I've heard lots of rumors about Southern Women, and the South as a whole. So, to add more fuel to the not-so-vast information I have about the Southern US, I decided to start reading alllll about it. This is my reading list so far. If anyone has suggestions, please comment.
The Civil War by Goffery C. Ward
The Southern Woman: New and Selected Fiction
Recipes from the Old South by Martha Meade
Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech
Southern Women by Lois Battle
and finally we have a subscription to Southern Living, which is like judging the whole North by Martha Stewart Living. And actually, if one wants a reeeeaaallly imaginary image of the South, Veranda is the periodical for you.
This list is pitifully small now, since I can only read so fast between buying and selling homes, packing, kids school stuff, and a zillion other things, but I'm trying, I really am.
Why? any sane person might ask, am I reading all about the Southern United States, a country which I have occupied my whole life? Because after visiting our new city a couple of times, I realized that, more than any other place I've lived, this is more like moving to another English speaking country. In my mind, if you are going to travel the world, learning about the customs of the people you will visit is mandatory if you don't want to be seen as an ugly American or a rude Jackass.
Photo from a European ad for an"American Tourist" costume
at Maskworld.com
We've also been supplied with various movies about the south by one of the docs my DH works with who is originally from Alabama. She also passed on a book called "How to Speak Southern" which is not in any way PC but I didn't feel at all guilty since it was a genuine Southern bell passin' it on.
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