Versions of the South

Sometimes, fiction paints the South in a vivid, colorful light. Depictions vary from derogatory - backward, inbred hicktowns - to complimentary, if not embellished - sweeping and Gothic. Love the region or hate it, it's where I grew up, where I live, and you're supposed to write what you know. One thing I've come to know over the years is that you can't put a label on the South and expect it to stick. Yes, we say "y'all" and "bless his heart"...but we don't all eat grits, we don't all have rusted cars rotting in our yards. And if we go barefoot in the yard, it's only because it's hot as sin and the grass is thick and comfy as new carpet.

This past weekend, a family bridal shower reminded me that there is not one definition of the South. Different families, different states and towns have different Southern traditions. My Southern perspective in fiction is based on the version of the South that I live in. This weekend, just for fun, I pieced together some of the "rules" as my family observes them:

Aesthetics are important! One does not simply set plates on a table. Tablescapes are critical.

Babies, weddings, new houses...everything is celebrated. This cake was done up and looks exactly like the shower invitation.

Family is more important than anything else. Good times and bad, the support system is always there and appreciated.

Southern ladies do not slam shots and get falling down drunk. They drink wine, and they can drink it all day without making fools of themselves.

Flowers, flowers, flowers...they're worth the work.

There is always an abundance of food. Hospitality = food.

The kitchen is the hub of every house: it's where everything happens, where everyone gathers.

There is a certain preserved elegance in the South - in my South anyway - and it's fun to infuse that in my writing.