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Stories

The Editor’s Favorite Writing

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

The Big Bang of Jazz

The pianist James Reese Europe, born in Alabama in 1881, played “jazz” before the world even knew the word. Texas pianist Jason Moran is resurrecting his story.

A Keg Full of History

Native Americans own just a tiny portion of U.S. breweries. Jacob Keyes, whose Skydance Brewing teaches native culture through the beers it makes, is one of them.

Penny: A Sunshine State Eulogy

In Wauchula, they closed down the old folks’ home. And now, the stray dog that hung around the front yard has lost her friends.

Did You Know Lt. Europe?

This week, you can meet the Alabaman who, although his name is largely forgotten, changed American music forever.

Yes, Chef, I’ll Fix the Homeplace

She was obsessed with repairing the Alabama home where she grew up. But some things just can’t be fixed.

Food of Life

Hoppin’ John, they call him. Now, five decades deep into his career as a historian of Southern food, John Martin Taylor delivers a career-capping memoir that teaches us to make the most of what we’ve got. On our tables and in our souls.

John Martin Taylor’s So-Called Huguenot Torte of Charleston

But really, it’s an Apple Nut Torte

John Martin Taylor’s Shrimp and Grits, Italian-Style

To honor our Italian ancestors and friends, let’s call it gamberetti con polenta.

Living With Ghosts

Regret, a Chattanooga poet argues, is like a junkyard.

Stuck in the Past

How to fix yourself if you hold on too tightly to what used to be.

The Man Who Was a Town

College towns move us from the world of youth to the world of adulthood. For folks who went to college in Athens, Georgia, William Orten Carlton was the man who welcomed us to the new world.

Hungry Ghosts: A Film About Charles McNair

A film about the lauded Southern novelist — and Salvation South contributor — Charles McNair.