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Tag Archives: Alabama
On horses, septic tanks, and roving Spainards
I began the year by returning to a favorite subject of mine: horses! The Equine Legacy is a history of not only horses in America, but donkeys and mules, from the Age of Discovery to just after the Great War. … Continue reading
A southern trilogy: Rick Bragg’s folks
All Over but the Shoutin’ is perhaps Rick Bragg’s most well-known work, beginning a trilogy that, in its focus on one family in the early and mid-20th century, takes readers into the generally ignored territory of the poor white working class of the South. … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged Alabama, American South, biography, Of Boys and Men, poverty, Rick Bragg, Southern Literature
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The Speckled Beauty
The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and his People© 2021 Rick Bragg256 pages There’s no bond like that between a boy and his dog – except, maybe, that of an old man and his dog. Rick Bragg never meant to adopt “Speck”, the mangy and … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged Alabama, animal domestication, humor, Rick Bragg, Southern Literature
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Double play: Mobile & Latin America
This past week has seen a little progress on the ol’ TBR front, as I knocked out three books from the list, including The Network and those below. First up was E.O. Wilson’s Why We Are Here: Mobile and the … Continue reading
Posted in history, Reviews, World Affairs
Tagged Alabama, history, Latino, Mexico, Peoples of the Americas series, South America
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Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe© 1987 Fannie Flagg416 pages “You know, a heart can be broken, but it keeps on beating, just the same.” Evelyn Couch is too young to feel this old. Despairing and lonely, she … Continue reading
Backroads Alabama: Looking for Creeks, trains, and a dog named Fred
For the last several weekends I’ve been visiting various places throughout Alabama, ranging north and south, many with a connection to Alabama’s role in the Creek war. On the agenda were Fort Mims, Claiborne, and St. Stephens. I often read … Continue reading
Alabama: Making of an American State
Alabama: the Making of an American State© 2016 Edwin C. Bridges264 pages In December of 2019, the streets of Montgomery were thronged with people as the citizens of Alabama celebrated its 200th anniversary. The three years prior had been full … Continue reading
Where I Come From
Where I Come From: Stories from the Deep South© 2020 Rick Bragg256 pages What a joy Rick Bragg is to read! A native son of Alabama, Rick Bragg is a journalist-turned-folklorist in the tradition of Kathryn Tucker Windham, who here … Continue reading
Christmas Tales and Counting Buzzards
Christmas Tales collects various human interest stories around the State of Alabama that have a Christmas connection — though perhaps human interest isn’t the right word, seeing as many of these stories involve animals! The stories were collected by a … Continue reading