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The Bitter Southerner and Lucian Books & Wine co-hosted an afternoon that embodied what Southern storytelling does best — lived, shared, and carried forward. The event centered on The Crop Cycle author Shane Mitchell’s decade of reporting, in conversation with Kim Severson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist at The New York Times.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Experience

In Lucian’s intimate, invite-only setting, guests gathered around shared tables while Executive Chef Jason Paolini served a seasonal menu (see below) inspired directly by Mitchell’s essays. Grits, tomatoes, watermelon, and okra became metaphors for memory and meaning. Dialogue between Mitchell and Severson unfolded with depth and candor, turning journalism into flavor, words into fellowship, and storytelling into a fully sensory experience.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Menu

Bradford Farm watermelon with salt, pepper & olive oil
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Bradford Farm heirloom tomato on sourdough with house-made butter, anchovy, parsley & red onion
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Buckeye Creek Farm grits with XO Sauce
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Charleston ice cream (Carolina Gold Rice) with piperade
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Bradford Farm crispy okra with oven roasted tomatoes & vadouvan
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Benne cookie
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Boiled peanut ice cream Coca-Cola float

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Impact

The gathering sold out before ever reaching the public, underscoring its rarity and affirming Lucian’s role as a cultural
convener and TBS’s place as a trusted voice.

The event was framed as a celebration of Mitchell’s book, The Crop Cycle: Stories with Deep Roots — a nine-year journey into the South’s tangled love affair with food, recently published by BS Publishing.

Positioned as “An Afternoon with Author Shane Mitchell and NYT Journalist Kim Severson,” the program offered guests not just access to a conversation between two of the South’s most discerning voices, but also a chef-curated menu that gave the stories tangible form.

Attendees carried home signed copies of The Crop Cycle — artifacts of an afternoon where food, fellowship, and narrative converged.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Takeaway

What began as years of reporting on the South’s tangled foodways blossomed into a living cultural moment. The event demonstrated how The Bitter Southerner transforms stories into shared experiences that leap off the page, spark conversation, and echo long after the plates are cleared.

 
 

Photos by Caroline Fredericks