num_pages: 1054
description: Selected as an Outstanding Academic Title by ChoiceSelected as an Outstanding Reference Source by the Reference and User Services Association of the American Library AssociationThere are many anthologies of southern literature, but this is the ﬁrst companion. Neither a survey of masterpieces nor a biographical sourcebook, The Companion to Southern Literature treats every conceivable topic found in southern writing from the pre-Columbian era to the present, referencing speciﬁc works of all periods and genres. Top scholars in their ﬁelds offer original deﬁnitions and examples of the concepts they know best, identifying the themes, burning issues, historical personalities, beloved icons, and common or uncommon stereotypes that have shaped the most signiﬁcant regional literature in memory.Read the copious offerings straight through in alphabetical order (Ancestor Worship, Blue-Collar Literature, Caves) or skip randomly at whim (Guilt, The Grotesque, William Jefferson Clinton). Whatever approach you take, The Companion ’s authority, scope, and variety in tone and interpretation will prove a boon and a delight. Explored here are literary embodiments of the Old South, New South, Solid South, Savage South, Lazy South, and “Sahara of the Bozart.” As up-to-date as grit lit, K Mart ﬁction, and postmodernism, and as old-fashioned as Puritanism, mules, and the tall tale, these ﬁve hundred entries span a reach from Lady to Lesbian Literature.The volume includes an overview of every southern state’s belletristic heritage while making it clear that the southern mind extends beyond geographical boundaries to form an essential component of the American psyche. The South’s lavishly rich literature provides the best means of understanding the region’s deepest nature, and The Companion to Southern Literature will be an invaluable tool for those who take on that exciting challenge.Description of Contents500 lively, succinct articles on topics ranging from Abolition to Yoknapatawpha250 contributors, including scholars, writers, and poets2 tables of contents ― alphabetical and subject ― and a complete indexA separate bibliography for most entries
language: English
title: The Companion to Southern Literature: Themes, Genres, Places, People, Movements, and Motifs
titlecomplete: The Companion to Southern Literature: Themes, Genres, Places, People, Movements, and Motifs (Southern Literary Studies)
genres: Reference
ratings_count: 8
publisher: LSU Press