ABOUT THIS BOOK

What does it mean to be a Nashvillian? A Black Nashvillian? A white Nashvillian? What does it mean to be an organizer, an ally, an elected official, an agent for change? Deep Dish Conversations began as a running online interview series in which host Jerome Moore sits down over pizza with Nashville leaders and community members to talk about the past, present, and future of the city and what it means to live here. The result is honest conversation about racism, housing, policing, poverty, and more in a safe, brave, person-to-person environment that allows for disagreement.

This book is a curated collection of the most striking interviews from the first few seasons of the series, with a foreword by Dr. Sekou Franklin, an introduction by Moore, and contextual introductions to each interviewee. Figures like Judge Sheila Calloway, comedian Josh Black, anti-racism speaker Tim Wise, organizer Jorge Salles Diaz, and many more explore their wide-ranging perspectives on social change in a city in the midst of massive demographic and ideological shifts.

For anyone in any twenty-first-century city, Deep Dish Conversations offers a lot to think about—and a lot of ways to think about it.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Jerome Moore was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. He served as a United States Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay, which motivated him to explore and build community in Costa Rica, China, and the Philippines. He is now a community organizer, creator and host of Deep Dish Conversations, producer and host at Nashville Public Television, and pizza connoisseur.

REVIEWS

"Moore's skill as an interviewer shines as he weaves thirteen conversations to provide insight into what motivates community leaders to confront the issues that face Music City and to humanize the people and communities they represent. This book will be sought after to understand life in Nashville and what drives its people to fight to make the city a better and more welcoming place for all residents."
—Learotha Williams Jr., coeditor of I'll Take You There: Exploring Nashville's Social Justice Sites

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"If you love Nashville—and can dream of a better Nashville—read this book. Sit with it. Allow the conversations in it to feed your own. And permit it to open your thinking about where you live and how you can improve it for everyone." —Benjamin Houston, author of The Nashville Way: Racial Etiquette and the Struggle for Social Justice in a Southern City— -

"In a world flooded with bloggers and podcasters, Moore easily rises to the top. Jerome's ability to cut to the core of difficult conversations in a manner that invites differing perspectives—without alienation or dehumanization—is rare and desperately needed. At this moment in time when despair feels contagious, Moore offers hope. I certainly feel it."
—Molly Secours, author of White Privilege Pop Quiz: Reflecting on Whiteness— -

TABLE OF CONTENTS