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Stories

The Editor’s Favorite Writing

Our editor-in-chief picks his favorite pieces from Salvation South in 2024.

Making Sense of Mississippi

O.N. Pruitt was the “picture man” where journalist Berkley Hudson grew up. Pruitt’s photographs helped Hudson understand the state he ran away from — and the state that drew him back.

A Talisman From Poseidon

She keeps the murex shell she found on the beach 63 years ago after Hurricane Donna ravaged her island home, and at her house, hurricane season never ends.

Using My Words

Growing up Black in a small Georgia town was hard enough. But Miriam Delaney Heard also had to break the chains of the religion she was raised in. Her salvation came from writing her own story.

Inside the Wonder of Lonnie Holley

Jim Crow dumped its worst on Lonnie Holley. But his globally recognized music and art prove how beautifully he survived the belly of that beast. Just don’t call him an “outsider.”

This Log Shall Not Be Moved

Sometimes, we need a talisman to remind us of the difference between who we used to be and who we are now. In Rachel Martin’s house, it’s a log. A very particular log.

Frank O’Hara Gets Dirty in Bull City

Imagine you plopped a crazy 1950s New York School poet down into a 21st century Saturday night in Durham. It’d be dirty, you know, in that good way.

Lonnie Holley: A Southern Icon

After a youth full of pain, the Alabama musician and artist creates joyous works that help us understand our region.

A Story I Don’t Know How to Tell

A South Carolina mother wrestles with the legacy she’ll leave her four children. Because the real truth about faith, politics and shifting values is complicated.

Hail to the Chef

Atlanta journalist Jim Auchmutey interviewed President Carter many times during his career. The most memorable happened 17 years ago in Jimmy and Rosalynn’s kitchen.

Pecan Tassies

As cooked in the Plains, Georgia, kitchen of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter in 2006.

Three Poems by Gary Grossman

A Georgia poet moves furiously up and down our hills, into our winter winds and through the baskets of various apples laid out at picking time.

A Little Help

As more people read Salvation South, more writers want to contribute. Want to help us by reading submissions?