Two summers ago I began a series. It began as an exploration of my Southern roots, specifically the women of the South who are, at the same time, pillars of strength and emblems of grace and hospitality.

As a student at St. Mary's University I studied literature, philosophy and theology, which included reading and studying the works of Flannery O'Connor, a Southerner, herself, and a devout Catholic. Her characters are flawed but rarely tragically. In her stories, there is always an opportunity for redemption, though it is sometimes missed.

It used to be my dream to write short stories, perhaps even a novel, that would cause critics to write words like "not since Flannery O'Connor has there been a writer who..." or "blah, blah, blah...Southern Gothic...and flawed characters reminiscent of a Flannery O'Connor story."

That hasn't happened, yet, BUT I have created some of those characters, and I HAVE written one sentence of the story for each of them in my (unfinished) series, Portraits of Scarlett.

Saint Scarlett

Her mama called it stubbornness.

She preferred to think of it as confident determination.

Either way, she felt the expression suited her, and she wore it on a daily basis.

3 Comments

Sep 26, 2016, 4:27:34 PM

Hope - Love, love, love......beautiful photo and perfect words!!! You are awesome !

Sep 26, 2016, 8:33:23 AM

Christie Stockstill - Wow! Thanks! I'll take it!

Sep 25, 2016, 11:28:24 PM

Rebekah Duke - You are my hero. I can't wait to read more!

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Working In the American South - Part One

March 11, 2022

Working In Mississippi

February 8, 2022

Serendipity

May 25, 2021

Through the Window

November 25, 2020

Portraits of Scarlett