Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South: A Photographic Road Trip

by Kate Medley, Kiese Laymon (Foreword)

Thank You Please Come Again is the documentation of Kate Medley’s many road trips across the South photographing our service stations, convenience stores, and quick stops. Along the way, Kate pulls over for tamales, fried fish, and banh mi, but her images uncover the people and landmarks that supply far more than food and gas.

In an ever more divided America, these iconic gathering spaces provide unexpected community, generosity, labor, and creativity. Are these rural and urban pit stops the true “filling stations” of our time? In words and nearly 200 incredible images from the American South, Kate Medley shares her answers.

Thank You Please Come Again is an art book and a heart book. We can’t wait for you to experience it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Food, Photography, Cookbooks, Food and Drink

256 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully photographed collection of one of my favorite subjects: gas station gastronomy. Medley’s pictures aren’t of food. They are pictures of people and places and time and a society. And you know the food is amazing, too. The foreword by Kiese Laymon is the perfect appetizer. Fantastic work.

[Samantha Tuggle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. As someone who grew up in rural southern America, I deeply appreciate the images and memories they brought to mind. It made me think of fried pies and hotdogs.