On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

The Southern Literary Trail is now accepting nominations for books that the group will be reading in October 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 them 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. Fair and Tender Ladies, by Lee Smith
2. The Little Foxes, by Lillian Hellman
3. Thirteen Stories, by Eudora Welty
4. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, by Ernest J. Gaines
5. The Shepherd of the Hills, by Harold Bell Wright
6. Kinfolks: The Wilgus Stories, by Gurney Norman
Books originally published after 1990
1. Secret Keepers, by Teresa Tumminello Brader
2. Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, by Janisse Ray
3. The Weight of This World, by David Joy
4. Miss Jane, by Brad Watson
5. The Family Plot, by Cherie Priest
6. Where the Line Bleeds, by Jesmyn Ward

For post 1990 I nominate Secret Keepers
short stories published in March 2025, by Louisianan,

Teresa Tumminello Brader

pre 1990 Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith

pre-1990 The Little Foxes Lillian Hellman
post-1990 Ecology of a Cracker Childhood Janisse Ray

Post 1990 The Weight of This World by David Joy

Pre 1990 Thirteen Stories by Eudora Welty

Pre 1990 - The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman by Ernest J Gaines
Post 1990 - Miss Jane by Brad Watson

All of these are great nominations! We need two more in each caregory.

I would like to nominate The Family Plot by Cherie Priest for the post-1990 read.

John wrote: "I would like to nominate The Family Plot by Cherie Priest for the post-1990 read."

I wouldn't have thought that Cherie Priest's works would qualify for this group but the setting definitely fits and it looks like a good fit for October.

I will nominate Where the Line Bleeds by Jesmyn Ward for the pre 1990 category.

I'm happy you nominated Where The Line Bleeds again, Lisa. I voted for it last time. I only have it and Let Us Descend left to read - her first and last novels. I hope she's working on a new one.

Lisa (NY) wrote: "I will nominate Where the Line Bleeds by Jesmyn Ward for the pre 1990 category."

It appears that Where the Line Bleeds was first published in 2006. I'll put it in the Post -1990 category. Please correct me if I am mistaken or if you don't want it in that category.

Come on now, there are some great selections already, we just need two more for the pre 1990...

Pre 1990: The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright (1907). My copy has 159 pages but Goodreads lists more than 300, so I wonder if my copy is abridged.

Tom wrote: "Lisa (NY) wrote: "I will nominate Where the Line Bleeds by Jesmyn Ward for the pre 1990 category."

It appears that Where the Line Bleeds was first published in 2006. I'll put it in ..."Sorry, my mistake. Thank you.

Wyndy wrote: "I'm happy you nominated Where The Line Bleeds again, Lisa. I voted for it last time. I only have it and Let Us Descend left to read - her first and last novels. I hope she's working on a new one." I hope so too, otherwise, I'll read on my own. I think this is my last one left to read...

For post-1990, I nominate "Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom" (Citadel, 2024). A true story, a nonfiction true crime memoir and courtroom procedural.

McCracken wrote: "For post-1990, I nominate "Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom" (Citadel, 2024). A true story, a nonfiction true crime memoir and courtroom procedural."

We already have enough nominations for post 1990, plus we don't accept authors nominating their own work. Sorry about that.

To close it out, we’ve enjoyed reading the bad seed which is Erie for October.

Pre - 1977 Kinfolks: The Wilgus Stories by Gurney Norman

And that wraps it up. Nominations for October are now closed. Polls will be open at the end of the month.