Stories of decline, endurance, invasion, and resistance have shaped southern identity. Whether they originate in chambers of commerce, neo-Confederate websites, jazz songs, or forces outside the region, the narratives and images that give shape to “the South” have real social, political, and economic ramifications.

Featuring interdisciplinary contributions from distinguished scholars, this volume explores how such narratives and images have been produced and how they have shaped perceptions about the South and southernness that register at various local, regional, national, and transnational scales. By approaching the subject through a variety of lenses, including American and queer studies, performance art, and music, these essays challenge and expand on the established understanding of how, when, where, and why ideas of the South have been developed and disseminated.