Category: southern gothic
+ ernest j gaines, incognegro, killers of the dream, lillian e smith, mat johnson, of love and dust, southern gothic, the autobiography of miss jane pittman, warren pleece
Haunting in Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece’s “Incognegro”
In preparation for my fall literature class, I reread Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece’s Incognegro: A Graphic Mystery. There are a lot of aspects of the book I could discuss, and that I want to discuss with students. One of these will definitely be looking at Incognergo in relation to themes that James Baldwin discusses in his essay “Stranger in the Village.” As well, … Read More Haunting in Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece’s “Incognegro”
+ alabama literature, american history, american literature, atticus finch, boo radley, harper lee, scout finch, southern gothic, southern history, southern literature, to kill a mockingbird, william apess
American History and Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Last post, I wrote about the Southern paradoxes in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. Today, I want to look at the opening of the novel because Scout traces the events of the novel deep into our nation’s history, before Jem, Scout, or Atticus arrived on the scene. This is important because for all of the missed moments of reflection in the novel, the … Read More American History and Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”
+ american literature, language, quentin compson, shreve, southern gothic, southern literature, spoade, the sound and the fury, william faulkner
Language in William Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury”: Part II
Last post, I started discussing the ways that William Faulkner, in The Sound and the Fury (1929), explores the ways that language and words construct meaning and social hierarchies. Today, I want to continue that discussion by zeroing in on a couple of more scenes in Quentin’s section, specifically the scene where he talks with the three boys who are going fishing and the … Read More Language in William Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury”: Part II
+ alan moore, comics, dc comics, grindhouse, p.o.s., Qiana J. Whitted, southern gothic, southern history, southern literature, swamp thing
The Master Narrative in Alan Moore’s “Swamp Thing”
Last post, I wrote about some of the Gothic elements in issues #41 and #42 of Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing and the repetition of the “unsuccessfully repressed.” Today, I want to continue that discussion some by looking at the conclusion of issue #42, “Strange Fruit.” Rather than breaking with the past by burning the roots of hate and prejudice, the space shifts from Robertaland … Read More The Master Narrative in Alan Moore’s “Swamp Thing”
+ african american literature, african americans, alice dunbar-nelson, attica locke, children of strangers, creole, ernest j gaines, george washington cable, gothic literature, kindred, Kristen Imani Kasai, lyle saxon, octavia butler, southern gothic, the cutting season, The House of Erzulie
The Past in Kirsten Imani Kasai’s “The House of Erzulie”
Note: You can win a copy of Kasai’s The House of Erzulie. Just tweet or retweet this post (make sure to tag me so I know you Tweeted it @silaslapham). The winner will be chosen randomly at noon Saturday January 13. Recently, I had the chance to read Kirsten Imani Kasai‘s The House of Erzulie (Feburary 2018 Shade Mountain Press), a novel that, on the … Read More The Past in Kirsten Imani Kasai’s “The House of Erzulie”
