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Undead Souths: The Gothic and Beyond in Southern Literature and Culture
Depictions of the undead in the American South are not limited to our modern versions, such as the vampires in True Blood and the zombies in The Walking Dead. As Undead Souths reveals, physical emanations of southern undeadness are legion, but undeadness also appears in symbolic, psychological, and cultural forms, including the social death endured by enslaved people, the Cult of the Lost Cause that resurrected the fallen heroes of the Confederacy as secular saints, and mourning rites revived by Native Americans forcibly removed from the American Southeast.
To capture the manifold forms of southern haunting and horror, Undead Souths explores a variety of media and historical periods, establishes cultural crossings between the South and other regions within and outside of the U.S., and employs diverse theoretical and critical approaches. The result is an engaging and inclusive collection that chronicles the enduring connection between southern culture and the refusal of the dead to stay dead.
To capture the manifold forms of southern haunting and horror, Undead Souths explores a variety of media and historical periods, establishes cultural crossings between the South and other regions within and outside of the U.S., and employs diverse theoretical and critical approaches. The result is an engaging and inclusive collection that chronicles the enduring connection between southern culture and the refusal of the dead to stay dead.
324 pages, Paperback
First published October 19, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 12, 2016
A very interesting way to address social, political, economical, and racial tensions through the lens of "undeadness". Explores several literary pieces and how the theme of the undead is woven throughout to enhance and enlighten while also tying pieces such as The House of Usher with Po' Sandy. As a historian and a writer, I appreciated this unique close analysis.
November 29, 2015
Splendid & thought-provoking, which is genuinely say even if I wasn't acquainted with one of the editors. Truly. This is work I'll be referring to again in my own work.
November 14, 2017
Really good look into diverse, contemporary scholarship surrounding the American South.
December 28, 2024
Rating: 3* of five
The Publisher Says: Depictions of the undead in the American South are not limited to our modern versions, such as the vampires in True Blood and the zombies in The Walking Dead. As Undead Souths reveals, physical emanations of southern undeadness are legion, but undeadness also appears in symbolic, psychological, and cultural forms, including the social death endured by enslaved people, the Cult of the Lost Cause that resurrected the fallen heroes of the Confederacy as secular saints, and mourning rites revived by Native Americans forcibly removed from the American Southeast.
To capture the manifold forms of southern haunting and horror, Undead Souths explores a variety of media and historical periods, establishes cultural crossings between the South and other regions within and outside of the U.S., and employs diverse theoretical and critical approaches. The result is an engaging and inclusive collection that chronicles the enduring connection between southern culture and the refusal of the dead to stay dead.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: I'll say this for the editors: They cast a wide net. They did not give me a bum steer in their description. It's accurate.
That's my issue, it's accurate. It is great for a lit-crit text designed to enliven a course of lectures. It gave me a sense of seasickness from the discontinuity inherent in the format. So this isn't a complaining review, just a "don't mistake this book for a continuous narrative or you'll be disappointed" one.
The Publisher Says: Depictions of the undead in the American South are not limited to our modern versions, such as the vampires in True Blood and the zombies in The Walking Dead. As Undead Souths reveals, physical emanations of southern undeadness are legion, but undeadness also appears in symbolic, psychological, and cultural forms, including the social death endured by enslaved people, the Cult of the Lost Cause that resurrected the fallen heroes of the Confederacy as secular saints, and mourning rites revived by Native Americans forcibly removed from the American Southeast.
To capture the manifold forms of southern haunting and horror, Undead Souths explores a variety of media and historical periods, establishes cultural crossings between the South and other regions within and outside of the U.S., and employs diverse theoretical and critical approaches. The result is an engaging and inclusive collection that chronicles the enduring connection between southern culture and the refusal of the dead to stay dead.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: I'll say this for the editors: They cast a wide net. They did not give me a bum steer in their description. It's accurate.
That's my issue, it's accurate. It is great for a lit-crit text designed to enliven a course of lectures. It gave me a sense of seasickness from the discontinuity inherent in the format. So this isn't a complaining review, just a "don't mistake this book for a continuous narrative or you'll be disappointed" one.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews