In 1936, James Agee was sent to Alabama by Fortune magazine to write a story about the plight of tenant farmers during the Great Depression. His frienIn 1936, James Agee was sent to Alabama by Fortune magazine to write a story about the plight of tenant farmers during the Great Depression. His friend, photographer Walker Evans, traveled with him to photograph three families of impoverished tenant farmers in a rural area. The magazine article was not published, but the material was turned into a book in 1941.
"Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" opens with sixty-two of Evan's stark black and white photographs in unnumbered pages. Evans documents their gaunt, weary faces, their ragged clothing, and their rundown shelters. There is a feeling of strength and resilience in the eyes of the tenant families who are portrayed with dignity.
James Agee, who was also a poet, wrote the text of the book in several styles. There are beautiful lyrical passages, journalistic descriptions, and stream of consciousness chapters where he often goes off topic. Agee was quite experimental and creative in his presentation with some parts of the book working better than others.
In addition to writing about the tenant farmers, Agee also wrote about how the experience was making him feel. He struggled with the fact that he and Evans were spying on and possibly exploiting these tenant families for their own personal gain. It may have been good journalism, but Agee was revealing the intimate details of their lives to the general public.
The tenant farmer has no land, no house, and sometimes lacks a mule and farming implements. The landlord gives him these in return for his share of cotton and corn. The tenant farmer will also owe the landlord for seed, fertilizer, and ration money that was advanced during the four months of March through June. The ration money usually runs out before the new crops are harvested so they go through some lean, hungry times unless they can find supplemental work at the sawmill or other employment. "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" is an important work documenting both the 1930s and the struggle of the tenant families. ...more
"A Party Down at the Square" is an upsetting story about the lynching of a young black man by a crowd in the town square. It's narrated by a white boy"A Party Down at the Square" is an upsetting story about the lynching of a young black man by a crowd in the town square. It's narrated by a white boy from Cincinnati who is visiting his uncle in the Deep South. Jed Wilson, the leader of the mob, is a popular man who is expected to be voted sheriff. The victim of the lynch mob is completely dehumanized by the crowd who seem to be viewing it as entertainment.
Ralph Ellison wrote the story when he was young, but it was not published until January 1997 in Esquire magazine, three years after his death. "A Party Down at the Square" is well written, but it's hard to read about senseless violence perpetrated by a racially prejudiced crowd....more
Speck is a terror--a half-blind stray dog that won't behave. But the starving dog arrived at the Bragg's Alabama farm just when he was needed. Rick waSpeck is a terror--a half-blind stray dog that won't behave. But the starving dog arrived at the Bragg's Alabama farm just when he was needed. Rick was in remission from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after going through the hell of chemo, and isolating with his mother during the pandemic. Speck helped fill up the hours that would have been spent feeling depressed. Speck is part Australian shepherd who feels that he's needed to herd the kittens and the donkeys. The dog offered love, and laughter at his crazy antics. Speck and Rick needed each other's company to heal.
Rick Bragg shows shows a great love for his family, his adopted dog, and his Southern roots. He also writes about his close relationship with his older brother, Sam, who recently died. "The Speckled Beauty" is a warm story full of humor told by a man with a big heart....more
Reverend Willie Maxwell was allegedly the serial killer of five family members, but there was not enough evidence to convict him. Autopsy results wereReverend Willie Maxwell was allegedly the serial killer of five family members, but there was not enough evidence to convict him. Autopsy results were inconclusive. But he profited from each death since he took out multiple life insurance policies on each victim. Finally a distraught cousin, Robert Burns, practiced vigilante justice and shot Maxwell at his family member's funeral.
Reverend Maxwell had been successfully represented by an excellent defense attorney, Tom Radley. In a strange twist of fate, the same attorney acted as the defense for Robert Burns, Maxwell's killer.
Author Harper Lee was fascinated by true crime ever since she helped Truman Capote with his research for his book "In Cold Blood." Lee attended the trial of Robert Burns, and did extensive research into the Maxwell case. She attempted to write a book about the Maxwell killings, but there was so much gossip and speculation about voodoo in the black community that she felt that she didn't have enough hard facts. Lee was also a perfectionist who felt pressure to produce another bestseller after the overwhelming success of her first book. Alcoholism and writer's block were also problems. We'll never know if Lee left a hidden manuscript about Maxwell somewhere, or if she destroyed all her attempts at a book.
