KAT: What part of Alabama are you in? I'm in Montgomery!

Welcome Kristina! Hope you can join us for A Redbird Christmas!

Welcome to Dee, Lara, Vanessa, Amy and anyone I may have missed!

I hope many of you will join us for our current group read, "A Redbird Christmas" by Fannie Flagg.

Hi Kat! Welcome! So glad you've joined us and look forward to seeing more of you here! (We're reading "A Redbird Christmas" By Fannie Flagg for our December group read).

Hi!!

I am Kat and I live in Alabama...... I can't believe that I have been on GR for over 2 yrs and have just found this group!

I have two boys (20 & 18) and I am currently in grad school working on my doctorate in nursing. In my "spare" time, reading is my passion. I read just about everything and have loved southern lit since I was in middle school when I first read To Kill a Mockingbird. It is still my all time favorite book.

I am so glad that I found this group and look forward to the discussions.

We're growing by leaps & bounds it seems! I'd like to take a quick moment to Welcome all new members! I look forward to getting to know y'all better here. Please feel free to jump in on past threads and start new ones of your own!

Welcome Leann! Thanks for joining us!

hello, I guess this is where I introduce myself. I'm Leann from South GA. I am in my 30s, single, no children. I currently became a college student to finish my Bachelor's. Fun huh. Some of my favorite authors are Karen White, Patti Callahan Henry, Lauretta Hannon, Diane Chamberlain, Mindy Starns Clark.

I wanted to Welcome Judy, Dawn, Emily, Veronica and Grayson to the group! Feel free to drop in and tell us about yourself here and participate in/start your own threads!

Plenty of Carolina connections here, too. Love the fact Scott Fitzgerald adored Asheville and did some writing at the Grove Park Inn there! What a beautiful muse, that landscape.
m

Jo, I sure am. I'm just getting aboard Goodreads, both as a reader and a writer.

Speaking of this, how many people here long for another book with the sense of place and poetical diction of Cold Mountain? I'm very curious to hear takes on Mr. Frazier's piece of lore!
mMichael Cogdill

Michael, just as a reminder, I gladly welcome authors and hope you're able to participate in our group to interact with fellow readers - self promotion of your work(s) is fine as long as you are also an active member of Southern Lit Lovers.

Thanks & much appreciated!
-Jo

Jo wrote: "welcome to both LeOta and Shannon! glad to have you here! "

Welcome! I'd love your comments about She-Rain here on Goodreads. The book won't debut until March of 2010, but I've just put the opening pages up here. Please, as a fan of southern fiction, share your thoughts!

Warmest gratitude,
MichaelMichael Cogdill

Melody wrote: "Hi & thanks, Terry! My profile picture is from a 1920s or '30s postcard (Halloween is my favorite holiday).

Aren't public libraries the best? :-)"

Halloween is my fave too!!!

Public libraries are awesome, especially large old ones in Manhattan and Philly!

Thanks, Jo!
Oh, one more bio thing--my southern connection is my dad who was from North Carolina.

Hi & thanks, Terry! My profile picture is from a 1920s or '30s postcard (Halloween is my favorite holiday).

Aren't public libraries the best? :-)

Glad to hear from you Melody! Welcome! (Again!) Hope to see more of you here too!

Melody wrote: "Hi everyone! I joined this group quite a while ago, but haven't participated as of yet. I'm a 49-year-old (well, in November anyway) librarian/cataloger and am Asst. Director for Technical Services..."

Hi Melody, welcome. I like your picture icon, and I am trying to place the illustrator because they style look familiar to me. But since my children are now 25 and 23, I am not placing it, but I will tell you that one of our favorite libraries was in Latrobe, PA, many years ago. The librarians made a big old drafty building seem warm and friendly, encouraging a life-long love of books, reading and public libraries.

Hi everyone! I joined this group quite a while ago, but haven't participated as of yet. I'm a 49-year-old (well, in November anyway) librarian/cataloger and am Asst. Director for Technical Services at a public library in Pennsylvania. I've always enjoyed such southern writers as Truman Capote; Flannery O'Connor; Tennessee Williams; William Faulkner, but am not really familiar with the later 20th century and 21st century writers. In addition to reading I enjoy folding origami; going to movies, concerts, musicals, plays, museums, craft shows and flea markets. I also collect advertising dolls and figurals. I'm married, no children (except for a large, spoiled black cat named Spooky).

