On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

Good afternoon, all. I am now accepting nominations for our April, 2018, group reads. I look forward to receiving your selections.

Mike
Lawyer Stevens

for post-1980, King Zeno ?

For post 80s I'd like to nominate One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash

Perry wrote: "for post-1980, King Zeno ?"

Done, Perry. King Zeno by Nathaniel Rich is nominated Post-1980. Published January 9, 2018.

From the goodreads summary:

New Orleans, a century ago: a city determined to reshape its destiny and, with it, the nation's. Downtown, a new American music is born. In Storyville, prostitution is outlawed and the police retake the streets with maximum violence. In the Ninth Ward, laborers break ground on a gigantic canal that will split the city, a work of staggering human ingenuity intended to restore New Orleans's faded mercantile glory. The war is ending and a prosperous new age dawns. But everything is thrown into chaos by a series of murders committed by an ax-wielding maniac with a peculiar taste in music.

The ax murders scramble the fates of three people from different corners of town. Detective William Bastrop is an army veteran haunted by an act of wartime cowardice, recklessly bent on redemption. Isadore Zeno is a jazz cornetist with a dangerous side hustle. Beatrice Vizzini is the widow of a crime boss who yearns to take the family business straight. Each nurtures private dreams of worldly glory and eternal life, their ambitions carrying them into dark territories of obsession, paranoia, and madness.

In New Orleans, a city built on swamp, nothing stays buried long.

Dustincecil wrote: "For post 80s I'd like to nominate One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash"

Thank you, Dustin. One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash is nominated Post-1980.

Dustincecil wrote: "For post 80s I'd like to nominate One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash"

Thank you, Dustin. One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash is nominated Post-1980. This was Rash's debut novel.

I will try Ruby by Cynthia Bond and The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O'Connor for another time.

Brina wrote: "I will try Ruby by Cynthia Bond and The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O'Connor for another time."

Thank you, Brina. Ruby by Cynthia Bond is nominated, Post-1980.

The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O'Connor is nominated, Pre-1980.

Post 1980:

Heaven's Crooked Finger

Earl Marcus thought he had left the mountains of Georgia behind forever, and with them, the painful memories of a childhood spent under the fundamental rule of his father RJ's church--a church built on fear, penance, and the twisting, writhing mass of snakes. But then an ominous photo of RJ is delivered to Earl's home. The photograph is dated long after his father's burial, and there's no doubt that the man in the picture is very much alive.

As Earl returns to Church of the Holy Flame searching for the truth, faithful followers insist that his father has risen to a holy place high in the mountains. Nobody will talk about the teenage girls who go missing, only to return with strange tattoo-like marks on their skin. Rumors swirl about an old well that sits atop one of the mountains, a place of unimaginable power and secrets. Earl doesn't know what to believe, but he has long been haunted by his father, forever lurking in the shadows of his life. Desperate to leave his sinful Holy Flame childhood in the past, Earl digs up deeply buried secrets to discover the truth before time runs out and he's the one put underground in Heaven's Crooked Finger. (less)

I just received the following nomination from Helen via goodreads email.

Hunter's Horn by Harriette Simpson Arnow is nominated Pre-1980.

Tina wrote: "Post 1980:

Heaven's Crooked Finger

Earl Marcus thought he had left the mountains of Georgia behind forever, and with them, the painful memories of a childhood spent under the fund..."

Thank you, Tina. Heaven's Crooked Finger by Hank Early is nominated, Post-1980.

I just received the following nomination from Trail Member Richard via goodreads email. The Wind that Shakes the Corn: Memoirs of a Scots Irish Woman by our own Trail Member, Kaye Park Hinckley is nominated Post-1980.

From the goodreads summary:

Beginning in eighteenth century Ireland, and then set against the background of a burgeoning America, THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE CORN underscores the feistiness, heart-held faith, and courage of Scots Irish immigrants in their struggle toward individualism in America. This story is based on the life of my eighth great-grandmother, who for ninety-nine years lived through it all. Of course, much is necessarily imagined. But England’s subjugation of Ireland’s people, the American Revolution, and some of the real players in both, are factually told.

THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE CORN has already been awarded FIRST RUNNER-UP: Josiah W. Bancroft Novel Award at the Florida First Coast Writer's Festival; FINALIST: Pirates Alley Society Faulkner/Wisdom Competition for Novel, and FINALIST: The Tuscany Prize for Novel

I believe Erika would like to nominate The Tragedy of Brady Sims, by Ernest J. Gaines.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I would like to nominate Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain for Pre-1980.

And This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash for Post-1980.

I would like to nominate The Gospel Singer by Harry Crews for Pre-1980 read
I would like to nominate The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips for the Post-1980 read

Judi
The gospel singer is one of my favorites and it's definitely in your wheelhouse for southern gothic and it has a carnival as well. One thing I will mention is this book can be difficult to find and it's somewhat costly. I borrowed from a neighboring library. Just wanted to give the heads up that readers may have to think outside the box to get their hands on this one. But certainly worth the effort to get. A favorite!!!

Although, I nominated other books, I would not be disappointed if The Gospel Singer won and would love to read it again. It is good!!!

There are some excellent nominations here already, but I'd like to add Shiloh by Shelby Foote for pre-1980:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...

Laura wrote: "Judi
The gospel singer is one of my favorites and it's definitely in your wheelhouse for southern gothic and it has a carnival as well. One thing I will mention is this book can be difficult to fin..."

Thanks Laura. I shall start my search.

Tom wrote: "I believe Erika would like to nominate The Tragedy of Brady Sims, by Ernest J. Gaines.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/..."

