What happens when the place that made you who you are vanishes completely? Writer Tracy Thompson and poet Annie Woodford share stories of Southern landscapes lost to progress——and the particular grief called solastalgia. From red oak groves in south Atlanta to furniture mill towns in Appalachia, this episode explores what we lose when home disappears.
Since the death of Atlanta media mogul Ted Turner, outlets all over the world have broadcast accounts of his giant ambitions, his creation of the twenty-four-hour news cycle in which we all live today, and his work as an environmentalist. Salvation South magazine editor Chuck Reece has some thoughts about the essential Southernness that underlaid everything Turner did.
On Sunday, families all over Georgia will celebrate Mother’s Day, taking moms out to brunch and buying presents. Others, whose mothers are no longer with them, will sift through memories. The mother of Salvation South magazine editor Chuck Reece died when he was just 11 years old. His memories of her were scant — until recently, when he found some hidden treasures.
During this pledge week, GPB has been asking our listeners, “Who has the best biscuits in Georgia?” Hundreds of you have put your answers on social media, but we haven’t seen anything close to a general agreement on the answer. That fact does not surprise Salvation South editor Chuck Reece.
Salvation South Deluxe sits down with Beth Ann Fennelly — poet, novelist, and inventor of the “micro‑memoir” — to talk about her latest book, The Irish Goodbye: Micro-Memoirs. In a conversation that ranges from Alzheimer’s and caregiving to hyperrealistic nude portraits of folks in Oxford, Mississippi, Fennelly explains why she’s done “Photoshopping” her life and how telling the smallest stories can open us up to all the feels.
This is the time of year in Georgia when, after every rain, the puddles left behind are yellow, thanks to an abundance of pine pollen. Some people sneeze at the pollen, some people curse at the pollen, and some people find a great deal of humor in it. Salvation South magazine editor Chuck Reece is one of the latter.
A city‑hall slush fund, a dissenting vote, and a rainy weekend in Tallahassee accidentally created Word of South, the South’s most unlikely laboratory for music and literature. In this episode of Salvation South Deluxe, Chuck Reece walks Cascades Park with co‑founder Mark Mustian, hears BJ Barham of American Aquarium and novelist Kristen Arnett blow up old ideas about who counts as Southern, relives Muscle Shoals legend Donnie Fritts’s last hurrah in a packed nightclub, and joins Tommy Prine as he reflects on his father John Prine’s legacy and what it means to be a Southerner now.
Last week, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece delivered a lecture at Mercer University’s Center for Southern Studies in Macon. The next morning, he had breakfast at the H&H, a restaurant that’s been feeding Maconites for nearly seventy years. A restaurant that has stories of its own to tell about the South.
As a young, fiery pastor in a crater town in Kentucky, Abe Partridge thought he had finally found the rock to build his life on. Then his faith collapsed, and his ministry went with it. In this in‑depth conversation, Abe joins host Chuck Reece and writer Tad Bartlett to explore dark years, snake‑handling churches, punk rock mosh pits, and how songs and paintings became a quieter kind of prayer.
What is the biggest party in the South? Some say it happens every year in Jacksonville, Florida, learning up to the annual Georgia/Florida football game. But really, the biggest party in the South—and maybe the biggest, longest party in the world—is Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Salvation South magazine editor Chuck Reece is here with some Mardi Gras history that might surprise you.
This past weekend’s widespread storms, which dumped tons of snow and ice on states from New Mexico to New England, proved deadly for some and paralyzing for thousands of communities, including every Southern state save Florida. Salvation South magazine editor Chuck Reece has a few words about the difference between experiencing the white stuff as an adult and as a child.
As the year comes to a close, we bring you this special episode of Salvation South, where we take a look back on our most popular commentaries aired by GPB Radio in 2024. (Part 2 of 2).
As the year comes to a close, we bring you this special episode of Salvation South, where we take a look back on our most popular commentaries aired by GPB Radio in 2024. (Part 1 of 2).
In this episode of Salvation South Deluxe: we explore the storied life and career of Southern Baseball legend "Hammerin" Henry Aaron. Chuck Reece discovers the lasting impact of Aaron's legacy, and learns that Hank's yearning for equality and justice extended to the Baseball field and far beyond.
Many of us could look back at our lives and be astonished at how much time we had spent reading. Hours. Weeks. Even years, for some of us. But fewer people set out to write a story that others might want to read. Our resident Southern storyteller, Salvation South editor Chuck Reece, is here with a few tips to help you give writing a try.
Next Monday marks the beginning of National Teacher Appreciation Week. During this annual celebration, we pay tribute to teachers who make a difference in our lives. And we remind those in power how important teachers are to the future of our nation. In this week’s commentary, Salvation South Editor Chuck Reece is here with a memory of a teacher who helped him find magic in the written word.
The word from farmers around Georgia is that we are somewhere between four and six weeks between an annual cause for celebration. That's the appearance of homegrown tomatoes in backyard gardens and at farmer’s markets. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece says that with these precious fruits comes an opportunity for all Southerners—regardless of politics, philosophy, or faith—to come together.
In this episode of Salvation South Deluxe: to celebrate National Poetry Month, Chuck explores the poetic works of black women, specifically those of Dr. Jacqueline Allen Trimble. Dr. Trimble, along with her friends and colleagues Ashley M. Jones and Honoree Fanonne Jeffers, offer valuable insight into the unique power of poetry to not only inspire, but to educate.
Thousands will flock once again this weekend to the tiny town of Warwick, Georgia for the annual National Grits Festival. They will celebrate the importance of a food that has nourished millions of Southerners. Cooks will compete for the best dish—savory or sweet—made with grits. But that won’t be the only competition. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has the story in this week’s commentary.
Monday night will mark the golden anniversary of Atlanta Braves legend Henry Aaron breaking the Major League Baseball record for career home runs. And on Tuesday, the Atlanta History Center will open an exhibition called “More Than Brave,” which commemorates that night and the enormous impact Aaron had on Georgia and the nation. Salvation South editor Chuck Reece has a remembrance of the momentous achievement and the life of the legendary man.
