The first collection of environmental writing about the Gulf South region, this volume features a diverse array of voices from the past 100 years. The work of these writers and artists enriches how we understand and represent the relationship between people and the rapidly changing ecology of the Gulf.

Reaching from Texas to Florida, this anthology presents pieces from a variety of genres, from journalism to poetry to memoir to a graphic nonfiction book. It comprises renowned authors such as Natasha Trethewey, Jesmyn Ward, and E. O. Wilson alongside lesser-known writers and emerging writers. The subjects include natural and human-made disasters, the impact of industry, influential historical events, personal encounters with the environment, and a deep love for the land and water by the people who live there.

Reflecting a range of different landscapes and their inhabitants, and emphasizing the human voice and condition throughout, The Gulf South brings to light a region whose influence on American commerce and culture reaches far beyond its geographical boundaries. This volume encourages readers to consider how we choose to characterize the environment and its degradation through language, and how these accounts affect our thinking and planning for the future.

Contributors: E. L. Corthell Catherine Cole Lafcadio Hearn John Muir Jovita Gonz lez Zora Neale Hurston William Faulkner Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Marjory Stoneman Douglas Theodore Rosengarten Eastern Creek Indians Joy Harjo John McPhee Eddy Harris Robert Bullard John Barry Susan Orlean Roger Emile Stouff Mike Tidwell Steve Lerner Diane Wilson Michael Grunwald Cynthia Barnett Oliver Houck Bob Marshall Josh Neufeld Natasha Trethewey Jesmyn Ward David Gessner Moira Crone Kate Galbraith and Asher Price Peggy Frankland Richard Mizelle Bob Marshall Antonia Juhasz Arlie Hochschild Neena Satija Edward Wilson Justin Nobel Jack Davis