We celebrate the golden anniversary of the release of four landmark documentaries by the Southern folklorist Bill Ferris by presenting pristine digital prints of each film—and interviews with Ferris about each film by our editor-in-chief, Chuck Reece.
This week, three Southern writers, with candor and grace, trace what it means to belong, to inherit more than just possessions, and to forge identity at the intersections of home, faith, and memory.
The Stayman Winesap is crisp, cherry-red, and complex—the perfect apple in our editor’s lifelong quest for the ultimate cobbler. Fall isn’t fall without one on your table. But finding the Stayman Winesap can be a quest.
The celebrated Kentucky novelist shifts genres with his first murder mystery, set in a world shaped by unjust losses, forbidden loves, and Southern lore. Chuck Reece dives deep into the culture and craft that helped Silas House create Dead Man Blues.
From animal fables to the “dirty dozens,” the tales collected by Bill Ferris capture the full range of Black Southern storytelling—from humor to hardship, from the sacred to the profane.
Listen to the audio centerpiece of “Fifty Years of Ferris,” a deep dive into how his radical empathy became the roadmap for how to give Southern voices their rightful place in history.
Throughout a storied career shaping the stories Southerners tell themselves, John T. Edge found himself in the national spotlight—all while he was running away from a traumatic past.
Bill Ferris’s landmark 1975 documentary Made in Mississippi captures the handmade art and collective wisdom of Black Mississippians in the twentieth century. Our conversation about the film dives into the stories, skills, and community spirit threaded through every structure, quilt, instrument, and sculpture.
Widespread Panic isn’t just a band—it’s a family. This episode explores how the group’s unique culture creates a joyful, welcoming community for thousands of devoted longtime fans around the world.
A simple breakfast in New Orleans reveals how this city continually remakes Southern culture—layering Native, African, French, Spanish, and immigrant influences into something new with every generation.
For nearly forty years, Widespread Panic has turned concerts into communal rituals of joy and kinship. Their secret isn’t spectacle; it’s the family they’ve made—onstage, backstage, and in the crowd.
The latest edition of the Salvation South Deluxe podcast visits the capital city of Southern hospitality—Clarkston, Georgia. For a half century, Clarkston has welcomed refugees from around the world, and it hasn’t stopped—even amid today’s political upheaval.
