Five of My Personal Favorite Southern Writers

For this article, I'm only including Southern authors, who are from the South and who write about the South or their books are mostly set in the South. That doesn't quite describe who I'm limiting this list to, so let me try again. I'm only including Southern writers who care so much about the South that their passion for our homeland comes out loud and clear in their writing. Their natural writing style demonstrates the art of storytelling - Southern style; with a rhythm that just can't be duplicated by a non-Southerner. Whether their stories are about family or not, a Southern writer can not write without including the family dynamics and how the community interacts with the family and each other. A Southern writer includes the past in their books because it just isn't in a Southerners' nature to ignore the past, family, friends and ties to the community, even when writing fiction.

These five authors are a few of my favorite Southern writers. Instead of doing a lot of research and studying on it, I choose the first five that popped into my mind. If you are interested in knowing who else is a great Southern writer let me know and I'll do another article. I've listed them in alphabetical order so I wouldn't have to make the hard decision of who was better than whom.

Fannie Flagg
Ms. Flagg is from Birmingham, Alabama; her writing reveals a deep love and understanding of the small Southern town as it was when she was a child in the 1940's and 1950's. When I was a kid, Fannie Flagg was that really funny lady on Candid Camera and on the TV game shows. I had no idea that she did anything, but be an actress. After getting hooked on her books, I learned that besides being a writer, she is an actress, producer and comedienne. Ms. Flagg's books are mostly written about a Southern way of life that completely died out about thirty years ago. I had the pleasure of growing up in the country and/or small Southern towns and I recognize the people in her books. You may remember the movie Fried Green Tomatoes from the early 1990s. Fannie Flagg wrote the book it was based upon; the original title of the book was Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. If you thought the movie was good, you will love the book. I've read most of her books and can't think of any that I couldn't recommend.

Shelby Foote
Mr. Foote was from Greenville, Mississippi. Shelby Foote has written several fiction and nonfiction books on the Civil War; all are excellent. I was a history major in college, but I've never been interested in studying any war including the Civil War. Shelby Foote is such a skillful writer that he brings the written word to life like few other historians can. I totally recommend without reservation any of his books.

Sharon McCrumb
Ms. McCrumb is from Wilmington, North Carolina; her books reveal her total understanding of the Appalachian Way of Life on the border of East Tennessee and West North Carolina. My mother is from East Tennessee and I see my relatives in the characters of her books. When I think of Sharon McCrumb, I think of two particular titles: St. Dale and The Rosewood Casket. St. Dale is a wonderful book written with much love and respect for the Southerners' obsession over race car driver, Dale Earnhardt. The Rosewood Casket gives an outsider a glimpse of the culture and the way of life in Appalachia. Both of these books will hook you and have you turning the pages as fast as you can. To find out more about Sharon McCrumb visit her website: http://www.sharynmccrumb.com.

Lee Smith
Ms. Smith is from Grundy, Virginia a small town in the Appalachian Mountains. She definitely has a handle on the world and culture of Appalachia. I highly recommend her novel Agate Hill. It is powerfully written by someone who is unquestionably gifted with the Southern storytelling gene. Another book by Lee Smith I recommend is The Devil's Dream. She writes about several generations of the Bailey family, who are musicians from Grassy Creek, Virginia. To find out more about Lee Smith visit her website: http://www.leesmith.com/.

Jesse Stuart
Mr. Stuart was from Greenup County, Kentucky. He was a teacher, sheep farmer and author. His books are both autobiographical and fiction with mostly autobiographical feel to them. His books are a fascinating look at the culture of the hills of Eastern Kentucky. My favorite book of Jesse Stuart's is A Thread that Runs so True; it is an autobiography of his 20 years as a school teacher. To learn more about Mr. Stuart's books visit the website of the Jesse Stuart Foundation: http://www.jsfbooks.com/

Other articles by Genie Walker that you might enjoy:

My Favorite Book Opening Lines

Words that Tickle My Fancy

A Southerner's Trip to the North

Guide for Newcomers to the South
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Part 7
Part 8