Southern Gothic Online . . . and in Print

One of the strengths of Southern Literature is that it encompasses such a diverse group of writings, including within its literary borders everything from the African American literature of Zora Neale Hurston, “lost cause” novels like Gone with the Wind, the books of the Southern Renaissance, and, drum roll please, Southern Gothic writings. Southern Gothic literature utilizes gothic archetypes, the fantastic, and the grotesque to illuminate such human frailties as violence, hate, and racism. Among the classics example of this subgenre are As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner (along with his short story “A Rose for Emily”), A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Flannery O’Connor, and Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison.

A favorite online literary journal of mine in recent years has been Southern Gothic Online. Edited by Jeff Crook, this impresive journal is keeping the Southern Gothic tradition alive while also updating these style of stories for the 21st century. While the site’s design could be easier to navigate, the fiction and poetry published by Jeff are first rate. Now I’ve learned that Jeff has expanded the journal to a print journal. I wish him the best of luck with this wonderful endeavour. Southern Gothic Online is also a paying market, so writers please take note and submit your works. Readers, if you like what you see please consider a donation to help the journal continue its great work.