by Billy P. Hall In 1948, most poor folks (and most people fit that description) raised chickens and hogs for food. In a mostly agrarian society, most folks around Winnsboro still clung to the lifestyle they grew up with. Many could recount the hungry times during the Great Depression and it was a life-changing event for many of them. Genesis 12:10 says "
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.
Follow in the footsteps of some of the South's literary icons, from William Faulkner to Eudora Welty and John Grisham, and see their words come to life. Visit the New Orleans apartment where Tennessee Williams began writing "A Streetcar Named Desire" and the Key West Hotel where he finished the play. Pay homage to Flannery O'Connor at her farm and gravesite in Georgia or make a pilgrimage to Harper Lee's Maycomb in Monroeville, Alabama. Head down to Florida and travel Zora Neale Hurston's Dust Tracks Heritage Trail or see the house where Jack Kerouac was living when "On the Road" was published.This app also includes restaurants, bars and hotels with a literary theme, from the Mockingbird Cafe in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to the O. Henry Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina. And no literary app would be complete without the independent bookstores that help carry on the legacy of the South's writers. With more than 130 sites to visit and over 700 photos, this app aims to provide lovers of Southern lit with a multitude of options for paying tribute to their favorite authors and discovering new ones along the way. Available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Thanks to everyone who
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.
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
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 Banks, plus we were told that the weather was nice, but mostly we came because we both found jobs here. During my first week in North Carolina, temperatures hovered around 100 degrees, with humidity that made it feel like a blast furnace, and I dreaded going outside. But gradually over the years, and with the help of whole house air-conditioning, I’ve come to welcome the heat and found it’s the perfect topic to open a conversation. “It’s a scorcher outside today.” “Yep, even the flies aren’t buzzin’.” Shortly after learning to begin conversations this way, I became aware there is a distinctive way of speaking in the South. Part of my transition as a North Carolinian was a gradual discovery that the Southern lilt is soothing to my ears, and some of the more unique terms are downright enjoyable. I’ve even found myself using
by Andrew Alexander Mobbs The Blues have been collecting dust for years in Malcolm Bart's record store on Beale
2011 was a great year at Deep South. We celebrated our second year in business, overhauled our website and launched a Southern Literary Trail App! We've got lots of Southern stories on the books for 2012, but wanted to take a minute to remember a few of our favorite, and most commented on, stories from the past year.