With the national popularity of films like The Help and television shows Treme and True Blood, it’s not surprising that Hollywood is going Southern in 2012. Boasting stories of war and competition, alternate history and adaptation of some of the greatest works of Southern literature, 2012 looks to be a banner year for the South on screen.
Starting with Dolly Parton, who’s starring in Joyful Noise opening today, intern Kati-Jane Hammet has compiled a list of the Southern-themed films and television shows coming out or in the works this year. So, set up your film-going calendar for January through December, which concludes with a huge Southern literary blockbuster on Christmas Day.
by Kati-Jane Hammet
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Professor of English with a focus on Southern lit and women’s studies at UL Lafayette, Dr. Mary Ann Wilson was cleaning out her office earlier this month and came across an old audio reel labeled “Flannery O’Connor.” It turned out to be a recording of the author’s 1962 lecture at the university and is one of the few of her voice that exists.
Yesterday’s announcement that Paula Deen has type 2 diabetes and is also partnering with a drug company that treats the disease came as a bit of a shock to many Southerners. We knew that all that butter and dishes like “The Lady’s Brunch Burger” weren’t good for her and that she’d probably wind up with some sort of condition, but I don’t think we ever expected this.
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Today, we celebrate the legacy of a man who changed the course of history in the South. Many of you have the day off work, and it can sometimes be difficult to find a way to celebrate Martin Luther King on his day. Thanks to Peace Through Pie, there’s an edible solution this year.
by Noelle A. Granger
The South seemed like a nice place to put down roots, and those travel magazines can be pretty convincing. My husband and I first thought about moving to North Carolina thirty years ago after looking at pictures of the eye-popping fall colors in the mountains and the crystalline sandy beaches and cerulean blue waters off the Outer …
by Andrew Alexander Mobbs
The Blues have been collecting dust
for years
in Malcolm Bart’s record store
on Beale
In other parts of the country, people celebrate New Year’s Eve by drinking champagne, singing “Auld Lang Syne” and popping fireworks. Here in the South, we’ve been known to do some drinking, singing and popping, but only if it’s while also dropping something. New Year’s Eve drops seem to be the norm at celebrations in this region. Some are just …
by Kelsey Savage Hays
Christine started the shoplifting. Until Saturday night they’d stuck with make-up: fancy lip gloss in flavors like blueberry cheesecake and mint chocolate chip embedded with fine pieces of glitter that left their lips sparkling like a disco ball. They swiped sample blushes from the Clinique counter, tossed perfume test bottles into their purses, snatched grape purple eye shadow from the bins at Claire’s.
A new photography exhibit in Water Valley showcases Mississippi’s past and present, including never before seen works by the late Jim Higgins.
The South is filled with festive, holiday attractions this time of year. Beautifully decorated plantations, lighted tours, a variety of winter wonderlands and several events inspired by Dickens this year stretch across the region, welcoming visitors with heaping doses of Southern hospitality and, if you’re lucky, a cup of hot chocolate or cider.
