“African American Literature and the American South” Syllabus

by Matthew Teutsch

Occasionally, I post syllabi ideas here on the blog. Today, I want to share a syllabus I have been thinking about recently entitled “African American Literature and the American South.” The South, as a geographic and imaginary space, looms large in the works of not just African American authors but in writers of all ethnic backgrounds from the United States. Maryemma Graham discusses the … Read More “African American Literature and the American South” Syllabus

September 14, 2017 + "health card", african american literature, american literature, frank yerby, harper's, o'henry award, southern literature, world war ii

Frank Yerby’s “Health Card” and Gender

by Matthew Teutsch

Before he started writing “costume novels,” Frank Yerby penned protest literature in the form of short stories and poems. The stories are in the vein of Richard Wright and other African American writers of the period. After failing to get his first novel length manuscript published, a protest novel, Yerby turned to what he called “costume novels,” historical narratives that subvert the plantation tradition. … Read More Frank Yerby’s “Health Card” and Gender

September 12, 2017 + african american literature, american literature, frank yerby, gone with the wind, Literature, louisiana literature, mark jerng, race, slavery, southern literature, the foxes of harrow

Racial Signification in Frank Yerby’s “The Foxes of Harrow”

by Matthew Teutsch

In “Reconstructions of Racial Perception: Margaret Mitchell’s and Frank Yerby’s Plantation Romances,” Mark C. Jerng argues that Frank Yerby’s The Foxes of Harrow “engages with the specific techniques of deploying racial signification in [Gone With the Wind], in particular by when race appears in the background and when it is foregrounded.” Jerng looks at the ways that Yerby challenges and reverses the racial associations … Read More Racial Signification in Frank Yerby’s “The Foxes of Harrow”

September 7, 2017 + african american literature, american literature, frank yerby, louisiana literature, southern literature, the foxes of harrow, white magnolias

The Ghosts of Harrow

by Matthew Teutsch

Currently, I am working on an essay that examines Frank Yerby’s The Foxes of Harrow (1946) and the 1947 film adaptation that appeared a year after its publication. As such, I recently reread Yerby’s debut and wanted to comment on a couple of items that I noticed. Today, I want to take the time to look at the opening couple of pages in the novel. … Read More The Ghosts of Harrow

August 15, 2017 + african american literature, american history, american literature, charlottesville, frank yerby, history, Pedagogy, racism, southern history, the foxes of harrow, white nationalism, white supremacy

Charlottesville: What do I do in the classroom?

by Matthew Teutsch

At the end of Frank Yerby’s The Foxes of Harrow (1946), Stephen Fox thinks about his son Etienne. The Civil War has just ended, and Stephen ponders what the racism and hate that Etienne carries within himself will bring for the future. Etienne’s feelings and ideas will lead to more bloodshed, more dead bodies, and a stunted progress towards equality. The events in Charlottesville, … Read More Charlottesville: What do I do in the classroom?

Interminable Rambling

“African American Literature and the American South” Syllabus

Category: frank yerby