I started it but got side tracked by The Lace Reader!

Thank you for the welcomes!

Jo, I'm finishing up Kindred by Octavia Butler right now, then I plan to start Traveling with Pomegranates :)

Blakelyn wrote: "Hello! My name is Blakelyn, and I'll be 28 in 9 days. I'm married to a wonderful man, and I love reading. I'm a huge fan of Southern Lit.

Just last night, I met Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor a..."

Welcome Blakelyn! What an awesome experience! Are you reading their new book? Glad to have you here & hope to see more of you!

Blakelyn wrote: "Hello! My name is Blakelyn, and I'll be 28 in 9 days. I'm married to a wonderful man, and I love reading. I'm a huge fan of Southern Lit.

Just last night, I met Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor a..."

Oh, I'd love to meet Sue Monk Kidd. She's on my list of authors to meet. I love going to signings and book festivals and meeting the authors.

Hello! My name is Blakelyn, and I'll be 28 in 9 days. I'm married to a wonderful man, and I love reading. I'm a huge fan of Southern Lit.

Just last night, I met Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor at a book reading in Durham, NC. It was amazing! The Secret Life of Bees is one of my all time favorites. Just wanted to say hello!

Will do!

Jo wrote: "They're teaching The Secret Life of Bees in schools now?! That's incredible! I just picked up her new non-fiction book at Costco yesterday (didn't even know she was coming out with a new book) wh..."

I've been wanting the new non-fiction book, too, Jo. Let me know what you think of it. I enjoy Kidd's newsletters I get via email. She seems so wise.

They're teaching The Secret Life of Bees in schools now?! That's incredible! I just picked up her new non-fiction book at Costco yesterday (didn't even know she was coming out with a new book) which she co-wrote w/her daughter Traveling with Pomegranates A Mother-Daughter Story

Carrie wrote: "KATHY: THey are all nuts. Everyone but us :)"

Amen to that.

KATHY: THey are all nuts. Everyone but us :)

Coaching is going!! We are about halfway finished with football season and then there are competitions. It never ends..LOL!

I LOOOOOVE southern lit! I saw several people mentioned THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES and I teach that! The kids love it.

LOL Kathy, that could be a reasonable theory!!!

So glad to see you here Carrie! Feel free to jump in and/or create your own threads! (I know you're busy as of late so no worries if you can't). How the coaching going?

Carrie wrote: "I'm 27, single, no children except for my dog! :)
I love to read and teach English and Drama as well as coach Varisty Cheer @ my school.
Reading keeps me sane :)"

You know, Carrie, I've often said that reading keeps me sane, too. I don't know how people who don't read do it. Maybe the non-readers are all the crazies running around. LOL

Oh, and I live in ALABAMA! :)

I'm 27, single, no children except for my dog! :)
I love to read and teach English and Drama as well as coach Varisty Cheer @ my school.
Reading keeps me sane :)

Welcome again Terry! (I welcomed you over in the Mermaids in the Basement discussion earlier).

Welcome to Katie & Miswol!

Welcome also to Carrie! Glad to see you here!

Weclome to Mia and Shoehn!

You're welcome Monica! So glad to see you over here! Yay!

Hope you can join us for our group read starting 9/15!

I'm so drawn to Southern Lit as well as lit that takes place in the New England area. I'm still unsure why. So much of it just strikes something inside of me.

Hi Everyone! My name is Monica and I recently discovered that I absolutely adore Southern-Lit! (I say recently because I didn't realize there was a southern-lit genre until I joined goodreads in June!) One of my favorite books is, of course, To Kill a Mockingbird, but I also adore The Secret Life of Bees, The Sugar Queen, Gone With the Wind....and many more! I find myself constantly leaning towards southern-lit, I didn't even realize it!
Southern-lit is comforting to me, maybe because my Grandmother was from the south and the books always remind me a bit of her. I just love the descriptions of areas in the south. Even if the story takes place in modern times, the south always has an old timey ring to it and I love that.
I look forward to chatting with all of you about our books. Thank you, Jo for starting this group!!!

You're welcome Emily!

Jo wrote: "We're growing with leaps and bounds!

Welcome to: Amy, Carol, Liz(seanat), Keely, Trisha, Nancy, Janet, Emily, Tracey, Casey, Sharon, Adrian and Lynn.

Also, if I've forgotten anyone, please forgiv..."

Wow, I've never had a personal welcome before! Thanks, Jo :)

Welcome Patricia!

