My South: A People, a Place, a World All Its Own

My South: A People, a Place, a World All Its Own, edited by Bryan Curtis, is a 128 page book of poetry and photographs describing the love and sense of home that the various poets within the book have for their Southland. It is a wonderfully written and edited book which gets to the heart of what it means to be a Southerner: a person who understands that God, family and home are truly important and that ancestors are more than just names on headstones or in old genealogy books. This book is a must read for every Southern born and Southern bred individual. More than that it's a must read for those who aren't from the South and just don't get it. In conclusion, a poem found on page 44 of the book sums it up nicely: In my South, we know the difference between surviving and truly living. Around here to be rich means to never go hungry, so you'll find food, and love, and opportunity a'plenty, and there'll be people telling you to pull up that extra chair that always seems to be handy and to make yourself at home at the table that overflows with wisdom and corn bread. And we'll quench your thirst with sun tea-- made sweet and made cold and served best in jelly glasses and Mason jars, if you please. --Tressy McMillian Pick this book up y'all. Read it yourself and get copies for your friends and families. They'll thank you for it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of participating in Turner South's My South Spoken Word events, and was greatly surprised and honored to be selected for inclusion in the book and DVD. The photos and words are a wonderful broad canvas of what the South really is, which bears very little resemblance to some cute British Chick talking about turnips in a bad accent. This book covers all aspects of Southern life, and the performances on the DVD are wonderfully honest and heartwarming. 3 guesses what my family is getting for Christmas presents!

St. John has combined pictures and text to form a wonderful little book that accurately describes *my* South. The only limitation is in the eyes of the viewer---only a true child of the South will fully appreciate this jewel. I have purchased three books for gifts; now, I must get one for myself.

What a wonderful experience! The written and the spoken word presented here is very powerful. As a Southerner I identify with the feelings expressed, but even those of you who are not born southern can find sentiments that you can relate to about family and freedom. And you can learn about the REAL South!