Done, Tom. The Tragedy of Brady Sims by Ernest J. Gaines
Is nominated, Post-1980. This is Gaines latest short novel, previously nominated.

Beverly wrote: "I would like to nominate Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain for Pre-1980.

And This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash for Post-1980."

Thanks, Beverly. Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain is nominated, Pre-1980.

Judi wrote: "I would like to nominate The Gospel Singer by Harry Crews for Pre-1980 read
I would like to nominate The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips for the Post-1980 read"

Good one, Judi. The Gospel Singer by Harry Crews is nominated, Pre-1980.

Judi wrote: "Laura wrote: "Judi
The gospel singer is one of my favorites and it's definitely in your wheelhouse for southern gothic and it has a carnival as well. One thing I will mention is this book can be di..."

Laura, I just saw the prices for The Gospel Singer on Amazon. Yikes! Why so high????? I'll check my library.

Lawyer wrote: "Judi wrote: "I would like to nominate The Gospel Singer by Harry Crews for Pre-1980 read
I would like to nominate The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips for the Post-1980 read"

Good one, Judi. [boo..."
How 'bout my nomination of The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips for Post 1980 read?? Is it nominated as well???

Wyndy wrote: "There are some excellent nominations here already, but I'd like to add Shiloh by Shelby Foote for pre-1980:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo..."

Done, Wyndy. Shiloh by Shelby Foote is nominated, Pre-1980.

Oh Judi, don't take back the nomination but wanted readers to start looking for a copy now. It's a great nomination!!!

Laura wrote: "Oh Judi, don't take back the nomination but wanted readers to start looking for a copy now. It's a great nomination!!!"
Ooops. I nominated two books for the Post 1980 category. I'll save The Darkest Child for next time.
I

I think it's out of print so that may be driving high costs. If you can't get from library maybe another crews might work. Again worth the time to find it.

I would like to nominate for the post-1980 read: Nightwoods by Charles Frazier.

Judi wrote: "Lawyer wrote: "Judi wrote: "I would like to nominate The Gospel Singer by Harry Crews for Pre-1980 read
I would like to nominate The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips for the Post-1980 read"

Good ..."

Judi, we've received the required six nominations in the Post-1980 category.

Hunter's Horn

Pre-Internet:


Michigan State University Press is proud to announce the re-release of Harriette Simpson Arnow's 1949 novel Hunter's Horn, a work that Joyce Carol Oates called "our most unpretentious American masterpiece."
In Hunter's Horn, Arnow has written the quintessential account of Kentucky hill people—the quintessential novel of Southern Appalachian farmers, foxhunters, foxhounds, women, and children. New York Times reviewer Hirschel Brickell declared that Arnow "writes...as effortlessly as a bird sings, and the warmth, beauty, the sadness and the ache of life itself are not even once absent from her pages."
Arnow writes about Kentucky in the way that William Faulkner writes about Mississippi, that Flannery O'Connor writes about Georgia, or that Willa Cather writes about Nebraska—with studied realism, with landscapes and characters that take on mythic proportions, with humor, and with memorable and remarkable attention to details of the human heart that motivate literature. (less)

Tina wrote: "Hunter's Horn

Pre-Internet.."

Helen beat you to it. See #10 above.

Tom wrote: "Tina wrote: "Hunter's Horn

Pre-Internet.."

Helen beat you to it. See #10 above."

Ha, awesome!

c'mon hunter's horn... lol--always the bridesmaid...

Lawyer wrote: "I just received the following nomination from Trail Member Richard via goodreads email. The Wind that Shakes the Corn: Memoirs of a Scots Irish Woman by our own Trail Member, [autho..."

Wow! Thank you, Richard! I am truly humbled.

What about The Beguiled by Thomas Cullinan for the pre-1980 nomination?

I just shot over a message with Black Wings Has My Angel by Mamou, Louisiana native Elliott Chaze. It is on my favorites shelf - a crime noir with a gorgeous but suspicious blonde and a guy trying to make it big.

Doug and Kirk recommended this to me, and I am so glad they did!

Louisiana, Colorado, New Orleans, and the Mississippi gulf coast are featured settings.

John wrote: "What about The Beguiled by Thomas Cullinan for the pre-1980 nomination?"

Hmmm. Southern setting, yes. Virginia during the Civil War. Southern themes? Probably not, at least for this reader. Cullinan was an Ohio novelist that spun a great tale, but I just can't label this Southern literature. Please accept my apology.

LeAnne wrote: "I just shot over a message with Black Wings Has My Angel by Mamou, Louisiana native Elliott Chaze. It is on my favorites shelf - a crime noir with a gorgeous but suspicious blonde and..."

Native Louisianan penned a noir classic in 1953 with this novel. Southern to a T. Setting, character voices. Consider this one a precursor to the South's contemporary "Grit Lit," or in the words of Daniel Woodrell, "Country Noir." This one is nominated Pre-1980. And the nominations for this category are now closed. Thanks, LeAnne.

Lawyer wrote: "John wrote: "What about The Beguiled by Thomas Cullinan for the pre-1980 nomination?"

Hmmm. Southern setting, yes. Virginia during the Civil War. Southern themes? Probably not, at ..."

Lawyer, one day we will connect and I will recommend one that meets the criteria. :-)

The polls are now closed and the selections for April have been chosen. Many thanks to all of you who voted. I’m certain you will find something below that you can enjoy.

The winner in the Pre-1980 category is Hunter's Horn, by Harriette Simpson Arnow.
The winner in the Post-1980 category is One Foot in Eden, by Ron Rash.
Last, but not least, is the Moderator’s Choice selection. Chosen by Big Daddy Tom, we will be reading Mudbound, by Hillary Jordan.