The Companion to Southern Literature: Themes, Genres, Places, People, Movements, and Motifs (Southern Literary Studies) (Hardcover)

~ Joseph M. Flora (Editor), Lucinda Hardwick MacKethan (Editor), Todd W. Taylor (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This companion contains more than 500 entries on such subjects as themes, genres, historical events, people, and customs as they pertain to the literature of the American South, which the editors define very broadly. For example, there is an entry on Shakespeare, noting in particular how Prospero, in The Tempest, might have been seen in the past as the ideal "enlightened slave owner." Coeditors Flora (English, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; ed., Southern Writers: A Biographical Dictionary) and MacKethan (English, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh; Daughters of Time: Creating Women's Voice in Southern Story) are widely published scholars on Southern literature, and the contributors are a good mix of scholars, graduate students, and writers. The alphabetically arranged entries, which generally provide brief, up-to-date bibliographies, include "Uncle Tom," "Rebel Yell," "Scopes Trial," "Elvis," and "Poetry, 1820-1900." However, because author information is easily found in many other books, only 14 authors are included here. The simple, alphabetical table of contents is supplemented by a 22-section classified table of contents that groups entries by a shared subject (e.g., music or religion). Unlike The Encyclopedia of Southern Literature, a more conventional work that focuses on authors, this unique compilation shoots off in all sorts of interesting directions. An excellent addition to libraries that support studies of Southern literature. Peter Dollard, Alma Coll. Lib., MI
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

In the 1980s and 1990s, Flora coedited a four-volume series on southern writers published by Greenwood Press. Now he has teamed with a fellow English professor to compile this sourcebook that explores the multifaceted aspects of the "southern experience as it is depicted in literature." Focusing on common threads that run through southern writing and set it apart from the literature of other regions, the more than 500 alphabetical entries cover a wide range of topics, including themes, genres, customs, locales, stereotypes, historical events and entities, places and regions, colleges and universities, and periodicals and other publications. Although the editors stress that this is not a biographical volume, they do include a limited number of entries on individuals, covering 12 major southern authors (such as Faulkner and Welty) and an eclectic assortment of 29 other figures (e.g., Harriet Beecher Stowe, Abraham Lincoln, Elvis Presley) whose works or lives are inextricably linked with southern literature.

Written primarily by scholars representing a wide range of academic institutions, the entries are signed, and most conclude with cross-references to related articles and a brief list of bibliographic references. Treatment ranges from the lighthearted and folksy approach in shorter entries such as Grits, Sears Catalog, and Yellow-dog Democrat to the scholarly, more serious tone of longer articles like Art and artists, Conservatism, and Slave narrative. Some of the longest articles (4 to 10 pages) are those that explore the literary history of each southern state. Although it is disquieting to see an entry for "Nigger," the scholarly and reasoned article provides a valuable overview of the history of the term and its usage by both black and white authors. Facilitating access to the entries are a subject guide near the beginning of the volume that groups article titles by broad categories, such as "Customs, Rituals and Icons," "Literature by Period," and "Religion," and a detailed index that is invaluable for locating references to individual authors.

Superior in quality and scope to Encyclopedia of Southern Literature (ABC-CLIO, 1997), this volume serves as a greatly expanded and updated extension to the "Literature" section of the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, edited by Charles Reagan Wilson and William R. Ferris (University of North Carolina, 1989). Well-written, meticulously edited, and thoughtfully organized, The Companion to Southern Literature is an excellent resource for anyone who is studying or reading southern literature. It is highly recommended for high-school, public, and academic libraries. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1144 pages
• Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (November 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807126926
• ISBN-13: 978-0807126929
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.4 x 2.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #934,264 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sit Down with Southern Comfort, June 30, 2002

By	S. H. Wells (Tulsa, OK United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Companion is a massive (1000+ pp)encyclopaedic approach to Southern literature (and culture, though The Companion makes no explicit claims toward tackling that subject). It has articles on people and works among other things, each authored by a wide variety of modern scholars. There is a wonderful index and a table of contents that arranges entries by groups (including Themes, Language, Religion, Music, etc.). The Companion is as current as any book of this type can be; thus, while the Companion contains entries on the Internet and some contemporary authors, both of these entries are destined to be somewhat dated even before the book hit the presses. It is a useful volume for students of Southern Literature, though, as with any encyclopedia, it must be considered as first-stop. The Companion refers readers to other texts and doesn't pretend to exhaust the subject matter of any of its entries. The Companion should also find favor with teachers who include (or want to include) Southern authors in their classrooms. The Companion provides instructors with quick reference contexts for many works that might profitably be included in a classroom.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference book of Southern Literature and all things Southern, March 13, 2007

By	Ann M. Dabrowski "Mid-Aged Mom" (Lilburn, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This single volume, though hefty, is comprehensive. It has references from A-Z of everything--theme, genre, place, person, or movement--related to the South. If you are curious about the South, the development of Southern Literature, or the history of the region, it's in this book. You will be amazed at the wealth of information contained in this reference.