For Colored Boys: A Poem
From Magic City, a lyric cry of solidarity against shame and silence.
Stories
Neighbor
In this spare, haunting meditation, Daniel Wallace writes about how the specter of loss follows us from childhood into marriage, reminding us that every bond—no matter how fierce—must one day confront its own ending.
By Daniel Wallace /
Daniel Wallace Returns to Our Circle
As the “Big Fish” author’s tales grace our magazine once again, we invite you to join the Family Circle that keeps Southern voices—classic and fresh—alive and thriving.
By Chuck Reece /
The Long Road Home Is Covered in Limpid Roses
When your father is a legendary scoundrel and your own origin story is a punchline, what does redemption look like? Daniel Wallace answers, with his signature blend of dark humor and Southern surrealism.
By Daniel Wallace /
In the Belly of the Catfish
Between the pull of home, bodies of water, and the weight of memory, these two poems cast and retrieve.
By Jermaine Thompson /
The Power and Grace of Second Acts
As more of us navigate the middle passages of life, we look to voices that honor the grit, humor, and hope of these years. This week, two Southern writers show us that second acts are not about fading away, but about blooming with purpose and grace.
By Chuck Reece /
Between Sundays
Award-winning journalist Diana Keough on how faith transforms as life unfolds—becoming less about certainty and more about showing up, holding space, and finding meaning in the everyday messiness that falls between Sundays.
By Diana Keough /
The Power of Blooming Late
When Mississippi’s Dusti Bongé turned to painting, she defied the limits set for women of her era, forging a path from Biloxi to the New York art world. Ellen Ann Fentress finds in Bongé’s story—and in her own—the urgency, satisfaction, and bittersweet cost of pursuing creative dreams in life’s second half.
By Ellen Ann Fentress /
Fifty Years of Ferris
As renowned folklorist Bill Ferris celebrates 50 years since the release of four landmark documentaries, we present those films and begin a series of interviews about the cultural connections that should unite all Southerners.
By Chuck Reece /
Live, for One Night Only
When a novice midlife musician makes her festival stage debut on a homemade washtub bass, she learns a little about old-time music. And more about embracing imperfection.
By Kory Wells /
Going Home: Family Reunion
More than a century ago, in “The Second Coming,” Irish poet William Butler Yeats wrote, “the centre cannot hold.” But sometimes it does. This poem says so.
By Rosa Castellano /
When Times Are Dark, Have Mercy
Storytelling is a merciful, hopeful act. The words of skilled writers with compassionate hearts can heal wounded people and communities. Our 2025 membership drive is here. Please help keep this home for such writers running for another year.
By Chuck Reece /
The Berry Behind the Brambles
Ackerman’s verses—rich in the landscapes of the Blue Ridge—bridge our generations, from a rickety shelf stacked with jelly jars to climate-anxious meadows.