The South: The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures

(Hardback)

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Description

Notions of southern culture run deep and wide through the American consciousness. Perhaps no region of the United States conjures up as many images or emotions as does the American South. Yet despite the stereotypes that resonate throughout society, it remains nearly impossible to categorize the many shades of culture found in the history of the southern states. Spanning from Atlantic coastal ecosystems to the Ozark Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico, the region is home to orange groves and Creole food; the Gothic Revival style and the New Urbanism movement; ragtime, Piedmont blues, and Appalachian folk songs; high school football battles and Tobacco Road basketball rivalries; the Cajun language, the Gullah tongue, and the famous Southern drawl. From sartorial fashions to William Faulkner's Sartoris, this splendid volume documents southern culture in its many colors and forms. The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures is the first rigorous reference collection on the many ways in which American identity has been defined by its regions and its people. Each of its eight regional volumes presents thoroughly researched narrative chapters on Architecture; Art; Ecology & Environment; Ethnicity; Fashion; Film & Theater; Folklore; Food; Language; Literature; Music; Religion; and Sports & Recreation. Each book also includes a volume-specific introduction, as well as a series foreword by noted regional scholar and former National Endowment for the Humanities chairman William Ferris, who served as Consulting Editor for this encyclopedia.

Reviews

"This set provides a comprehensive view of America's regional history and culture.... This encyclopedia set provides a resource that is compatible with regional studies curricula. Highly recommended. All levels." - Choice, June 2005 "Exploring both history and culture, this resource offers a comprehensive view of our nation's diverse regions.... The narratives focus on distinctive U.S. regions, with subjects ranging from architecture, art, and ecology to fashion, folklore, food, language, literature, music, religion, and sports.... With interest in regionalism on the rise owing to increased literary and American studies programs, students conducting research on regional identities and cultural distinctiveness will be well served by the depth of coverage this set provides. Classroom teachers and library media specialists could also utilize it in their own research. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries." - Library Journal, March 15, 2005 "This reference set will be a great source for students in grade seven and up, especially for schools and public libraries where states and cultural heritage assignments are frequent and curriculum support is needed." - VOYA, June 2005"

Author Bio

REBECCA MARK is Associate Professor of American Literature at Tulane University and affiliated with the Deep South Regional Humanities Center. ROB VAUGHAN is President of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and affiliated with the South Atlantic Regional Humanities Center.