Tag Archives: American South

Afternoons with Harper Lee

Afternoons with Harper Lee© 2022 Wayne Flynt256 pages Recently I had the pleasure of listening to historian Dr. Wayne Flynt speak at my local library,  drawing from his new book, Afternoons with Harper Lee.   As with Mockingbird Songs, a … Continue reading

Posted in Classics and Literary, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind© 1936 Margaret Mitchell1037 pages It’s been nearly twenty years since I visited the joined worlds of antebellum Tara and postwar Atlanta, tied together through the life of a ruined plantation belle turned business magnate, Scarlett O’Hara. … Continue reading

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

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 , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Readin’ Dixie: The Index

Pursuant to my goal of reading more southern history and literature, I’m creating an index to get an at-a-glance idea of areas I’ve read more in or have ignored. I’m planning on developing this more in 2022! LAND, LITERATURE, and … Continue reading

Posted in General | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Tuesday trifecta: hacking, prepping, and making shine

I’ve been dog & cat-sitting away from my computer since last week, and without a TV or computer to distract me I’ve been doing that ‘reading’ thing. First up, I read Just in Case, a prepping-for-newbies book the library acquired … Continue reading

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews, science fiction, Society and Culture | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The Lost Classics

The Lost Classics© ed. Jim Casada1950s-60s pieces by Robert Ruark from Field & Stream and other magazines260 pages A hunt for southern literature outside the Faulkner/O’Connor domain brought me to the happy surprise that was The Old Man and the … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Miracle of New Orleans

Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans 2017 Brian Kilmeade256 pages I know precious little about the war of 1812, saved that it involved the United States invading Canada, D.C. being burned, and….something about New Orleans? That ….something is … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Why Rick Bragg Writes

Quoted from Where I Come From, by Rick Bragg: “I write about home so I can be certain someone will. It is not much more complicated than that.”  “Home is not a thing of position, or standing. My home is … Continue reading

Posted in quotations | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Little Way of Ruthie Leming

The Little Way of Ruthie Leming: A Southern Girl, A Small Town, and the Secret of a Good Life © 2013 Rod Dreher 292 pages What is a meaningful life, but one lived in close connection with others?     Journalist Rod … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How Dante Can Save Your Life

How Dante Can Save Your Life: The Life-Changing Wisdom of History’s Greatest Poem © 2015 Rod Dreher 322 pages Selected Quotations How Dante Can Save Your Life is one man’s account of how that Renaissance poet’s epic  tale of a … Continue reading

Posted in Religion and Philosophy, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments