With departments devoted to general interest stories, interviews, travel, food, gardening, history, books and humor, Southern Edition is sure to offer something of interest to everyone.  Take a few minutes to explore the site!  Here are some examples of what you will find:

Sunbelt Excursions is your guide to travel in the South.  Whether hitting the road for business or pleasure, Southern Edition wants you to be an informed traveler.  Looking for a great travel destination?  Find your inspiration in Sunbelt Excursions!  Enjoy popular destinations and off-the-beaten-path places like Lynchburg's Pierce Street.  And you are sure to enjoy pieces on The Casa Marina Hotel and Jacksonville Beach and Georgia's beautiful St. Simons Island by travel writer Debra Pamplin.


Sunbelt Excursions Articles and Other Media:

Pierce Street:  Lynchburg's Out-of-the-Way Connection with African American History
Darrell Laurant, author of the novel, The Kudzu Kid, and Inspiration Street:  Two City Blocks That Helped Change America, contributed this story on Lynchburg's historically significant Pierce Street.  African American luminaries, including Harlem Renaissance figures and Maya Angelou, have all been impacted by this quiet, out-of-the-way neighborhood in a Blue Ridge Mountains destination that isn't even serviced by an interstate highway. 


The Casa Marina Hotel and Jacksonville Beach
For this story, travel writer Debra Pamplin explores Jacksonville Beach while enjoying the comforts of the historic Casa Marina Hotel.  Whether you enjoy surfing the waves, feeling the sand between your toes or exploring exciting historical landmarks, this article will have you setting your sights on North Florida!


St. Simon's Island:  Where History and Beauty Collide
In this article, Debra Pamplin takes a trip to Georgia's beautiful Golden Isles where she explores St. Stimon's Island.  Travelers will enjoy getting to know the island, and are sure to want to plan a trip of their own.  Great recreation options, delightful culinary temptations and unforgettable sunrises abound.

Georgia's second oldest city, Augusta, offers a wealth of art and architecture.  In addition to its first-class Morris Museum of Art (a renowned repository of southern art), Augusta offers the Sacred Heart Cultural Center, Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art and downtown's Artist's Row.  Architectural examples of a variety of styles and periods abound, including structures by G. Lloyd Preacher, I. M. Pei and Henry Ten Eyck Wendell, as well as splended examples of vernacular architecture, particularly in the Laney-Walker North Historic District.

New Orleans:  Not Merely a Destination, It's a Experience!
The Big Easy, devastated by Hurricane Katrina, has made a comeback!  Explore a city known for jazz, creole/cajun cuisine and a Bohemian ambience, which inspired the likes of Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Mahalia Jackson, Louis Armstrong and Harry Connick Jr.

The Ryman Auditorium . . . More Than Just the Mother Church of Country Music

A word from Greg Freeman...

Thank you for visiting Southern Edition.

Comprised of departments devoted to general interests, travel, food, gardening, history, books and humor, this publication is easily navigated and capable of providing hours of reading pleasure.

Several factors prompted me to begin publishing Southern Edition in May 2006.  First of all, I discovered that some of the topics about which I wished to write were of little or no interest to most so-called regional periodicals.  Additionally, two Associated Press articles, "Blacks wear Southern label with pride" (by Jay Reeves) and "Old South's distinction melts away" (by Allen G. Breed), appearing in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on December 29, 2005, reminded me that change, both positive and negative, is inevitable and some desirable elements of the American South are fading fast.

Less prevalent are the South's distinctive accents and cultural nuances.  Our major cities are increasingly occupied by transients.  And many of our communities have experienced such an influx of outside influences that entire neighborhoods now resemble snapshots of the Hamptons or the Jersey shore.  Nonetheless, a great deal of the region's character and intrigue remains intact, and there is much to preserve and share.  Historically, the South has indelibly impacted American culture, and the region is not to be underestimated today.

As a writer who is passionate about the South, it is to my advantage that so many others possess my level of enthusiasm.  I am aware that my readers have included best-selling authors, Grammy Award-winning recording artists, legislators, prominent businessmen, professors, radio personalities, television producers, ministers, teachers and, to my delight, inquisitive college, high school and middle school students.  Could I have envisioned this reception years ago when other publications might have rejected what have become some of my most popular articles?  Certainly not.  Am I discovering my niche?  Hopefully so.  Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, I am grateful for your time spent poring over the pages of Southern Edition.  The good word of my readers has been my greatest source of promotion, and today my monthly page views number well into the thousands.  If you enjoy a story, by all means, please take advantage of the share buttons that accompany each article and conveniently recommend it to family and friends from your own e-mail, Facebook or Twitter account.  Lastly, your feedback and suggestions are always welcomed, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely yours,

Greg Freeman
Editor, Southern Edition

Of course, food is an essential element of southern culture.  From our recipe box to restaurant features to wonderfully-written pieces like Julian Brunt's The Culinary Diversity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, you are sure to find something in Soul Food to tempt your taste buds and expand your culinary horizons!


