In literary Oxford, Mississippi, bibliophile Richard Howorth presides over the renowned Square Books. Faulkner has his own section, of course, but Howorth’s list of five essential Southern books showcases some equally important voices.
Let Us Now Praise Famous Men
James Agee and Walker Evans (1941)
“No other book captures so vividly the stark reality of the post-Depression rural South.”
The Moviegoer
Walker Percy (1961)
“The great writer’s first novel and one that I have always called the first Southern postmodern novel. So unlike anything of its time.”
The Complete Stories
Flannery O’Connor (1971)
“O’Connor once famously remarked, ‘Whenever I’m asked why Southern writers particularly have a penchant for writing about freaks, I say it is because we are still able to recognize one.’ She consistently demonstrates that penchant as well as the sense of humor expressed in the comment.”
All God’s Dangers: The Life of Nate Shaw
Theodore Rosengarten (1974)
“It is the book I always reach for when asked, ‘Would you recommend just one book that explains the South?’”
Long, Last, Happy
Barry Hannah (2010)
“Hannah’s innovative style was marked by an outrageous sense of humor and acrobatic, minimalist wordplay. This is an excellent selection from his story collections, including nearly all from his classic Airships.”