Casey Cep's book covers the Maxwell case, Attorney Tom Radley's defenses, race relations and politics in Alabama, and Harper Lee's true crime investigation. I was impressed with Cep's lively writing especially when she was writing about the interesting Harper Lee....more
This is a heartwarming story with a magical surprise. There's a generous community spirit in a small Alabama town that changes the lives of a crippledThis is a heartwarming story with a magical surprise. There's a generous community spirit in a small Alabama town that changes the lives of a crippled girl, an injured redbird, and a man who fears that he may be facing his last Christmas....more
After eleven-year-old Addie Pray's mother dies, she travels around the South with Moses "Long Boy" Pray, the man who might be her biological father. HAfter eleven-year-old Addie Pray's mother dies, she travels around the South with Moses "Long Boy" Pray, the man who might be her biological father. He's a con man who tricks widows into buying Bibles and photographs of their deceased husbands. The sassy, smart Addie proves to be a good accomplice. They soon move on to more sophisticated swindles as they travel from Alabama to Tennessee and Louisiana.
I soon found myself cheering on Addie and Long Boy even though they were cheating people out of money during the Depression of the 1930s. They never try to swindle the very poor. Addie needs to feel that she's part of a family, and she has a vulnerability that tugs at the heart. Long Boy takes good care of Addie in his own way, although he is introducing her to a life of crime. Both Addie and Long Boy have quick minds and are fast talkers so they make a good team. Several other people also act as substitute family members that show her a part of the world that she has not experienced.
The book is written in a conversational tone in a Southern voice with Addie looking back at her younger days. The first part of the story was made into the movie "Paper Moon". Joe David Brown is a great storyteller with a good sense of humor....more
I found Go Set a Watchman interesting from a historical point of view. This first draft of a novel was written in the 1950s soon after The Supreme CouI found Go Set a Watchman interesting from a historical point of view. This first draft of a novel was written in the 1950s soon after The Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision which declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Harper Lee's editor, Tay Hohoff, had Lee rewrite the book from a child's point of view set twenty years earlier to create the masterpiece To Kill a Mockingbird.
Reading the first 100 pages of Go Set a Watchman was nostalgic since it had lots of flashbacks to the 1930s and the Mockingbird characters, but the plot did not move forward. Jean Louise Finch (Scout) had left Alabama and lived in the more integrated New York City (as did the author Harper Lee). When she comes home to Maycomb on vacation she follows her father Atticus and her boyfriend Henry to a Citizen Council meeting where she hears a bigot, Mr O'Hanlon, give a disgusting racist speech. His ideas go completely against what her father, who was her hero, always taught her. Jean Louise left the building so horrified that she felt physically ill.
Atticus had formed her conscience. "She did not stand alone, but what stood behind her, the most potent moral force of her life, was the love of her father. She never questioned it, never thought about it, never even realized that before she made any decision of importance the reflex, 'What would Atticus do?' passed through her unconscious; she never realized what made her dig in her feet and stand firm whenever she did was her father; that whatever was decent and of good report in her character was put there by her father; she did not know that she worshiped him."
Jean Louise quickly judges her father, and argues with Henry, her Uncle Jack, and Atticus about the situation. Atticus, a lawyer, says that he went to a KKK meeting so that he would learn the identity of the people behind the hoods and know who he was dealing with.
The Feds and the NAACP had been heading to Southern cities to enforce integration and get out the vote. (The Fifteenth Amendment of 1870 prohibits states from denying anyone the right to vote due to race.) Atticus, who usually treats everyone fairly in his personal life, still had misgivings about whether Maycomb was ready for a large group of uninformed voters or for school integration. Atticus, her perfect father, falls off the pedestal in Jean Louise's mind. She yells in a strident manner as she argues with Atticus about race relations. Is her father, who was always her hero, a racist or is he just looking realistically at 1950s society? What seems black and white in 2015 may have had some gray areas in 1955 since violence often accompanies change.
Although this unedited book seemed choppy and Jean Louise's voice seemed a bit grating, the coming-of-age and racial equality themes were well presented. Atticus was looking for slow change and a middle ground, and had a paternalistic attitude toward the black citizens. There wasn't a strong black voice in the book weighing in with their opinions. The black community had been waiting since 1865, through three generations, for equality. Maycomb needed people like Jean Louise to help push things in the right direction. Harper Lee's famous book To Kill a Mockingbird looks at social equality with an idealistic view with a father giving a child simple moral guidelines. While not as well written, Go Set a Watchman shows the adult Jean Louise and Atticus as they face the prejudices ingrained in their community and the complexity of the problem....more
Truman Capote (Buddy) lived with a group of older cousins when he was seven years old. He was especially close to Miss Sook, a simple, innocent elderlTruman Capote (Buddy) lived with a group of older cousins when he was seven years old. He was especially close to Miss Sook, a simple, innocent elderly cousin who radiated kindness and empathized with the less fortunate. When Miss Sook invites Buddy's impoverished schoolyard tormenter to Thanksgiving dinner, her act of compassion has an impact on both boys. Miss Sook was far from simple when it came to understanding the emotional needs of children.
