The Gulf South

“An absolutely necessary anthology about the relationship between people and the world around them in this blessed and haunted region.”—From the foreword by Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?  

“From lyrical descriptions of ecosystems still largely whole to disturbing accounts of political and corporate malfeasance, this collection provides a panoramic picture of where we are today and how we got here. The inclusion of many voices and perspectives from across the political and demographic spectrum emphasizes how our planetary future depends on a collective vision and communal action.”—Jana M. Giles, University of Louisiana at Monroe  
 
The first collection of environmental writing about the Gulf South region, The Gulf South: An Anthology of Environmental Writing features a diverse array of voices from the past 100 years. The work of these writers and artists enriches how we understand and represent the relationship between people and the rapidly changing ecology of the Gulf.  

Reaching from Texas to Florida, this anthology presents pieces from a variety of genres, from journalism to poetry to memoir to a graphic nonfiction book. It comprises renowned authors such as Natasha Trethewey, Jesmyn Ward, and E. O. Wilson alongside lesser-known writers and emerging writers. The subjects include natural and human-made disasters, the impact of industry, influential historical events, personal encounters with the environment, and a deep love for the land and water by the people who live there.     

Reflecting a range of different landscapes and their inhabitants, and emphasizing the human voice and condition throughout, The Gulf South brings to light a region whose influence on American commerce and culture reaches far beyond its geographical boundaries. This volume encourages readers to consider how we choose to characterize the environment and its degradation through language, and how these accounts affect our thinking and planning for the future.

Tori Bush is a writer based in New Orleans and a Ph.D. candidate at Louisiana State University. Richard Goodman, associate professor of creative nonfiction writing at the University of New Orleans, is the author of French Dirt: The Story of a Garden in the South of France.