The Road(trip) to a Southern Belle

Wiki says: A southern belle (derived from the French word belle, ‘beautiful’) is an archetype for a young woman of the AmericanOld South’s upper class.

RoadTrip Success!

Well maybe the definition of a Southern Belle is a little archaic and superficial, but I plan to become more intimately acquainted with those states who once made up a Confederacy.

For better or worse, Michigan has always been my home.  Although I often detested and felt limited by the small town I was raised in, heading back to MI from college, Chicago, and then NYC was always a trip that I looked forward to.  There’s a feeling of calm when you’re heading back to a world so recognizable – knowing every street, where the creaky floor board is, how to sneakily turn up the heat on the pool just enough that your dad won’t notice, and being able to walk to the bathroom in the dark without tripping and no fumbling for lightswitches, since hell, you’ve been in the same house you entire life (well, except for the first eight months but who’s counting).

Well as of last week, the life I knew has changed by… 692.77 miles and an 11 hour drive (Mapquest).

That’s right, folks, my parents, Northerner’s born and bred, have relocated to Tunica, Mississippi!  You may be familiar with the city (no judgments here) because it is the third most popular gambling destination in the United States, behind Vegas and Atlantic City!  My Dad is not a professional poker player and I doubt my mom will ever wear the costume of a cocktail waitress, but they will live a mere ten minutes from the lights of the casinos.

My mom and I road-tripped down to Tunica last week for the final move – the two of us, Skippy the dog, and a load of my mom’s favorite plants (the “greenhouse” had much more room than poor Skippy and I who had to share the front seat!).  Tunica is a very cute little town overflowing with nice, friendly southerners.  I got my hair done (note to self: always get hair done in South; much better pricing than NYC extravagance!) and in that two hours, was given a brief lesson in Southern etiquette and history.

Dad in front of the Tunica Times newspaper

But I need to know more.  The South truly is a different world. Not only do people have accents  (which is #1 on my Southern Belle list – I hope to pick mine up over the Christmas holidays) but a different history than what I grew up with.  So while I’m searching for all the light switches in our new house next time I visit (when I left after my stay, there were outdoor lights on that we had no idea how they came on, or how to turn off!), I plan to be educating myself on the life from my perch in NYC.

My Southern Book List:

• THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett (obviously I’ve already read this – who hasn’t – but it’s imperative I reread, which will be better understood in my review)
• CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER by Tom Franklin
• LOOKING FOR SALVATION AT THE DAIRY QUEEN by Susan Gregg Gilmore
• HUNK CITY and MODERN BAPTISTS by James Wilcox
• GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell (my FAVORITE book – and I’ve been needing a reason to reread this classic tome! I did just purchase as an ereader, because my collector’s leather bound edition (Thanks OAD & OUB!) is both heavy and delicate
• INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A SLAVE GIRL by Harriet Jacobs
• SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT by Beth Hoffman (I’ve already read, enjoyed and reviewed this recently released debut novel, but feel it’s very relevant to this list as CeeCee made her way South from Ohio)
• REASONS FOR AND ADVANTAGES OF BREATHING by Lydia Peelle (thanks to Beth Fish Reads for her review of this Southern-based collection of short stories)
• PLANTING DANDELIONS: Field Notes from a Semi-Domesticated Life by Kyran Pittman (This upcoming Summer 2011 release from Riverhead Books promises to be funny and insightful from a Canadian perspective in Arkansas – I suggest following @KyranPittman on Twitter!)

Mom & Skippy in the MS living room pre-moving truck arrival

I wouldn’t even know where to begin to make this a Southern Belle Challenge, but I would love to hear if anyone wanted to dive in to the deep south with me!  Also, I’m sure I’m missing valuable southern literature so please y’all, feel free to make suggestions.