On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

The Southern Literary Trail is now accepting nominations for books that the group will be reading in January 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. In Country, by In Country
2. Night Rider, by Robert Penn Warren
3. Light in August, by William Faulkner
4. A Childhood: The Biography of a Place, by Harry Crews
5. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
6. Lancelot, by Walker Percy
Books originally published after 1990
1. The Healing, by Jonathan Odell
2. My Darkest Prayer, by S.A. Cosby
3. A Miracle of Catfish, by Larry Brown
4. South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation, by Imani Perry
5. Cloudsplitter, by Russell Banks
6. Code of the Hills, by Chris Offutt

post 1990 The Healing Jonathan Odell

Pre-1990 nomination for In Country by Bobbie Ann Mason

For post-1990, I would like to recommend My Darkest Prayer by S.A. Crosby.

pre 1990 Night Rider Robert Penn Warren

This is Penn Warren's first novel and I have not read it. My suspicion from the date is that it will be very politically incorrect as that was common in the period, so I am cautioning in advance.

For pre-1990 i would like to recommend the light in august my William Faulkner

Pre 1990 -- A Childhood, the Biography of a Place by Harry Crews

Pre 1990 - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Post 1990 - A Miracle of Catfish

Pre 1990 Lancelot by Walker Percy

This looks interesting to me, nonfiction, Post 1990

South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation

It looks to me like the pre-1990 nominations are full. We need a couple more for post.

How about Cloudsplitter by Russel Banks, 1998? It’s kind of a doorstopper at 758 pages.

That works Terry. I even have a copy of that on my shelf.

One more Post 1990 needed and I'm going to make it.

Code of the Hills, by Chris Offutt

That does it. Nominations are now closed.