On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

I wondered what "a Baptist face" was supposed to look like.

On page one of her biography, it says that the Welty family was a member of the Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church three blocks from their home where Eudora was born in 1909. Her funeral in 2001 was from that same church. Therefore...
Eudora Welty A Biography

Everitt wrote: "Thank you much Larry. I've not read her biography"

Her biography is a substantial piece of reading with a lot about her day to day life and her travel and speaking adventures. Oh, yes, and did I mention her love life? I read it thinking it might help me understand her writing. It didn't but I was still impressed by her life. Good that all southern writers don't die young. She was a pretty good photographer as well. As I recall, she died in the house she was born in.

I grew up in a Baptist church. so to me it is synonymous with being judgemental.

Larry, was the book "One Writer's Beginnings" by Eudora Welty, or a biography of her by someone else?

Diane wrote: "Larry, was the book "One Writer's Beginnings" by Eudora Welty, or a biography of her by someone else?"

It is the biography by Suzanne Marrs. See GR link to the book in message three.

I don't think you could find a more complete biography. In fact it may be a bit too complete. As I recall it lists names of people she visited; you could probably count the references to see whom she visited the most! She was a busy woman and a prolific writer.

In addition she was active politically and there are some interesting stories about her involvement in desegregation. She spent her life in Mississippi and considered moving because of the racial discrimination. She was quite attached to New York City.

Everitt wrote: "Jessie wrote: "I wondered what "a Baptist face" was supposed to look like."

Stern, spartan, not quite at peace maybe?"

I guess that's a generalization for "fundamentalist face?" I was picturing Jimmy Swaggart in my head--not sure what he is.

I grew up a Baptist, too, but around a whole passel of other fundamentalists, so I couldn't seem to distinguish a type.

Since Episcopalians were the other end of Welty's spectrum, I also saw other comparisons involving "poor" versus "rich" and "country" versus "town." But Diane's "judgemental" versus "nonjudgemental" seemed to be the best one.

When the ladies are talking trash among themselves, I wonder what kind of faces they have? ;^)

Jessie wrote: "I wondered what "a Baptist face" was supposed to look like."
Hmm I'm not sure I have a baptist face stereotype in my head, but I can always guess when people are assemblies of god/ Pentecostal.

Jenny wrote: "Hmm I'm not sure I have a baptist face stereotype in my head, but I can always guess when people are assemblies of god/Pentecostal."

So, is it something that you can put into words? Or is it too much of a gut feeling for that?

Jessie wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Hmm I'm not sure I have a baptist face stereotype in my head, but I can always guess when people are assemblies of god/Pentecostal."

So, is it something that you can put into words? ..."
Something in the eyes.

I say What is the face of a Methodist, Pentecostal? I pick up on their talk of God to guess. Miss Welty must have meant "Hard Shell" Baptist in her little ditty. They do not dance or have instruments for singing...just hymns sung.

To correct a previous post, One Writer's Beginnings was written by Eudora Welty, not Suzanne Marrs. It is a delightful book - a fairly quick read. The book was published by Harvard University Press and became the first best seller in the history of that press. One Writer's Beginnings stayed on the New York Times best seller list for 46 weeks. Suzanne Marrs wrote Eudora Welty: A Biography. It is the definitive biography of Eudora. Just released is A Daring Life: A Biography of Eudora Welty by Carolyn Brown. It is a short (89 pages) young adult biography. For those who mentioned The Optimist's Daughter, it is available through Audible Books, and is read by Eudora Welty.
The home Eudora lived in for 76 years is open to the public. It is one of the most intact literary house museums in the country.

MaryAlice wrote: "To correct a previous post, One Writer's Beginnings was written by Eudora Welty, not Suzanne Marrs. It is a delightful book - a fairly quick read. The book was published by Harvard University Press..."

My mother bought me a copy of Eudora Welty's One Writer's Beginnings. It makes a wonderful graduation gift or present to an aspiring author. It is a slender book but very memorable.

Amy wrote: "MaryAlice wrote: "To correct a previous post, One Writer's Beginnings was written by Eudora Welty, not Suzanne Marrs. It is a delightful book - a fairly quick read. The book was published by Harvar..."

Thanks for this thought. I'm thinking of this good idea for a friend.

Thought people might find this interesting: the cover letter Eudora Welty wrote at 23 asking for a job at the New Yorker. She didn't get it.

http://www.bookofjoe.com/2012/10/23-y...

Thanks for that link. The letter reflects the quirky writer I've come to love through her stories.