H. Jackson Brown - As Southern as It Gets: 1,071 Reasons to Never Leave the South

They were warm, buttered, sprinkled with sugar, and perfectly prepared by Mothers loving hands. They were impossible to resist then, and Ive spent little time resisting them ever since. Im reminded of a story attributed to Truman Capote. Seems Trumans New York editor was visiting him at his childhood home in Alabama. Mr. Editor spent the night, and Truman thought hed show his guest the town the next morning.

To get started they stop at a little caf on the square for a real southern breakfast. The waitress greets them with a smiling Good morning, darlins. Truman orders first and asks the New Yorker if he would like some grits with his scrambled eggs and bacon. Well, Mr. Editor says after giving it some thought, I think Ill have one. Never having heard of grits, he later confesses he thought it might be some root vegetable the size of a sweet potato.

Ive always been impressed with the imagination of Yankees. Now a few comments about this book. If youve noticed, the subtitle is 1071 Reasons to Never Leave the South. I once challenged a tenured professor from one of those Ivy League schools to mirror my efforts and compile a list of 1071 Reasons to Never Leave the North. He heartily agreed and asked me to check with him in a couple of months. After five months, I gave him a call.

Hows it going, Professor? How many entries do you have? He hesitates and mumbles, Thirty-one. Would you be so kind to read them, I ask. Well, half were national parks out west, and four entries had something to do with Philly cheese steaks and ice fishing. His embarrassment was my confirmation. With some confidence I consider myself qualified to offer this list to you. My parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were born and raised on two hardscrabble farms in Bedford County, Tennessee.

So Im personally acquainted with country ham, smokehouses, mules, canning time, church activities, kudzu, deviled eggs, and one-stoplight towns. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, I spent my college days at Emory University in Atlanta and then back to Nashville with jobs in music, finance, advertising, film production, and finally some success writing books. Ive visited many of the places listed here and enjoyed most of the food. You could say Im about as southern as a fellow can get and mighty proud of it too. This list began twelve years ago, and Ive had the pleasure of adding to it regularly. In fact, my publisher had to grab it out of my hands two weeks after the deadline.

I need the manuscript today, she commanded. Just one more day, I pleaded. Ive just thought of three more entries. The South I love is magical, mysterious, adaptive, independent, proud, historic, but sometimes rough around the edges. The diversity of people, places, and culture; the tears, pride, and promises; the landmarks and landscape; the little towns, country crossroads, and chrome-plated metroplexes make the South a most distinctive region of our great country. So welcome to my South.

Treat her well for she can be very generous. And, as you know, unforgettable. H. J. B.
Tall Pine Lodge
Fernvale, Tennessee Think fast, but speak slowly. coming to the aid of neighbors the evening serenade of a mockingbird voracious fondness for pie hymns you know by heart banana pudding shrimp n grits dogwood trees in full bloom deviled eggs checkers played with Coke and Pepsi bottle caps Southern writers have a great sense of place. coming to the aid of neighbors the evening serenade of a mockingbird voracious fondness for pie hymns you know by heart banana pudding shrimp n grits dogwood trees in full bloom deviled eggs checkers played with Coke and Pepsi bottle caps Southern writers have a great sense of place.

That makes you write the truth. When you do that, people read it and say, You wrote my life. ~ Maggi Britton Vaughn ,
Tennessees Poet Laureate
5 Famous Authors Share
Quotes about the South, Parade

about everyone you know has at least three snake stories acceptance of eccentric relatives accordions Alan Jackson Alan Tate all-day singing and dinner on the grounds alligators all-you-can-eat fried catfish and hush puppy night Always on My Mind Amazing Grace ambrosia Amy Grant Andrew Lytle anduille sausage Ann Patchett Anne Rice antique tractor shows anything with a pecan crust apple and peach turnovers Appomattox Court House National Historic Park, Appomattox, Virginia apricot preserves Aretha Franklin Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C. asparagus casserole Atlanta Aquarium, Atlanta, Georgia attending funerals even though you hardly knew the departed Augusta National Golf Course, Augusta, Georgia authenticity 51. BABY NAMES: Caroline, Mary Grace, Nathan, Quinn, Savannah, Adelaide, Clementine, Noah, Chloe, Landon, Isabella, Ethan, Abigail backyard vegetable gardens bait shops baked apricots baked sweet potatoes bald eagles baloney sandwiches with a slice of onion and a little mustard banana bread barbeque bark crust barbeque restaurants where none of the chairs match barbecued shrimp baskets of ferns hanging on the front porch bass fishing tournaments Summer in the deep South is not only a season, a climate, its a dimension. ~ Eugene F. ~ Eugene F.

Walter
The Untidy Pilgrim Land is the only thing in the world that amounts to anything... Tis the only thing in this world that lasts... Tis the only thing... worth fighting forworth dying for. ~ Margaret Mitchell
Gone with the Wind baton twirling contests bay scallops baying of a hound on scent bayous B. B.

King and Lucille beachfront cottages named Dream a While, Paradise Dunes, Sandy Toes Beale Street, Memphis, Tennessee beaten biscuits beauty queens beef jerky, deer jerky beignets dusted with powdered sugar Bellamy Brothers Benedictine spread Bermuda shorts, madras shirts, and Top Siders Bessie Smith Big Mama Thornton Bill Anderson Bill Elliott Bill Monroe bing cherry salad made with Coca-Cola biscuits with sausage gravy Bisquick black beans black bears black iron skillet cornbread black velvet portraits of Elvis blackberry cobbler Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee blackberry preserves blackened redfish Blue Bayou Blue Moon of Kentucky Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina bluebird houses Bluebird Caf, Nashville, Tennessee Bobbie Ann Mason Bobby Allison Being Southern isnt talking with an accent... or rocking on a porch while drinking sweet tea, or knowing how to tell a good story. Its how youre brought upwith Southerners, family (blood kin or not) is sacred; you respect others and are polite nearly to a fault; you always know your place but are fierce about your beliefs. And foodalong with college footballis darn near a religion.