My Southern Journey: True Stories from the Heart of the South

by Rick Bragg Narrated by Rick Bragg

Overview

From celebrated New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Rick Bragg, comes a poignant and wryly funny collection of essays on life in the South.

Keenly observed and written with his insightful and deadpan sense of humor, Bragg explores enduring Southern truths about home, place, spirit, table, and the regions' varied geographies, including his native Alabama, Cajun country, and the Gulf Coast. Everything is explored, from regional obsessions with college football and fishing, to mayonnaise and spoonbread, to the simple beauty of a fish on the hook.

Collected from over a decade of his writing, with many never-before-published essays written specifically for this edition, My Southern Journey is an entertaining and engaging listen, especially for Southerners (or Southerners at heart) and anyone who appreciates great writing.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

09/14/2015
Full of homespun philosophy and reflection, the 72 short essays in this collection from Pulitzer-winner Bragg (All Over But the Shoutin') present a paean to his Southern roots. Grouped under "Home," "Table," "Place," "Craft," and "Spirit," the pieces explore a range of themes, including Alabama red dirt, rednecks, football, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, gospel singing, All Saints Day in New Orleans, and in the best section, Southern homestyle cooking. Each essay is steeped in personal memories and experiences and most are infectiously funny; for example, "For a Vegetable, I'll Have White Gravy," a celebration of Southern comfort food, asserts that a bagel is "a biscuit without sin or indulgence." They are also full of down-to-earth insights, such as an observation prompted by neighbors working together after a ferocious storm: "As Southerners, we know that a man with a chainsaw is worth 10 with a clipboard, that there is no hurt in this world, even in the storm of the century, that cannot be comforted with a casserole, and that faith, in the hereafter or in neighbors who help you through the here and now, cannot be knocked down." Even confirmed Northerners will find the genial charm of these essays hard to resist. (Sept.)

From the Publisher

''[Bragg has] a true gift for great storytelling, the kind . . . that makes you think it's just a plain old story, until he gets to the end and you're either weeping or covered with goosebumps.'' —New Orleans Times-Picayune, praise for the author

''Bragg tells about the South with such power and bone-naked love . . . he will make you cry.'' —Atlanta Journal-Constitution, praise for the author —This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
 

OCTOBER 2015 - AudioFile

Rick Bragg says Southern storytellers speak as if they’re slowly chewing each word, savoring the sound and meaning. And that’s just the way he presents this collection of his published essays. His presentation isn’t labored or slow just for effect. It’s just this tale spinner’s way of presenting the story, neither too slow nor too fast. While the entries were published in print, mostly in Bragg’s “Southern Journal” entries for SOUTHERN LIVING magazine, they clearly were written for the ear as well as the eye. His use of metaphor and rich descriptions comes across especially effectively when spoken. The topics cover Southern life, particularly family and everyday activities. The length of each entry makes this audiobook ideal for commuters, although motorists may be tempted to take a side trip just to hear another tale. R.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169779400
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	09/15/2015
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos