On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

The Southern Literary Trail is now accepting nominations for books that the group will be reading in February 2025.

We will consider books with a southern literary theme that have not been read by the group in the last 24 months. The two categories are books originally published in or before 1990 or those published after 1990. In the latter case, we will no longer consider nominations for new books unless they have been available for at least four months prior to the date we begin reading the book. You may make one nomination in each category. Authors may not nominate their own works. Please post your nominations below and specify which category you are nominating it for.

Nominations will stay open for one week or until we receive six nominations in each category. Voting will take place in the first ten days of next month.

The eligible nominations received will be listed below:

Books originally published in or before 1990
1. The Night of the Hunter, by Davis Grubb
2. The Marrow of Tradition, by Charles W. Chesnutt
3. The Winter People, by John Ehle
4. A Death in the Family, by James Agee
5. A Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
6. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers
Books originally published after 1990
1. Nightwoods, by Charles Frazier
2. Mama Makes Up Her Mind and Other Dangers of Southern Living, by Bailey White
3. The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope, by Rhonda Riley
4. The Displacements, by Bruce Holsinger
5. Two-Step Devil by Jamie Quatro
6. A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines

For post 1990, I nominate Nightwoods by Charles Frazier (2011) 253 pages.

Debi wrote: "For pre 1990, I nominate The Night of the Hunter Davis Grubb, 1953"

That is if West Virginia considered one of the Southern states.

For post 1990, I nominate the humorous Mama Makes Up Her Mind and Other Dangers of Southern Living Bailey White, 1993

For the post 1990, I would like to recommend The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope by Rhonda Riley.

pre 1990- Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson young adult

post 1990 Two-Step Devil by Jamie Quatro

Sam, Bridge to Terabithia is a great book, but unfortunately is not southern in either setting author.

For pre 1990 I nominate "The Marrow of Tradition" by Charles W. Chesnutt.

For post 1990, I nominate "The Displacements" by Bruce Holsinger.

Debi wrote: "Debi wrote: "For pre 1990, I nominate The Night of the Hunter Davis Grubb, 1953"

That is if West Virginia considered one of the Southern states."

It does. The group has actually read this excellent book but it has been a few years so it is eligible.

I need to figure out how to see what y'all have read and how long ago it's been.

I haven't read it, but the movie was freaky good!

Pre 1990 The Winter People by John Ehle

Diane wrote: "Sam, Bridge to Terabithia is a great book, but unfortunately is not southern in either setting author."

I withdraw the nomination but could you be a littlr clearer about why this book is being excluded?

The author's southern background goes deep with most of her formative educational years in North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. She did her undergrad at King College in Bristol, TN and grad in Arlington, Va.

From my experience you can get a sense of the Appalachian south in
you from spending as little time as five minutes in Bristol, never mind four years. Main street is cut in half splitinng two states and used to be one wet and one dry.

Setting of the book is below the Mason-Dixon line.

I understand that books might not fit what one's sense of the genre is, but the exclusionary process seems somewhat arbitrary. Also perhaps private messaging between the moderator and the member nominating might be a better way to discuss controversies to avoid public displays?

Sorry Sam, I did not do my homework on the setting of this book. It's been a while since I read it and had forgotten the setting was a small town in Virginia. However, I don't feel that even Paterson herself would make the argument that she is a southern writer based on where she was educated.
I withdraw my objection to including this book for nomination in the polls. Sorry if you were offended, it certainly wasn't intentional.

You have not offended me Diane, and you answered my question on why the book was rejected. I still would prefer to withdraw it. A book I nominated was challenged a bit back and another member questioned the challenge so the book was eventually allowed and then the book actually won the vote. But none of the mods joined in on the read or discussion so the whole thing felt off. Let's avoid a similar experience.

I do think the person nominating must take some responsibility if books are continually challenged. I have tried to use a broad spectrum approach choosing from a variety of genres including biography. poetry, drama, and essay as well as fiction with an eye to offering something new to our readers. That doesn't mean it is something the group wants.

Sam I encourage you to keep the nomination and continue to think outside the box. If you nominated annihilation, I did read it and totally enjoyed it and think it was thinking out of the norm. This nomination is a favorite that I read to my daughter at a young age. I could not get through it without crying but would never take back the experience that my daughter could see how a book can have an emotional effect on a person.

Ditto what Laura wrote. Even if nominations or winners turn out to be duds so to speak, when they do work towards a great discussion (even if only 2 or 3 people join in), all the strikeouts are worth it . I appreciate you thinking outside of the box Sam. I'm sometimes bored seeing the same "classic southern lit" books renominated and winning multiple times but that doesn't detract from the pleasure of other readers discovering them for the first or second time.
Participation on GR is all over the place and sadly lacking in most group discussions so I for one appreciate any activity whether or not I can join in. It's usually a timing or availability issue for me. I often add nominations, winners, or mod choices to my TBR. Currently I own three purchased but unread books which are on two of my 2025 reading lists in another groups new year challenges. Better late than never!

Pre1990 - A Death in the Family - James Agee

Been a while dropped in.

Can I just add to what both Laura and Cathrine said. Timing and availability are key to all group reads, but so are the nominations. The best discussion I've been involved with this year, by a distance, is The Wild Palms by William Faulkner. It was Sam who nominated that book. Would I like to read Bridge to Terabithia? Yes I would.

Since Sam has withdrawn his nomination of Bridge to Terabithia, may I nominate it? Sounds like a book I would love, by dingy!

Let me apologize for not getting back earlier. Thanks for the kind comments. If I see a book that seems interesting, I will nominate in the future and even if I do not, I will continue to read books with the group. I just finished my reread of Wise Blood today. But be wary of my nominations. You might not like the book. Sometimes I don't even like the books I nominate.

That happens to me too Sam. I've had my share of nomination bombs, and MOD choices that I didn't like at all. I apologize again for my hasty rejection of Bridge to Terabithia without checking on it first, my old brain remembered it as a New York setting. Sounds like it's time for a re-read! Lexy, thanks for re-nominating.

post 1990 A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

Lexy wrote: "Since Sam has withdrawn his nomination of Bridge to Terabithia, may I nominate it? Sounds like a book I would love, by dingy!"

You may, and I'm glad that someone has made sure that it was nominated.

If my count is correct, the nominations for the post-1990 group is closed but we still have room for two more Pre-1990 selections.

Bridge to Terabithia is not on the above nominations list, but should be. So only one more pre-nomination is needed.

Lots of great nominations - it’s going to be hard to vote!

Diane wrote: "Bridge to Terabithia is not on the above nominations list, but should be. So only one more pre-nomination is needed."

Corrected.

Pre-1990 nomination:

The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter

And that finishes us up on nominations. Thanks Wyndy. See you at the polls everyone!