Distracted by Alabama: Tangled Threads of Natural History, Local History, and Folklore (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780817361655)

A gateway to Alabama for the omnivorous mind, Distracted by Alabama is a collection of twelve captivating essays about Alabama and the South by Samford University writer and scholar Jim Brown, a former president of the Alabama Folklife Association.

During his decades living and teaching in Alabama, Brown followed his curiosity down myriad pathways about Alabama and the region, including the state's majestic landscape, plants and animals found nowhere else, history, and rich folkways. In the tapestry of Alabama culture, Brown traces the threads of Native American, African slave, and European settler influences, woven over the centuries into novel patterns that surprise and fascinate.

Writing in the voice of a learned companion, Brown reveals insights and stories about unforgettable facets of Alabama culture, such as Sacred Harp singers and African American railroad callers, the use of handmade snares and stationary fishtraps to catch river redhorse and freshwater drum, white oak basketmaking and herbal medicine traditions, the evolution of the single-pen log cabin into the impressive two-story I-house, and a wealth of other engrossing stories.

An instant classic, Distracted by Alabama is a keepsake that readers who love, visit, or are curious about Alabama and Southern culture will return to again and again.


Author: James Seay Brown
ISBN-10: 0817361650
ISBN-13: 9780817361655
Publisher: University Alabama Press
Language: English
Published: 03/15/2024
Pages: 318
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 8.58h x 6.61w x 0.32d