In the South, ugly is a behavior. “Quit being ugly and give me a hug,” or, my favorite, “be ugly to me and I’ll get you some ugly.”
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Review: Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
Poverty is a state of emergency.
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Review: William Gay’s Little Sister Death
William Gay could tell a story. Even a scary one. Especially a scary one.
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The Dead Become a Song: Review of Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing
Jesmyn Ward is the New South’s voice and artist. Her new novel is painful, melancholy, and beautifully wrought.
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Review: Steven Stoll’s Ramp Hollow: The Ordeal of Appalachia
Stoll’s book of Appalachian history was released in November of last year. The responses are wild, so here’s mine.
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“The New Redneckaissance:” The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin’ Dixie Outta the Dark
Trae, Corey, and Drew are bonafide bleeding-heart, intelligent-assed liberals. They’re also redneck as hell. So y’all know the kinship.
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Review: Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
Shame, poverty, and gospel music. Dorothy Allison’s seminal work has it all.
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