The South’s torturous search for the good books

The story of the book in Southern history is the story of the perception of dangers associated with reading, of the problems in establishing the communications system essential for making books available, of the differing meanings of books to different groups in Southern culture. This article traces that story from the colonial era through the present, paying special attention to friction between North and South, the role of religious orthodoxy, the dominance of oral culture, deficiencies in the library system, and the rural nature of the region. It ends with a discussion of Southern writers and their role in the development of a book culture. Charles Reagan Wilson received his bachelor of arts (1970) and master of arts (1972) in history at the University of Texas at El Paso and his doctorate in history at the University of Texas at Austin (1977). He has taught at the University of Mississippi, where he is professor of History and Southern Studies, since 1981. He is the author ofBaptized in Blood: The Religion of the Lost Cause, 1865–1920 (1980) and coeditor of theEncyclopedia of Southern Culture (1989).