There are many competing anthologies of southern literature, but this is the first "companion". Neither a survey of masterpieces not 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. Read its copious offerings straight through in alphabetical order (Ancestor Worship, Blue-Collar Literature, Caves) or skip randomly at whim (Guilt, The Grotesque, William Jefferson Clinton). 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 incredibly rich literature provides the best means of understanding the region's deepest nature, and "The Companion to Southern Literature" should be a valuable tool for those who take on that exciting challenge.