Category: southern history

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The Death of the Lost Cause in Flannery O’Connor’s “A Late Encounter With the Enemy”

Last post, I looked at the ways that Flannery O’Connor confronts the Lost Cause Narrative in “A Late Encounter With the Enemy.” Today, I want to expand upon that discussion some by looking, specifically, at the end of the story when we see Sally and George at her college graduation. In this scene, which takes up the latter quarter of the story, George sits … Read More The Death of the Lost Cause in Flannery O’Connor’s “A Late Encounter With the Enemy”

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The Importance of Lillian Smith’s “Killers of the Dream” 75 Years Later in 2024

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the initial publication of Lillian Smith’s Killers of the Dream, and as I reread it this past week, I kept thinking about its continued relevance today, especially during 2024, a year which, and I do not feel this is hyperbole, carries within it a huge deal of historical significance for the United States and our democratic experiment. Countless … Read More The Importance of Lillian Smith’s “Killers of the Dream” 75 Years Later in 2024

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Comics Script for Frank Yerby’s “The Foxes of Harrow”

Last spring, I created my first comic alongside my students. When I created my comic on Lillian Smith, I thought about the script and the layout; however, I did not sit down and type out the script. Instead, I worked within the Comic Book! app to layout the pages and insert the text. I knew what I wanted it to look like as I … Read More Comics Script for Frank Yerby’s “The Foxes of Harrow”

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Lillian Smith’s “Memory of a Large Christmas”

Lillian E. Smith published Memory of Large Christmas in 1962. The book, essentially, is a collection of humorous and memorable anecdotes about the large, bountiful Smith family Christmases. In the back of the book, Smith includes recopies for turkey dressing, pork salad, ambrosia, and more. Today, I want to look at one of the scenes that Smith relates in the book. The scene occurs … Read More Lillian Smith’s “Memory of a Large Christmas”

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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”