Literature

Pasture Art, a collection of novellas, set in the Alabama Black Belt, a swath of dark soil that runs through the central part of the state, explores the history, culture, and spirit of the people who live there.  Author, Marlin Barton knows his Alabama Black Belt, as well or better than any writer could, writing stories that will haunt you after you put his book down. 

When Pearl schedules a playdate with her friends Sallie and Ella, they have no idea they're about to travel back in time to Gee's Bend, Alabama to discover the origin of the beautiful quilts in Grandma's house. It doesn't take long for the girls to learn Grandma's quilts are more than pretty pieces of fabric stitched together to keep them warm; the history behind the family treasures is rich and bursting with love. Pearl and her Gee's Bend Quilt is a journey through art and adventure, stitched...

Mike Handley: Plein-Air WritingIf you've ever stumbled upon a man in a tree, or sitting on a log or boulder, hunched over and scribbling madly into a notebook balanced on his thigh, you might've witnessed the writing of this journal. This compilation of stories, anecdotes, photographs and paintings represents the evolution of cursive into font and sketches into art. "Plein-Air Writing" chronicles Mike Handley's travels through Oklahoma's Wichita mountains, Louisiana's Cajun country, roads less...

Faye Bennett (Lola Granola): Pray This Way"Pray This Way" is a fun rhythmic way to talk about prayer with children. This book gives parents the opportunity to incorporate prayer in children's daily life.

Quilts of Gees Bend NotesFROM THE MUSEUM TO YOUR MAILBOX: From the High Museum of Art in Atlanta to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, quilts by the Gee’s Bend artists hang in major collections throughout the United States. Now, you can bring these inspiring pieces into your home, and share them with the people you love.INCREDIBLE ARTISTRY: The vibrant colors, playful geometric shapes, and organic improvised patterns that define the Gee’s Bend quilting aesthetic have garnered...

Lizzy Wallace Boudreaux cherishes her friendship with Kay, not just because she is a terrific gal, but also because she helped orchestrate the first meeting four years ago between Lizzy and the love of her life. But as much as Lizzy likes how good Kay’s husband, Marcus, is to her, she still cannot ignore the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that Marcus has a dark side. Lizzy has no idea she is about to discover that her intuition is spot-on.While running errands, Lizzy walks in the...

Haper Collins: Southern Women (Garden & Gun)From the award-winning Southern lifestyle magazine Garden & Gun comes this rich collection of some of the South’s most notable women.For too long, the Southern woman has been synonymous with the Southern belle, a “moonlight and magnolias” myth that gets nowhere close to describing the strong, richly diverse women who have thrived because of—and in some cases, despite of—the South. No more. Garden & Gun’s Southern Women: More than 100 Stories of Trail...

Tastes and Traditions of "The Judson" : Volume One- This cookbook is a collection of favorite recipes which are not necessarily original, but are treasured, used, and shared by Judson women in Judson tradition.

In December of 1965, the year of the Selma-to-Montgomery march, a white Episcopal priest driving through a desperately poor, primarily black section of Wilcox County found himself at a great bend of the Alabama River. He noticed a cabin clothesline from which were hanging three magnificent quilts unlike any he had ever seen. They were of strong, bold colors in original, op-art patterns—the same art style then fashionable in New York City and other cultural centers. An idea was born and within...

Gee's Bend Experience: Poems and tidbits about life by quilter Tinnie Pettway 

The Quilts of Gee's BendSince the early nineteenth century, the women of Gee’s Bend in southern Alabama have created stunning, vibrant quilts. In the only photo-essay book about the quilts of Gee’s Bend for children, award-winning author Susan Goldman Rubin explores the history and culture of this fascinating group of women and their unique quilting traditions. Rubin uses meticulous research to offer an exclusive look at an important facet of African American art and culture. In the rural...

In Ted Dunagan's The Salvation of Miss Lucretia, young friends Ted and Poudlum continue their friendship despite the racial divide in the rural segregated South of the 1940s. On a trip to the forest where they plan to train their dogs, they stumble upon Miss Lucretia, the last of the voodoo queens.The boys fear, but later befriend Miss Lucretia, who teaches them secrets such as how to walk on fire. She also reveals that she was the granddaughter of the last slave born in Africa and brought to...