Sarah, I'm sure you can do a Google search and it will pull up some things for you. I know you don't like to give out personal info online so this may be a better option for you than facebook.

Put your question on Facebook and any concerns and you will get tons of replies!!

Also check out Facebook Networked Blogs and type in those key words for subject matter.
There are lots of blogs on those issues.

Thank you so much for your kind words and interest in my book.

I don't give up much personal info online, but I grew up just a little bit north of you and sounds like we are almost the same age.

How wonderful about your poetry. I really think literature will be a way for the south to have a future apart from the negatives and stereotypes. And, as the other members here have heard me say, the South is a new place now. How do we want to be known now? I am trying to get back into southern literature to answer that question for myself. It's important to bring along all that has been traditionally good about the region, but now talk about things that are important today like ecology, tolerance, social adaptability, environmentalism.

For example, weren't your grandparents environmental, but they didn't call it that? They recycled, reused, had sustainable gardens, etc. That generation was a good role model, but don't get credit for it.

Patricia, do you know of authors who are talking about these things these days or any good discussions on this online or anything?

My name is Patricia Neely-Dorsey. I am from Tupelo, MS and the author of Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems.
I am a 1982 graduate of Tupelo High School and recieved a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. I am married to James Dorsey. We have one wonderful son Henry, age 10 and a bouncy Miniature Schnauzer, Happy who lights up our home.


Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems is "a true celebration of the south and things southern. "There are so many negative connotations associated with Mississippi and the south in general. In my book, using childhood memories, personal thoughts and dreams, I attempt to give a positive glimpse into the southern way of life. I try to show that there is much is more to Mississippi and the south than all of the negatives usually portrayed .I invite readers to Meet Mississippi (and the south) Through Poetry ,Prose and The Written Word."

SOUTHERN LIFE
If you want a glimpse of Southern life,
Come close and walk with me;
I'll tell you all the simple things,
That you are sure to see.
You'll see mockingbirds and bumblebees,
Magnolia blossoms and dogwood trees,
Caterpillars on the step,
Wooden porches cleanly swept;
Watermelons on the vine,
Strong majestic Georgia pines;
Rocking chairs and front yard swings,
Junebugs flying on a string;
Turnip greens and hot cornbread,
Coleslaw and barbecue;
Fried okra, fried corn, fried green tomatoes,
Fried pies and pickles too.
There's ice cold tea that's syrupy sweet,
And cool, green grass beneath your feet;
Catfish nipping in the lake,
And fresh young boys on the make.
You'll see all these things
And much, much more,
In a way of life that I adore.
Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life In Poems


BOOK AVAILABLE: www.reeds.ms/book.asp
or www.Amazon.com
AUTHOR WEBSITE: www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com

Question:Why are people so adamant about holding on to all of the negatives about the south without even considering or wanting to entertain the other possibilities?

Hi Everyone! My name is Carol and I am married with 2 children, a son, 20, in his final year of college, and a daughter, turning 16 in the fall, in HS. I live in Minnesota, but was born in WV, and got here the long way via TN, MS, WY, and CA. Not military, just adventurous parents and husband I guess. I have always liked everything about Southern literature since high school in Mississippi when I found out I was related to Faulkner, by marriage, gaining me points with my English teacher. I have read every Anne Rivers Siddons except 1. I like Flannery O'Connor. Eudora Welty. "Why I live at the P. O.!" Fun stuff! I work as a cataloger at a college library fulltime so I don't have much time to read. I still have a child to take to tennis (yes we do play in the north, but only until Oct.), and the mall, etc... so I look forward to joining in when I can. Thanks, Carol

We're growing with leaps and bounds!

Welcome to: Amy, Carol, Liz(seanat), Keely, Trisha, Nancy, Janet, Emily, Tracey, Casey, Sharon, Adrian and Lynn.

Also, if I've forgotten anyone, please forgive me and Welcome!

Jenny wrote: "I became a fan of southern literature when I took a class on Lee Smith and Gail Godwin as a senior English major at James Madison University."

Hi, Jenny! Did you see that our group read for this month is Lee Smith's Fair and Tender Ladies? If you want, come on over and join us!

Anne- Bailey White is just a hoot! I love her. Georgia grows some great authors!

Jenny- I'm reading "Fancy Strut" (Lee Smith) right now. The characters are great.

Welcome Jenny! Glad to hear that about The Help, it's next on my list!