FEATURES

WELCOME TO ITTA BENA, LITTLE LADY! 
A young boy is captivated by his father’s unforgettable ex-girlfriend.
by Lewis Nordan

SPIRITUALITY IN THE MODERN NOVEL
A writer takes a look at faith against the backdrop of a secular literary tradition.
by Donna Tartt

FICTION

AWARENESS
Bomb threats, illness, a warped relationship—what does it take for a woman to become aware?
by Wendy Brenner

CHRISTMAS EVE
A Christmas surprise turns into a childhood discovery.
by Tony Earley

MY HAND IS JUST FINE WHERE IT IS
On a trip to Nashville, two lovers are forced to face a situation beyond their control.
by William Gay

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 

DEAR OA

EDITOR'S BOX

UNCLE ART'S THINGS TO KNOW

GONE OFF UP NORTH 

THE UNVANQUISHED
Ever hear the story of Faulkner's barefooted tennis game?
by Roy Blount Jr.

DEALER'S CHOICE

THE LAST SOUTHERN HERO
Frank Johnson was Jim Crow's most powerful natural enemy.
by Hal Crowther

LOCAL FARE

A ROOM OF OUR OWN
by John T. Edge

COMICS

by P. Revess

SOUTHERN GALLERY

Wendy Brenner

Tony Earley

William Gay

PHOTO ESSAY

FAITH & DOUBT
In Contemporary Southern Photography

OFF THE SHELF

BOOK VIEWS

“OH, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. YOU’RE WILLIAM FALKNER. YOU LOOK JUST LIKE YOUR PICTURES.”
by Donald Kartiganer

A NATIVE SON’S SECRET LIFE
by Anthony Walton

COMMON, ALL TOO COMMON
by John Jeremiah Sullivan

MUSIC NOTES

SOUTHERN MUSIC 

WHAT’S OLD IS ALWAYS NEW AGAIN
by Tom Piazza

SOUTHERN SCENES 

THE BLIND SERPENT HANDLER, 1987
Photograph by Shelby Lee Adams

POETRY

Autobiography of a White Girl Raised in the South
by Kate Daniels

On the cover: “Anna as Chinese Princess. Sumner, Mississippi. 1997.” by Maude Schuyler Clay