Southern Cultures: The Memory Issue

Personal. Public. Historical. This issue of Southern Cultures is devoted entirely to Memory. . .Front Porchby Harry L. WatsonAs the Soviets used to joke about their own politically driven histories, The present we know; the future is certain. Only the past is unpredictable.Truth is mighty & will eventually prevailPolitical Correctness, Neo-Confederates, and Robert E. Leeby Peter S. CarmichaelWhile northerners might appear comparatively apathetic about the memory of the Union cause, white southerners have been tenacious in searching for moral clarity in the past.Personal in My MemoryThe South in Popular Filmby some of our favorite writers and filmmakers, with an introduction by Godfrey CheshireWe have two imaginary kingdoms. One, the South, exists primarily in song, oraltraditions and folkways, native art and literature. The other, Hollywood, creates mass-produced audiovisual entertainments for American and world audiences, and develops its own mythology.No SweatMemories of Southern Appalachiaby Danny FulksCooney Simms, the grocer, had a big Philco floor-model radio with push buttons and short wave. Neighbors gathered around when Joe Lewis was fighting. And wasnt he always this good giant who whipped Adolph Hitlers man Max Schmeling? Static wasnt too bad; one could hear Franklin Roosevelts fireside chats if they didnt come on the same time as the Grand Ole Opry.Mountain Feminist: Helen Matthews Lewis, Appalachian Studies, and the Long Womens Movementfrom an interview by Jessica Wilkersoncompiled and introduced by Jessica Wilkerson and David P. ClineJudge Thomas Ruffin and the Shadows of Southern Historyby Sally GreeneHot Springs, Arkansasby Keith MaillardCatfish and Homeby Josh EureBig Bone Lick, Big Talk, and Flushthree poems by Robert Morgan