"American by birth, Southern by the grace of God." "G.R.I.T.S. — girls raised in the South." "You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl."
As you can see from the quotes above, it's no big secret that we, as Southerners, are damn proud of our heritage. So much in fact, we feel the need to write about it, sing about it, and shout about it to anyone who will listen. We often boast that our food is better, girls are prettier, and football teams are superior to all the rest.
We even travel with redneck radar: if there's another Southerner within a 20 mile radius, you can bet we won't be strangers for long. (I think the cute guy over there just said the word "y'all?") That said, I didn't realize it would take moving all the way to Los Angeles to find my true love. When I called my father with news of a prospect, he took a big gulp. When I added that Walt was from Georgia, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. Poor ol' dad was terrified I would run off to California and marry a director. Oops, did I forget to mention that Walt is one of those, too?
All jokes aside, the South is a wealth of culture—both old and new—worth preserving, exploring, and perpetuating. Enter The Southern Coterie /kōtərē/, a new social network connecting the South. To quote the leading ladies, it is "a collaborative effort celebrating the people, places and things that make the South special. If you can’t come to the South, the South will come to you." Amen to that!
In the spirit of sharing, I will be offering up my two cents alongside the already stellar lineup of contributors. I am looking forward to forming new relationships with fellow Dixie enthusiasts as we bond (and battle!) over the best beaches, bands, and barbecue that make our region so great.
To get the party started, I'll go ahead and tell it to you straight: down South the food really is better, the girls are definitely prettier, and Auburn football is better than the rest. Take me to Rosemary Beach, play me The Allman Brothers, and douse some more vinegar sauce on that pulled pork sandwich. Do I smell a challenge? Bring it on!
P.S. The social network doesn't launch until early next week; in the meantime, read my first post, sign up for the weekly newsletter and check out the Tumblr archives for a super-sized dose of good Southern fun!