Soul Food Articles and Other Media: 

Recipe Box
The recipe box contains an array of tried and true recipes and contemporary twists on old-time favorites.


Julian Brunt Features
Mississippi food writer Julian Brunt shares his insightful articles, shedding light on the diversity of the Gulf Coast culinary world and introducing readers to delightful kitchen creations.

Goulash vs. Grillades

Jumbo Gumbo

The Culinary Diversity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast



Lita Davis Specialties

Ada's Peach Cobbler

Fried Green Tomatoes




Greg Freeman Features, Interviews and Specialties
Southern Edition publisher and editor Greg Freeman loves to cook and has had his food photography and recipes published outside this site.  PBS television's Lidia's Kitchen with Lidia Bastianich has highlighted several photographs of his culinary creations.

The Versatile Orange

Wes Hampton Discusses A Place at the Table
Greg Freeman interviews Wes Hampton of the Grammy Award-winning Gaither Vocal Band about his music and fabulous cookbook, A Place at the Table.




From Their Kitchen to Yours Series
This exciting series visits popular restaurants throughout the American South and shares recipes of some of their most in-demand dishes.

From Their Kitchen to Yours:  Recipes from the Loveless Café, Nashville

From Their Kitchen to Yours:  Recipes from Mother's Restaurant, New Orleans

From Their Kitchen to Yours:  Recipes from the Old Mill Restaurant, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Often graced by the presence of majestic magnolias and filled with an array of showy perennials, heirloom bulbs and show-stopping shrubs such as azaleas, southern gardens enjoy a distinction all their own!  In Magnolia Eden, discover great additions to your garden or learn about some of our botanical treasures.  Delve into Sara Van Beck's wonderful articles on daffodils.  Or perhaps check out Dr. Ed Brotak's Southern Live Oaks:  Nature's Great Survivors.  Your inspiration awaits!


Magnolia Eden Articles and Other Media:

Southern Live Oaks:  Nature's Great Survivors, by Dr. Ed Brotak, explores the majestic and graceful live oak, discussing historic specimens and the presence of the tree throughout portions of the American South.

Poncirus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon:  Revered and Respected by Southern Gardeners and Bonsai Hobbyists explores the fascinating Asian tree and its unique trifoliate foliage and bitter citrus fruits.

South Carolina and the History of American Daffodils, written by Sara Van Beck, author of Daffodils in American Gardens, 1733-1940 (Columbia:  University of South Carolina Press, 2015), uncovers the fascinating history of daffodils in South Carolina, exploring important properties and popular cultivars throughout the various eras of history, including the Federal and antebellum periods.

The Chestnut Rose:  A Unique Rose's Journey from the Far East to the American South takes a look at a rose species discovered in 1820 by Dr. William Roxburgh and its unusual burr-like buds.

Producing Bountiful Harvests from Heirloom Seed delves into the world of heirloom vegetables and seed-saving and includes conversations with seedsman Mike Watkins and longtime seed collector and preservationist Dr. David Bradshaw, Professor Emeritus of Horticulture at Clemson University.

The Carolina Lily:  Michaux's Discovery Still Prized by Gardeners talks about the stunning Lilium michauxii, also known as the Carolina lily, a rare and striking native species likely discovered in present-day Oconee County, South Carolina or nearby locales in North Carolina by French-born botanist André Michaux.

The Catalpa Tree:  More Than Just an Angler's Delight examines a handsome and once-popular tree best known for serving as a host plant for the larvae ("catalpa worms") of a moth, which happen to make good bait for anglers.

Daffodils in Early Southern Gardens, another informative article by Sara Van Beck, explores the daffodils grown historically throughout the American South.

Passion for Butterflies takes a look at the passion vine (Passiflora incarnata), exploring the plant's Christian symbolism as well as its importance in attracting butterflies, namely the attractive Gulf Fritillary, which utilizes the plant as a host for its eggs and hatching larvae.

Daffodils for the Deep South, by daffodil authority Sara Van Beck, recommends cultivars best suited for the American South.

