On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

I never considered I was a Southern reading lover, especially since my college forte is British Lit., however, I am always drawn back to "the south." I LOVE Faulkner's books, O'Connor's short stories, I have read the current book, (need to re-read, it's been a long time) and so many others..(Ellison, McCullers, etc.) I have for some reason an attraction to contact cultures, such as the French and the Natives, and Louisianna/Creole culture, dancing, etc., so I think I am really in the right place, why else do I feel an excitement about my joining? Thanks for having me.

Elle wrote: "I never considered I was a Southern reading lover, especially since my college forte is British Lit., however, I am always drawn back to "the south." I LOVE Faulkner's books, O'Connor's short stori..."

Thanks for having us! Welcome. *grin*

Lawyer Stevens

I see you were reading Steinbeck, too...Another one I LOVE, but he's not really Southern, he's more from MY neck a the woods: Central California... :) Thanks for your response (a "grin" :)

Elle wrote: "I see you were reading Steinbeck, too...Another one I LOVE, but he's not really Southern, he's more from MY neck a the woods: Central California... :) Thanks for your response (a "grin" :)"

Elle, a confession I have made before, "East of Eden" is my favorite novel of all time. Yes, before "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter." So, I DO read literature other than Southern. I just saw a niche that needed filling. *grin*

Lawyer Stevens

And a good niche it is, indeed! There is something unique about southern lit., I think it is a perpetual sense of loss within the psyche, and it is quite alluring, because everyone is familiar with the feeling whether they admit it or not. On top of that, is such intellectual skill of communication to the reader. Those things are enticing to the student of literature (me :)

I just re-read your response and realized I responded in error. I see you mean you have OTHER genre interests than the Southern genre. I do too...and BESIDES British Lit. East of Eden is definitely American angst of the 50s, is it not? I have never read that particular book, I'd like to...who wrote it? I saw the movie (of course) because I LOVE Natalie Wood, since she is one of the people I grew up on, including James Dean, but he had such a short run, we all know why....Natalie though, struck me as a very enigmatic person and I read biographies of her (which I never mentioned on here, and should) but I never read the books of the movies she was in...thank you for reminding me. I really like realism fiction which so many authors are under these days, but too many to name here. I'll look up East of Eden, I think that might be a good one for another day (AFTER I've finished Absalom! Absalom!)

Lydia,
Your thoughts about Southern literature, especially the sense of loss both materially and within the psyche, strikes at the core of Southern identity generally. I've thought for a long time that the Mason and Dixon Line that marked the Southern border was a bit misleading: The border is within individuals as a defining cultural marker. As it was described to me as a youth, "We have our ways, and they have theirs."

By the way, I am a great fan of Steinbeck.
J.

I just finished East of Eden and adored it! I'm committing to reading The Grapes of Wrath this year to mark it's anniversary. I feel truly like I would have missed out on a great literary work if I hadn't read East of Eden. It also helped me clear up the meaning of a song from a group I love. So that was a plus too!

Laura wrote: "I just finished East of Eden and adored it! I'm committing to reading The Grapes of Wrath this year to mark it's anniversary. I feel truly like I would have missed out on a great literary work if I..."

I loved this book, and now you've made me want to re-read it. Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors even if he isn't southern. Just a warning about The Grapes of Wrath; you will be depressed for a couple of weeks after finishing it, but it is a must-read for sure.

Good tip Diane, not for vacations! Got it!

@Laura, although I love Southern Lit--enough to start this group--"East of Eden" is my favorite novel. Period. I have given it as gifts numerous times. I re-read it every few years. Timshel is the most beautiful word in the Hebrew language. Just as thou mayest, thou mayest not. There are quotes from that book that still resonate with me each time I read them. It always makes me smile when I read the reaction the discovery of this brings.

i read east of eden and really loved it. i also read grapes of wrath and loved it also.

