritty resilience into a Southern Gothic tapestry—meet Monica Brashears! This Affrilachian writer burst onto the literary scene with her haunting debut novel, House of Cotton, in 2023, captivating readers with her raw, poetic voice and a knack for blending the mystical with the mundane. Hailing from the Appalachian Mountains, Brashears crafts stories that pulse with the heartbeat of her roots, exploring the blurred lines between life, death, and survival.
With a style that’s both sharp and lyrical, she’s quickly become a standout in contemporary literature, drawing praise for her ability to tackle heavy themes like trauma and exploitation with a fresh, unflinching gaze. Ready to dive into the world of a writer who’s redefining Southern storytelling? Let’s explore Monica Brashears’s journey.
The Making of Monica Brashears
Born and raised in Luttrell, Tennessee, just 20 miles outside Knoxville, Monica Brashears grew up steeped in the rich, rugged culture of the Appalachian Mountains. Her Affrilachian identity—rooted in the African American experience of Appalachia—shapes her work, infusing it with a unique perspective on place and heritage. A double major in English (Creative Writing) and Africana Studies at the University of Tennessee (‘19), Brashears honed her craft early, later earning an MFA from Syracuse University in 2022. Her mountain upbringing, paired with academic rigor, sparked a storytelling style that’s as grounded as it is otherworldly.
Brashears’s early writing appeared in literary magazines like Nashville Review and Split Lip Magazine, where her vivid prose and knack for capturing the Black Appalachian experience caught attention. These smaller works laid the groundwork for her leap to novelist, proving she could wield language like a painter wields a brush.
Monica Brashears’s Unforgettable Stories
Brashears’s debut novel, House of Cotton (Flatiron Books, 2023), is a Southern Gothic masterpiece that follows Magnolia Brown, a 19-year-old Black woman navigating grief and poverty in Knoxville. When a mysterious funeral home owner named Cotton offers her a lucrative but eerie job—posing as deceased loved ones for grieving families—Magnolia’s world spirals into a haunting blend of supernatural and social commentary. Critics lauded its “fresh, haunting” narrative (The New York Times) and “dazzling” prose (Deesha Philyaw), earning it a spot as an NPR Best Book of 2023.
Her short story, “The Skittering Thing,” featured in the 2024 anthology The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories (Flatiron Books), showcases her versatility, diving into horror with a tale that’s as chilling as it is poignant. Other works, like “Grave Truths” and “New Year’s Bash” in LIGEIA Magazine, highlight her ability to craft compact yet powerful narratives about Black Appalachian life, ghosts, and resilience. Brashears’s style—marked by sharp dialogue, vivid imagery, and a focus on trauma’s lasting echoes—sets her apart as a voice that’s both timeless and urgently modern.
Whether she’s writing novels or short fiction, Brashears weaves themes of generational trauma, racial injustice, and the supernatural, all anchored by her Affrilachian lens. Her characters, like Magnolia, are complex: tender yet tough, grappling with a world that’s as beautiful as it is brutal.
Why Monica Brashears Matters
Monica Brashears is more than a rising star—she’s a trailblazer reshaping Southern literature. Her Affrilachian perspective amplifies voices often sidelined in traditional narratives, offering a fresh take on the South’s complexities. By blending Gothic elements with modern themes like economic struggle and systemic inequality, she crafts stories that resonate with readers hungry for authenticity and depth. Her work challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths while finding beauty in resilience, making her a vital voice in contemporary fiction.
As she works on her second novel, Brashears’s influence is already rippling through literary circles, inspiring writers and readers to explore the intersections of culture, history, and identity. Her stories remind us that even in the darkest moments, there’s power in telling your truth.
- Key Work: House of Cotton (2023)
- Notable Short Story: “The Skittering Thing” (2024)
- Education: MFA, Syracuse University (2022)
- Hometown: Luttrell, Tennessee
Snag House of Cotton and dive into Monica Brashears’s spellbinding Southern Gothic world—trust us, you won’t look at storytelling the same way again!