Four O' Clocks:  Timeless Heirloom Flowers Right at Home in the South discusses the wonderfully fragrant Mirabilis jalapa, a tropical flowering plant on which flowers can be relied upon to open around 4 p.m. or shortly thereafter each evening.

Athens Select Plants:  Giving the Southern Gardener a Fighting Chance explores the Athens Select line of plants and includes remarks from famed horticulturalist Dr. Allan Armitage of the University of Georgia.

Southern Press exists to inform readers of authors or books we find particularly intriguing and worth adding to one's library.  Great books such as Rick Bragg's Ava's Man (see Allen Hott's review here) explore aspects of the South to which all Southerners can relate.


Southern Press Articles and Other Media:

A Review of Ava's Man
Southern Edition contributor Allen Hott explores Rick Bragg's Ava's Man, a follow-up to the memoir, All Over But the Shoutin'.  Bragg, a Pulitzer Prize winner, writes about his grandparents, Charlie and Ava Bundrum, with particular emphasis on his grandfather.  Hott explains, "Although Bragg was born after his granddaddy had died, you can feel the love and caring that grew in his heart, as he heard the stories about Ava's man."

A Review of Stumbling on Open Ground:  Love, God, Cancer, and Rock 'n' Roll
A key figure in country music's "Outlaw" movement, a Grammy Award-winning producer for the Gaither Vocal Band's celebrated Homecoming project and a former Beatles executive, Ken Mansfield, in his memoir, Stumbling on Open Ground:  Love, God, Cancer, and Rock 'n' Roll, "gives a compelling account of how sustaining grace and unwavering hope have empowered him to confront life's fragility and endure its unexpected adversities."

A Review of The Architecture of Francis Palmer Smith:  Atlanta's Scholar Architect
In his "richly detailed and beautifully illustrated book," The Architecture of Francis Palmer Smith:  Atlanta's Scholar Architect, author Robert M. Craig presents an "exhaustive account of the career of famed Atlanta architect Francis Palmer Smith (1886-1971)," the architect of such Atlanta landmarks as Buckhead's Gothic Revival Cathedral of St. Phillip and the Cox Carlton Hotel (now Hotel Indigo Atlanta Midtown).

A Review of Quirky Kids' Zoo
Mississippi children's book author Pat Brannon presents yet another delightfully entertaining and educational book for the young readers in your life.  Quirky Kids' Zoo fails to disappoint.

Patricia Neely-Dorsey:  A Mississipp Magnolia Discusses Her Collection of Poems
Tupelo native Patricia Neely-Dorsey, a self-professed "Goodwill Ambassador" for the state of Mississippi, discusses her passion for the American South and her collection of poetry, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia:  A Life in Poems.

A Review of Under Surge, Under Siege:  The Odyssey of Bay St. Louis and Katrina
This book review by Julian G. Brunt takes a look at Ellis Anderson's reflective Under Surge, Under Siege:  The Odyssey of Bay St. Louis and Katrina, the "only book written about Katrina and its impact on coastal Mississippi from a true insider's viewpoint."

A Review of With Music and Justice for All:  Some Southerners and Their Passions
Critically acclaimed author and journalist Frye Gaillard, in With Music and Justice for All:  Some Southerners and Their Passions, explores "larger-than-life figures" such as Johnny Cash, Jimmy Carter, Billy Graham and Bob Dylan 'from the realms of religion, music, civil rights and social change.'

A Review of the New Georgia Encyclopedia Companion to Georgia Literature
Edited by Hugh Ruppersburg, The New Georgia Encyclopedia Companion to Georgia Literature is a print anthology comprised of entries devoted to authors and literary works covered by the groundbreaking, digital New Georgia Encyclopedia.  The book is more than "capable of both thoroughly enlightening the merely curious and supplying a wealth of information from which serious students of great writing can glean."

A Review of Why New Orleans Matters
Tom Piazza "emphatically and ardently makes a compelling case for rebuilding and preserving the city he has called home for over a decade" in Why New Orleans Matters, which was published following Hurricane Katrina.

A Review of Freedom:  A Photographic History of the African American Struggle
Freedom:  A Photographic History of the African American Struggle, is hardly a "coffee table book designed to be aesthetically appealing or entertaining, but rather it is a compelling visual tool that will enable readers to explore the past and better understand how far we've come and how much further we need to go before racial equality -- and harmony -- are truly attained."