This was a Moderator's Choice for the "On the Southern Literary Trail" group....more
The Howlands settled in rural Alabama in the beginning of the 19th Century, and became one of the most affluent and respected families in Wad4.5 stars
The Howlands settled in rural Alabama in the beginning of the 19th Century, and became one of the most affluent and respected families in Wade County. Abigail, the granddaughter of William Howland, reflects back on the family's history in the Howland's large home. After Abigail's grandmother died, William began a relationship with Margaret, a black housekeeper. Years later, Abigail's husband is spouting racist statements in order to get elected around the early 1960s. In the last days of his political campaign, new information comes to light about William and Margaret's relationship. The white community turns its rage upon Abigail since she is the granddaughter of the deceased Howland patriarch, William. Abigail vows to uphold the honor of the Howlands and take revenge on the people who hurt her family.
There is a real sense of place in the descriptions so the reader feels enveloped by the Southern atmosphere. The descriptions of William poling through the swamp, with snakes falling from tree branches, are especially vivid. Building in layers, this is a powerful book with strong people--Abigail, William, and Margaret--as the three main characters. The book shows the social structure, racial prejudice, and political games of the time.
The Keepers of the House was published in 1964 during the Civil Rights movement. The Ku Klux Klan reacted by burning a cross at Grau's home in Metairie, Louisiana. The author won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for this novel.
Zelda Sayre was a free spirit who loved to party, to dance, and to flirt as a teenager in Montgomery, Alabama. She met F. Scott Fitzgerald, a handsomeZelda Sayre was a free spirit who loved to party, to dance, and to flirt as a teenager in Montgomery, Alabama. She met F. Scott Fitzgerald, a handsome lieutenant in the army, in 1918. A few years later, after Scott sold This Side of Paradise, they were married. The book is a fictional story based on real events in Zelda's and Scott's lives.
The Fitzgeralds had an extravagent lifestyle, spending money lavishly, counting on future earnings. Scott was a talented writer, but he was often drowning in alcohol, involved with other women, and overly influenced by Ernest Hemingway. Zelda had many accomplishments as a writer, artist, dancer, and musician. But she was troubled by mental illness and spent years undergoing treatment. Many of Zelda's stories were written under Scott's name because the magazines would pay more for his work.
Written from Zelda's point of view, the book shows the highs and lows of their marriage and of them as individuals. I was left wanting to know more about Zelda's life in Alabama after Scott's death, since that part of her life was covered in just a few pages. The story swept the reader into the excitement of the 1920s, especially in New York and Paris. This was an enjoyable, engaging book....more
The Whistle Stop Cafe was the only restaurant in a small Alabama town whose prosperity revolved around the railroad yard. The story moves from presentThe Whistle Stop Cafe was the only restaurant in a small Alabama town whose prosperity revolved around the railroad yard. The story moves from present to past as middle-aged Evelyn Couch visits with elderly Ninny Threadgoode in a nursing home. Ninny loves to reminisce about her younger days, especially the activity at the cafe operated by her sister-in-law, Idgie, and her partner, Ruth. The activities of several families during the years 1929-1986 are told from several points of view. Newsletters from Whistle Stop, Birmingham, and the railroad add more information about the families and the era.
1931 was a hard year economically, and hobo camps sprang up in the woods around Whistle Stop. The destitute men would show up at the cafe's back door for a meal, and Idgie would not turn them away. "By now, the name of the cafe was written on the walls of hundreds of boxcars, from Seattle to Florida."
The book is about family, aging, storytelling, mid-life changes, lesbianism, race relations, the Great Depression, and small town justice. There is a lot of wisdom and humor in the book. Although the main characters are kind people, the attitudes of other characters regarding race relations is very troubling and prejudiced - but probably accurate for the mid-1900s.
"Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" is written in a humorous, conversational voice so the reader feels like they have spent time sitting with Evelyn and Ninny as they talk and eat chocolates. There are some Southern recipes in the back, including Fried Green Tomatoes....more
Told through the eyes of Atticus Finch's children, To Kill a Mockingbird is a story set in a small Alabama town in the 1930s. Atticus is a lawyer defeTold through the eyes of Atticus Finch's children, To Kill a Mockingbird is a story set in a small Alabama town in the 1930s. Atticus is a lawyer defending a black man charged with the rape of a white woman. The book explores the themes of prejudice, class, and that life is often unfair.
There are also humorous and tender elements in the book since Scout is an outspoken tomboy and Jem is changing from a boy to an aware young man. Atticus is a caring, wise man that showed his children how to live by his good example. This book deserves its place as a well-loved classic....more
