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Stories

A watercolor sunset over rolling hills with a car on a winding road, symbolizing themes from Steve Cushman’s poetry collection about family, memory, and emotional everyday moments.

Full With Love

Sometimes the littlest things can set us off: a vegetable, a sibling’s smile, the taste of a certain beer, imagining someone who’s gone is still here. Maybe love lives that low—all the way down to the molecular level of the everyday.

By Steve Cushman /
A South Sudanese refugee wearing a yellow hoodie smiles at the camera while standing in front of the Carter Presidential Center entrance. Behind him are two bronze statues depicting African figures, and a small fountain is visible in the background. The Center’s name is prominently displayed in large letters above the entrance.

Like a Prayer: Jimmy Carter Through a Refugee’s Eyes

As the world prepares to bid farewell to Jimmy Carter, a refugee’s visit to his presidential library reveals the far-reaching impact of his post-presidency work.

By Doug Cumming /
Hands holding vertical wooden studs as they raise the wall of a new house, against a blue sky background, with light-colored lumber arranged in a parallel pattern. Multiple pairs of hands are visible gripping the wooden beams.

Why We Keep Building Houses

South Carolina poet Ray McManus maps what matters in this tribute to the late president.

By Ray McManus /
Former President Jimmy Carter, wearing a white Habitat for Humanity baseball cap, turquoise shirt, and red bandana, smiles while painting a door frame during a 1992 home-building project. His paint-covered hands hold a brush.

Jimmy Carter: A Southern Giant of Peace and Service

Chuck Reece was a teenager when he first shook Carter’s hand, not knowing the man would transcend politics to become a global force for good. A few words from one Southerner about another’s century-long dedication to peace, equality, and human dignity.

By Chuck Reece /

The Editor’s Favorite Writing

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

By Chuck Reece /
A black and white duotone photograph showing two men in a side-by-side portrait composition. On the left is music historian Peter Guralnick, a smiling man with glasses and light-colored hair, while on the right is soul-music legend William Bell wearing a dark fedora and sporting a neatly trimmed beard, photographed in dramatic lighting that emphasizes his thoughtful expression.

Movement Music

Soul music wasn’t just about rhythm and blues—it was the soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement, breaking down racial barriers and fueling the Southern dream of freedom.

By Chuck Reece /

The Prose Editor’s Favorite Poems, and the Poetry Editor’s Favorite Prose

In a role reversal, Salvation South’s poetry editor Andy Fogle and editor-in-chief Chuck Reece showcase their favorite prose and poetry pieces from 2024.

By Chuck Reece and Andy Fogle /

The Poetry Editor’s Favorite Poems

Our poetry editor picks his favorite poems from Salvation South in 2024.

By Andy Fogle /
Close-up shot of a road bike in motion, showing the wheels, chainring, and pedals with black cycling shoes. The image has a dynamic motion blur effect with a yellow-tinted background. The bike appears to be orange or red in color, with black tires and a water bottle mounted on the frame. A dramatic shadow of the bicycle wheel is cast on the ground beneath.

The Demon’s Backbone

A long, early-morning bike ride sparks recollections of a long-ago friendship—with its unspoken words and unresolved tensions.

By Tad Bartlett /
A moody landscape painting depicting a misty lake at night, with dark silhouettes of trees framing the scene. A full moon glows through cloudy skies, casting an ethereal light over the water, creating an atmospheric, serene image of a place that is perfect for nightswimming, and the perfect accompaniment for this piece of Southern nature poetry.

Lake Purdy

Seething with new life, the whole cosmos is present around this one body of water, where the young people are nightswimming.

By Elizabeth S. Gunn /
A layered coconut cake with white frosting on a blue-rimmed plate, served on a decorative doily with a silver cake server. The cake is completely covered in shredded coconut and is three layers tall.

The Cakes of Your Grandmothers

Originally from Tennessee, a longtime Florida educator considers hunger, place, and memory.

By Lisa Roney /
A heart-shaped word cloud on a purple background with hearts. The word cloud is split into two halves - pink and blue - containing words like "Freedom," "Truth," "American," "Democracy," "Kindness," "Patriotism," and "Information" repeated in different sizes and arrangements.

Brushing Away Misinformation

In a routine dental checkup, Adam Klein confronts the spread of misinformation and grapples with the aftermath of a divisive election, reflecting on the fragility of truth and freedom in modern America.

By Adam Klein /
Watercolor painting of tree roots and rivers framed by delicate spring foliage, with sunlight filtering through leafy branches onto rippling blue-gray water.

Roots and Rivers

Kentucky poet David Cazden explores the intricate connections between memory, nature, and the passage of time in two vivid and evocative verses.

By David Cazden /