The Book of COVENTRY (A City In Short Fiction)
Talking Location With…. Tracey D Buchanan – Paducah (Kentucky)
13th July 2023
#TalkingLocationWith… Tracey D Buchanan, author of Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace, set in Kentucky.
A vibrant arts community, gorgeous river views and close access to two large lakes, a variety of impressive culinary offerings, and friendly welcoming people. But without the traffic, high cost of living, or crime. You’re ready to visit—or maybe even move there—right?
Paducah, a hidden treasure in far western Kentucky, is one of only six cities in the U.S. with the UNESCO Creative City designation “City of Crafts and Folk Art.” It’s home to the National Quilt Museum, the Carson Center for the Performing Arts, the eclectic LowerTown Arts District, and a quaint revitalized downtown area right on the river.
It’s also a city of rich history, making it the perfect setting for my debut novel, Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace. The protagonist, Mrs. Minerva Place, who was actually named for a street in Paducah, loved the city’s history and researched many of the former Paducahans who are buried in the town’s oldest cemetery, Oak Grove.
Photo: gh.linkedin.com
Paducah has given birth to famous politicians, celebrated musicians and professional athletes, and nationally-recognized writers. So Minerva found plenty of interesting stories. Murderers, silent film singers, German immigrants, Civil War deep sea divers, and even a Vice President populate the cemetery.
In the early ‘50s, the time period of Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace, Paducah was booming. It was home to the nation’s only strategic uranium enrichment plant used by the defense department in the production of atomic bombs. Thus its nickname “Atomic City.”
Today Paducah’s nickname is “Quilt City USA,” and thousands of quilters pour in from all over the world to enjoy The American Quilter’s Society’s Quilt Week and to tour the National Quilt Museum. NQM has attracted nearly one million visitors, curated more than 250 exhibitions, and served 90,000 students over its 30-year life.
Photo: US Quilt Tours
But quilting isn’t the only thriving art in Paducah. An artist relocation program drew artists from across the country to make their home and pursue sculpture, painting, ceramics, and other specialties. A top-tier local art museum, art galleries, and several artist associations inspire creativity every day of the week. Even the floodwall is painted by the renowned Dafford Muralists with murals depicting Paducah’s history.
Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center hosts Broadway-style productions, individual musicians, performers, and groups, and is the home of the Paducah Symphony Orchestra. The Market House Theater produce a variety of shows from musicals to murder mystery dinner theaters and children’s productions. And Yeiser Art Center has a permanent exhibition space that hosts seven shows annually and a permanent collection of over 300 works.
Paducah, where you can see the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, is a frequent stop of riverboat cruises. If you were to step off one of these picturesque boats you could meander through shops owned by locals, several museums—including The Discovery River Center—and eat at locally-owned and operated restaurants.
Chef/proprietor Sara Bradley, runner-up on season 16 of Bravo’s competitive cooking show Top Chef, operates Freight House, which serves a locally-sourced and continuously changing menu. Max’s and Cynthia’s are also fine dining experiences serving original fare that’s on par with any city’s best. Kirchhoff’s Bakery and Knoth’s Barbecue, also located downtown, offer more casual—but just as unique—lunches and yummy treats.
And throughout the year, the city celebrates what makes it special. There’s a LowerTown Arts and Music Festival, BBQ on the River, and annual Dogwood Festival. It’s no wonder Southern Living Magazine consistently names Paducah one of the South’s Best Small Towns—it’s small, but it packs a (charming) punch.
And, though it’s fitting that Mrs. Minerva Place is from a town known for the arts, even with her vivid imagination, she could never have imagined all that would develop. Or all the characters it would produce. She’d be surprised at the changes and perhaps discombobulated, but after a bit of adjustment, she’d be proud.
Tracey D Buchanan
Tracey Buchanan crashed into the literary world when she was six and won her first writing award. Fast forward through years as a journalist, mom, volunteer, freelance writer, editor, artist, small business owner, and circus performer (not really, but wouldn’t that be something?) and you find her happily planted in the world of fiction with her debut novel, Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace (Regal House Publishing, June 20, 2023). She and her husband Kent live in the UNESCO Creative City of Paducah, Ky. They have two married sons, seven perfect grandchildren, and one very mixed-up dog. She’s busy working on her next novel but you can still catch her on her website, where she likes to putter…
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