Tag Archives: Southern Literature

The Unvanquished

Posted on March 22, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Unvanquished© 1938 William Faulkner254 pages Years ago in a ninth-grade literature class,  I chose to read a book by William Faulkner for a class project on the basis that he was a southern writer. My teacher cautioned me against … Continue reading →

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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Posted on February 25, 2017 by smellincoffee

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings© 1969 Maya Angelou304 pages I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is an autobiography in the form of a novel, following a young woman’s coming of age as she journeys from a small … Continue reading →

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Casualties

Posted on January 22, 2015 by smellincoffee

Casualties: A Novel of the Civil War© 2010 David Rothstein465 pages The year is 1863, and Tom Connor just survived the Battle of Gettysburg. His kid brother didn’t, though, and agonized emotionally he is looking forward to a Christmas furlough … Continue reading →

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Away Down South

Posted on May 31, 2014 by smellincoffee

Away Down South: A History of Southern Identity © 2007 James C. Cobb 416 pages             What does it mean to be southern, beyond a fondness for turnip greens and cornbread?  The answer is an evolving one, as the South’s … Continue reading →

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Hannah Coulter

Posted on August 3, 2013 by smellincoffee

Hannah Coulter© 2005 Wendell Berry190 pages This is the story of my life, that while I lived it weighed upon me and pressed against me and filled all my senses to overflowing and is now like a dream dreamed. […] … Continue reading →

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Jayber Crow

Posted on July 3, 2013 by smellincoffee

Jayber Crow: the Life Story of Jayber Crow, Barber of the Port William Membership, As Written by Himself© 2000363 pages “Telling a story is like reaching into a granary full of wheat and drawing out a handful. There is always … Continue reading →

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Selma

Posted on February 25, 2013 by smellincoffee

Selma: A Novel of the Civil War© 2008 Val McGee396 pages On the cover: Sturdivant Hall, a local home-turned-museum. Today, Selma, Alabama is a small town on the Alabama river, largely forgotten save for its role in the Civil Rights … Continue reading →

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To Kill a Mockingbird

Posted on May 30, 2011 by smellincoffee

To Kill a Mockingbird © 1960 Harper Lee 376 pages Mark Twain once opined that a classic is a book which everyone praises and no one reads. That cannot be the case with To Kill a Mockingbird, a classic coming-of-age story … Continue reading →

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The Last Juror

Posted on April 29, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Last Juror© 2004 John Grisham355 pages As [Padgitt] was about to step out of the witness box and return to the defense table, he suddenly turned to the jury and said something that stunned the courtroom. His face wrinkled … Continue reading →

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The Chamber

Posted on January 20, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Chamber© 1994 John Grisham676 pages As a high school senior, my second John Grisham read resulted from rescuing a battered copy of The Chamber from my library’s discard pile. The librarian warned me against reading the book, saying that it … Continue reading →

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