Born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama, Nelle Harper Lee was the youngest of a family of four. Her father, A.C., was a lawyer and the inspiration for one of her most famous characters. Her younger brother was her main playmate as her sisters were older, but a young boy named Truman Capote, later a famous author, was also her friend. Capote visited Monroeville during the … [Read more...] about Literary South: Harper Lee
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Literary South: Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston was born in 1891 in the small town of Notasulga, Alabama, located outside of Tuskegee and Montgomery. She was the fifth of eight children, and her grandparents had been enslaved. By age 10, the family moved to Eatonville, Florida, now a part of the greater Orlando area. It was the first incorporated all-black community in the United States. After the … [Read more...] about Literary South: Zora Neale Hurston
What is Southern Gothic?
The term "Southern Gothic" is often used to describe everything from literature to film and television. Originally derogatory, these stories are set in the South and generally have dark themes and events, bordering on horror or crime. There might be macabre elements, but not necessarily including fantasy aspects like vampires, voodoo, or ghosts. Themes include family … [Read more...] about What is Southern Gothic?
Literary South: Alice Walker
Alice Malsenior Walker was born on February 9, 1944, to sharecroppers in rural northeast Georgia. She was the youngest of eight children and, at a young age, was partially blinded by a BB gun. She enjoyed poetry and writing and excelled in school, later becoming her high school valedictorian. In 1961, she left small-town life to attend Spelman College in Atlanta on a … [Read more...] about Literary South: Alice Walker
Literary South: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was born on August 8, 1896, in Washington DC. The daughter of a patent lawyer, she became interested in writing by the age of six. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she studied English. She worked for the school's literary magazine, where Marjorie first met Charles Rawlings. They were married … [Read more...] about Literary South: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
