Minding the South

"For more than thirty years John Shelton Reed has been 'minding' the South--watching over it, providing commentary upon it. He is the author or editor of thirteen books about the South, and despite his disclaimer regarding formal study of Southern history, Reed has read widely and in depth about the South. His primary focus is upon Southerners' present-day culture and consciousness, but he knows that one must approach the South historically in order to understand the place and its people"--Page 4 of cover

The three Souths --The journalistic eye -- The mind of the South and Southern distinctiveness -- The times looks at Dixie -- Among the believers the secret history of civil rights -- The smoke never clears -- One tough lady -- A South that never was -- History and historians -- American weed -- Slaves View slavery -- Slipshod totalitarianism Southern intellect -- Southern studies abroad -- Friends and masters -- C. Vann Woodward -- Eugene D. Genovese -- M.E. Bradford -- What they say about Dixie -- Of Collard greens and kings -- Red and yellow, black, and white -- Telling about the South -- The imagined South -- Six Southerners -- Lady propagandist of the Old South -- The man from New Orleans -- The world's best-selling novelist -- Mover and shaker -- Hardy perennial -- The southern Elvis -- The end of Elvis -- Southern culture, High and low -- Southern laughter -- A cokelorist at work -- The national magazine of the South -- Carolina couch crime -- Southern lit (and one movie) -- Taking a stand -- Portrait of Atlanta -- Nebbish from Mississippi -- Hollywood chain gangs -- Reflections -- The banner that Won't stay furled -- The most Southern state? -- Brits and grits -- Missing --…