Southern Lights: 75 Years of the Carolina Quarterly

This anthology of short fiction and poetry celebrates the rich tradition of the regional literary journal, as seen through the lens of 75 years of the Carolina Quarterly, and includes a short history of the journal. Organized by universal themes of nature, body, love, place, memoriam, and myth, each chapter showcases a different facet of life in the American South, covering everything from social and racial tensions to the region’s natural beauty. The carefully curated sections, edited by Houghton, Kylan Rice (An Image Not a Book), and Daniel Wallace (English, Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Big Fish), each include introductions and commentary that provide context for readers, allowing for a greater appreciation of the South’s vibrant literary tradition. The works are arranged chronologically by theme to give audiences a brief glimpse of not only the changing attitudes of the content but also the development of Southern literary traditions. The strongest chapter in the collection is “Nature,” which contains short stories by Doris Betts and Wendell Berry and poetry by Robert Morgan and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Also included are works from Fred Chappell, Ha Jin, Jill McCorkle, Evie Shockley, Joyce Carol Oates, and other quintessential Southern writers.