Mike wrote: "@Laura, although I love Southern Lit--enough to start this group--"East of Eden" is my favorite novel. Period. I have given it as gifts numerous times. I re-read it every few years. Timshel is..."

You know it's well written when you love every single character....even the nasty ones. The ending sealed the deal for me. It made the novel complete, full circle. You think Steinbeck knew he would end it that way from the beginning?

Laura wrote: "Mike wrote: "@Laura, although I love Southern Lit--enough to start this group--"East of Eden" is my favorite novel. Period. I have given it as gifts numerous times. I re-read it every few years..."

Probably the best portrait of a writer in the process of creating a novel is: Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Lettersin which Steinbeck and his editor Pat Covici wrote back and forth to one another during the writing of the book. Steinbeck, like Faulkner was one of the critics' favorite whipping boys. Steinbeck wrote that he expected a poor reception. He specifically said that those who admired Hemingway would not like the book. But one of the most interesting things Steinbeck said was that he had written a book "so simple in its difficulty that a child can understand it." I would say he was exactly right.

I can't possibly imagine that Steinbeck knew he would end the novel in exactly the way he did. But I do think that he was very conscious of creating a modern version of the Book of Genesis. No matter how the critics received the novel, readers have loved it from the time it was written.

Mike

Liz wrote: "i read east of eden and really loved it. i also read grapes of wrath and loved it also."

If you like Steinbeck, I highly recommend Of Mice and Men. He also wrote a wonderful anthology of short stories, The Long Valley. I'd say his most overlooked work is In Dubious Battle, but very much worth the read.

Mike

Mike wrote: "Liz wrote: "i read east of eden and really loved it. i also read grapes of wrath and loved it also."

If you like Steinbeck, I highly recommend Of Mice and Men. He also wrote a wonderfu..."

Cannery Row and Tortilla Flat are also wonderful, though much lighter in tone. Travels with Charley: In Search of America is also a favorite of mine, although it's non-fiction. Maybe we should grant Steinbeck honorary status in this group.

East of Eden truly is a favorite. I've wondered about "Winter of Our Discontent". Tried it once but could couldn't get the traction. Is it worth another go?

Lydia,
You may be interested in a collection of short stories by Elizabeth Spencer in the book Starting Over. The first two stories were not enough for me to want to read more. Since, it was a gift I read on. I'm glad I did. The stories captured that sense of Southern culture, and conveyed levels of sentiment that are so meaningful.

Since Steinbeck is a topic of discussion, I remembered a dry, summer afternoon in the wine country near San Luis Obispo, California. We and another couple shared our baskets of wine, cheeses, breads and other foods. Under an arbor, there was shade. Around us was the sound of cicadas humming in what otherwise was silence and yellow hills parched by the sun; shimmering waves of heat rose and disappeared into a cloudless sky. This was California. It's unimaginable to me to have Steinbeck without California.

J.

Don't forget about the sequel to Cannery Row
which is Sweet Thursday!

Back to East of Eden.... Have you all read Jennifer lawrence will be playing Cathy in new movie adaption. She is the lead actress in Winter's Bone and the soon coming to theaters, Serena. If she can capture Serena on the screen I will be very anxious to see how she fairs as Cathy.

I would like to say that I think we have discussed Steinbeck (I am not complaining ) more than we have Faulkner, so I would like to start a new topic. That topic is Southern Quotes, and the title could be selected by the group, although I would suggest Southern Sayins. The first sayin could be as follows, Bobbie Ann Mason in her "Shiloh and Other Stories" quotes Flannery O'Conner who wrote ' You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you odd.'

Ronald wrote: "I would like to say that I think we have discussed Steinbeck (I am not complaining ) more than we have Faulkner, so I would like to start a new topic. That topic is Southern Quotes, and the title c..."

Ronald, I'm always fond of a good quote. I'll set the topic up as "Notable Quotes by Southern Authors" as soon as I post this.

Mike