Five More of My Personal Favorite Southern Writers

Being Southern I enjoy reading books by other Southerners. We in the South have strong ties to our past, our land, our families both biological and chosen, our community and our traditions. All of those aspects will show up in a good Southern book written by a Southern author. All of these Southern authors are great storytellers and have the Southern rhythm of telling a story. I have placed them in alphabetical order, because I don't want to have to choose amongst them of who is better than whom. I have picked both Southern writers that are on every list of great Southern writers and those who just tickle my fancy.

Ernest Gaines Mr. Gaines, born in 1933, is an African American writer born at the River Lake Plantation near New Roads, Louisiana which is located in Pointe Coupee Parish. My favorite all time book of his, is "T he Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." The story is told as though Miss Pittman was recording her memories from her 110 year old life. The recordings begin in 1962 making Miss Pittman born the decade before the Civil War. She tells a fascinating story of the African American experience from the Civil War to the Civil Rights era. Mr. Gaines manages to tell this inspiring story so well, that it feels like a fascinating true story of the life of someone you really wished you knew and could talk to yourself. Someone has created a Facebook page for Ernest Gaines: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Ernest-J-Gaines/115144381854546

Anne George

Anne George lived in the outskirts of Birmingham Alabama, the setting for her Southern Sisters Mystery Series. I love her descriptions of Birmingham; the interaction between the sisters (Patricia Anne and Mary Alice), who love each other, but don't necessarily love each other's behavior or life choices; and her dashes of humor that can be found throughout her mysteries. These books are a fun read. There are only eight in the series, because Ms. George died in 2001. I should mention she has other writings besides these books, but I just love reading about Patricia Anne and Mary Alice. A friend of Ms. George has set of a website: http://www.annegeorge.com/.

Joan Hess

Ms. Hess was born in 1949 in Fayette, Arkansas. Joan Hess writes a series of mysteries with Arly Hanks the sheriff of Maggody, Arkansas as the main character. These books are fun to read. In Maggody you will find all the Southern stereotypes, told in such an exaggerated way that you can't help laughing hard enough to bruise your ribs. I don't normally like it when someone uses Southern stereotypes, but it is okay for Ms. Hess to do it because she is a true Southerner and its okay for Southerners make fun of ourselves. It's also okay, because Ms. Hess does it well. To read more about Jean Hess, visit her website: http://us.macmillan.com/author/joanhess.

Kathryn Stockett

Kathryn Stockett born in Jackson Mississippi in 1969 is the youngest of the authors I have listed. She's only written one book to my knowledge, but it's a doozy. I'm hoping there is more to come. "The help," is set in Mississippi in the 1960s, a time period of serious racial disharmony something most Southerners don't want to discuss. Ms Stockett has given her characters clear, distinct voices and has developed the characters to the point you are rooting for them as they quietly go about changing how things are done in their hometown. This book causes me to think about myself and the behavior of those around me. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that this book is changing how folks perceive themselves and as a result changing lives. For more information see her website: http://www.kathrynstockett.com/.

Eudora Welty

Ms. Welty lived in Jackson, Mississippi from the time she was born in 1909 until her death in 2001, except for the few years she went away for college. If you are a deep thinker, you will appreciate her work, because her writings are full of hidden meanings. I came across Ms. Welty when I was a teenager and the first story of hers that I read was "The worn path." Despite the fact another one of her stories, "The optimist's daughter," won a Pulitzer Prize, it is still my favorite story of hers. The main character in "The worn path" is an elderly African American woman named Phoenix Jackson who is walking into town to get medication for her grandson determined not to let anything get in her way of her goal. Since Ms. Welty uses symbolism throughout the story, it's a story within a story within a story. For more about Eudora Welty visit her website: http://www.eudorawelty.org/.

The link to my original article "Five of my personal favorite Southern writers:" http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/773135/five_of_my_personal_favorite_southern.html?cat=9