On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

Nominations are now closed. The poll will be posted at the beginning of the month.

The Southern Literary Trail is now accepting nominations for books that the group will be reading in May 2022.

We will consider books with a southern literary theme that have not been read by the group in the last 24 months. Per our recently revised criteria, the two categories are books originally published in or before 1990 or those published after 1990. You may make one nomination in each category. Authors may not nominate their own works. Please post your nominations below and specify which category you are nominating it for.

Nominations will stay open for one week or until we receive six nominations in each category. Voting will take place in the first ten days of next month.

The eligible nominations received will be listed below:

Books originally published in or before 1990
1. The Gospel Singer, by Harry Crews
2. Mules and Men, by Zora Neale Hurston
3. Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man, by Fannie Flagg
4. A Long and Happy Life, by Reynolds Price
5. A Land Remembered, by Patrick D. Smith
6. South Moon Under, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Books originally published after 1990
1. Bewilderness, by Karen Tucker
2. The Secret to Hummingbird Cake, by Celeste Fletcher McHale
3. All the Little Hopes: A Novel, by Leah Weiss
4. Four Spirits, by Sena Jeter Naslund
5. Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward
6. The Secret Wisdom of the Earth, by Christopher Scotton
💙💛

I would like to nominate “The Gospel Singer” by Harry Crews in the prior to 1990 category. After being out of print in English for many years, it’s now available again as a paperback and an e-book. It was Harry’s first novel, and in my opinion, his best. A quintessential southern gothic novel.

Warren wrote: "I would like to nominate “The Gospel Singer” by Harry Crews in the prior to 1990 category. After being out of print in English for many years, it’s now available again as a paperback and an e-book...."

Accepted.

I would like to nominate "Mules and Men" by Zora Neale Hurston for the Pre 1990 May category.
I would like to nominate "Bewilderness" by Karen Tucker for the Post 1990 May category.

Thanks Tom.

Thanks Judi.

I would like to nominate in pre - 1990
Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg (1st published in 1981) set in Florida.

For Post 1990, I nominate The Secret to Hummingbird Cake by Celeste Fletcher McHale (set Louisiana).

Diana S wrote: "I would like to nominate in pre - 1990
Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg (1st published in 1981) set in Florida."

Oddly enough, I don't recall the group reading a book Fannie Flagg.

All the Little Hopes: A Novel for post-1990.

How about Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns? Has it been previously read? It would be post 1990, I think.

That's a really good one, Terry!

I will nominate an author I've not read before and I don't think we have him on our bookshelf. And I'm not sure if he's easy to locate. I'll have to check that out.


For Pre- 1990 published in 1962 A Long and Happy Life by Reynolds Price.

Lori wrote: "I will nominate an author I've not read before and I don't think we have him on our bookshelf. And I'm not sure if he's easy to locate. I'll have to check that ou..."

Thanks. It's always nice to see something new in the nominations.

Terry wrote: "How about Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns? Has it been previously read? It would be post 1990, I think."

Sorry Terry. We read that in July 2020 so it won't be eligible for another few months.

Tom wrote: "Terry wrote: "How about Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns? Has it been previously read? It would be post 1990, I think."

Sorry Terry. We read that in July 2020 so it won't be eligible for another..."

But I agree it was a good one!

A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith for post 1990.

Rachel wrote: "A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith for post 1990."

This has been nominated for the Pre-1990 category as it was first published in 1984.

For post-1990, I’ll nominate: “Four Spirits” by Sena Jeter Naslund

(Naslund is probably best known for “Ahabs Wife.” “ Four Spirits” is about her home town of Birmingham, AL, in the 1960’s chaotic struggle for Civil Rights.)

And I’m happy to see another of Reynolds Price’s novels nominated, I think he is a writer well worth getting to know.

For pre-1990, Ill nominate South Moon Under by Marjorie Kennon Rawlings, to finish up the category. We need two more nominations now for post 1990.

Post 1990: Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

We read that as a group in December of 2017, so it qualifies since it's been almost 5 years now.

I’ll nominate The Secret Wisdom of the Earth by Christopher Scotton

That closes thee nominations. Thanks everyone!.

This month’s selections

The discussion boards for the May selections are up and ready for your comments.
For the Moderator’s Choice Selection, Sara has chosen The Sound of Building Coffins, by Louis Maistros. A Kindle edition of this book is available from Amazon for $2.99 and it is already getting a lot of enthusiastic buzz on the chat board. The links to the discussion folders for this and the other selections can be found here:

Initial Impressions: The Sound of Building Coffins, by Louis Maistros - May 2022
Final Impressions: The Sound of Building Coffins, by Louis Maistros - May 2022

For The Gospel Singer, by Harry Crews, (Pre-1990):
Initial Impressions: The Gospel Singer, by Harry Crews- May 2022
Final Impressions: The Gospel Singer, by Harry Crews- May 2022

For Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward, (Post-1990):
Initial Impressions: Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward- May 2022
Final Impressions: Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward- May 2022