The location of "the South" is hardly a settled or static
geographic concept. Culturally speaking, are Florida and Arkansas
really part of the same region? Is Texas considered part of the
South or the West? This volume of
The New Encyclopedia of
Southern Culture grapples with the contestable issue of where
the cultural South is located, both on maps and in the minds of
Americans.
Richard Pillsbury's introductory essay explores the evolution of
geographic patterns of life within the region--agricultural
practices, urban patterns, residential buildings, religious
preferences, foodways, and language. The entries that follow
address general topics of cultural geographic interest, such as
Appalachia, exiles and expatriates, Latino and Jewish populations,
migration patterns, and the profound Disneyfication of central
Florida. Entries with a more concentrated focus examine major
cities, such as Atlanta, New Orleans, and Memphis; the influence of
black and white southern migrants on northern cities; and
individual subregions, such as the Piedmont, Piney Woods,
Tidewater, and Delta. Putting together the disparate pieces that
make up the place called "the South," this volume sets the scene
for the discussions in all the other volumes of
The New
Encyclopedia of Southern Culture.