Avery Cunningham’s historical fiction delves into Black elite of 1920s Chicago
Avery Cunningham, 30, grew up in Jackson, Tenn. She wrote “The Mayor of Maxwell Street” in less than a year after Hyperion Avenue bought the book based on her synopsis and eight-page proposal. (Courtesy Andrea Fenise)
She wrote the 450-page novel late at night in her East Memphis home around her day job in admissions at the Southern College of Optometry.
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Avery Cunningham Hyperion Avenue Novel Memphis The Mayor of Maxwell Street Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Jane Roberts
Jane Roberts has reported in Memphis for more than 20 years. As a senior member of The Daily Memphian staff, she was assigned to the medical beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has done in-depth work on other medical issues facing our community, including shortages of specialists in local hospitals. She covered K-12 education here for years and later the region’s transportation sector, including Memphis International Airport and FedEx Corp.
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