Get a little nostalgic with Cotton States Archive.  This section is devoted to Southern Edition editor Greg Freeman's personal collection, allowing you to peruse post cards, ephemera and old photos depicting long-forgotten people, superb architectural examples (such as Atlanta's still-standing Peachtree Street landmark, The Ponce) and products of a bygone era. 


Cotton States Archive articles and other media:

Atlanta's Briarcliff Hotel:  A Part of Ponce de Leon Avenue's Comeback? sheds light on a historic property that had its beginnings as the Asa Candler-built luxury apartment building, known as "The 750," before becoming the Briarcliff Hotel, a place where gangster Al Capone reportedly stayed and where gospel music's Hovie Lister & The Statesmen maintained offices for the quartet and the group's various music publishing companies.  Additoinally, gospel legends Don Butler and Rosie Rozell ran the celebrated King & Prince Restaurant on the first level of the hotel.

Hamilton County Bridge:  A Centerpiece of Chattanooga's Riverfront Renaissance takes a long look at the pedestrian-only Walnut Street Bridge (formerly known as the Hamilton County Bridge), a popular downtown destination with a poignant past that must not be forgotten.

Healey Building Post Card Begs the Question:  Who Was Marie Brandon? is a fasinating trip down memory lane into the world of vaudeville theatre.  Handwritten on the reverse of this card, featuring Atlanta's historic Healey office building, is a message about Marie Brandon, who was perhaps a vaudeville singer or dancer.

The Ponce de Leon Apartments:  One of Atlanta's Most Distinguished and Endangered Properties discusses the William L. Stoddart-designed building that opened as Atlanta's first luxury apartment building.  Known in the twenty-first century as the Ponce Condominiums, the building stands at the corner of Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown opposite the Stoddart-designed Georgian Terrace Hotel and the legendary Fox Theatre.

Man o' War:  The Wonder Horse, a story of legends, both human and equine, recounts the amazing racing and breeding career of a horse who impacted horse racing immeasurably.

Hamilton National Bank:  Chattanooga's Needle in a Haystack presents a mystery for Chattanooga visitors.  Just where the heck is this lovely Reuben -designed building?  Be sure to check out the article.  The next time you're in Chattanooga, you could be in very close proximity to the building and not even realize it.

The Winecoff Hotel:  An Atlanta Irony recalls that fateful day in 1946 when the supposed fireproof William L. Stoddart-designed hotel caught fire and claimed the lives of 119 individuals, including 30 high school students.  The hotel inspired a song by gospel songwriter Lee Roy Abernathy who had a permanent room at the hotel but a trip to North Georgia spared him a fiery death.  Now the luxury Ellis Hotel, the Winecoff rivals or exceeds its early glory, but will always be associated with tragedy.

Andrew Johnson Hotel:  Knoxville Landmark Where Hank Williams Would Have Spent Final Night discusses the famous Knoxville hotel where Hank Williams and his teenage driver, Charlie Carr, intended to spend the night but were pressured to leave not long after their arrival to meet a contractual obligation to perform in concert the following day.  Amid inclement weather Carr and a physically ill Williams moved on, and somewhere along the way Williams passed away in the rear seat of his chauffered baby blue cadillac.

"I've Been to Memphis!" explores a post card depicting the beautiful Memphis landmark, once known as the Exchange Building, designed by architect Neander Montgomery Woods Jr.  The post card provides great insight, albeit a bit humorous, into the era in which the post card was printed. 

Treasure Amid the Dusty Covers and Musty Pages delves into a trio of books and the fascinating stories they tell, as well as the history behind how they came into the author's possession.  All three books are now well over a century old, and they remain treasured gifts from childhood.

Forgotten Faces of Walhalla examines a collection of antique photographs inherited by the author, all of them except one depicitng unidentified subjects from Walhalla, South Carolina.

Pickin' and Grinnin'...Live on the Radio! reminisces of the days when there was no social media, no viral videos, no streaming and no Mp3s.  Music was often performed live on the radio, and fans would write to their favorite singers for autographs, often receiving signed photographs or postcards in return.  The images featured in this article were collected by the author's mother as a teenager when she would tune in to her favorite radio performers and send fan letters.

Ink Blotter:  "The Old Swimmin' Hole," in contrast to most other items contained in the Cotton States Archive collection, is an unused ink blotter published by an insurance company rather than a post card.  Reminiscent of James Whitcomb Riley's poem or perhaps Thomas Eakins' famous painting, the obverse of the blotter recalls lazy days spent at the swimmin' hole.