Where I Come from - by Rick Bragg (Paperback)

About the Book

"A collection of wide-ranging and endearingly personal columns by the celebrated author, newspaper columnist, and Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Bragg, culled from his best-loved pieces in Southern Living and Garden & Gun. From his love of Tupperware ("My Affair with Tupperware") to the decline of country music, from the legacy of Harper Lee to the metamorphosis of the pickup truck, the best way to kill fire ants, the unbridled excess of Fat Tuesday, and why any self-respecting southern man worth his salt should carry a good knife, Where I Come From is an ode to the stories and the history of the Deep South, written with tenderness, wit, and deep affection--a book that will be treasured by fans old and new"--

Book Synopsis

In this irresistible collection of wide-ranging and endearingly personal columns culled from his best-loved pieces in Southern Living and Garden & Gun, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Rick Bragg muses on everything from his love of Tupperware to the decline of country music; from the legacy of Harper Lee to the metamorphosis of the pickup truck; and from the best way to kill fire ants to why any self-respecting Southern man worth his salt should carry a good knife.

An ode to the stories and the history of the South, crackling with tenderness, wit, and deep affection, Where I Come From celebrates "a litany of great talkers, blue-green waters, deep casseroles, kitchen-sink permanents, lying fishermen, haunted mansions, and dogs that never die, things that make this place more than a dotted line on a map or a long-ago failed rebellion, even if only in some cold-weather dream." Evoking the beauty and the odd particularity of humble origins, Bragg's searching vision, generous humor, and richly nuanced voice bring a place, a people, and a world vividly to life.

Review Quotes

"A dose of humor or nostalgia or adventure or, quite often, descriptions of food that make you feel you can't live another minute without a plate of fried chicken." --The Tampa Bay Times

"Bragg's unfeigned writing, knowing truisms and funny advice holds strong throughout this stress-allaying book. . . . It's a fascinating glimpse into the elaborate, emotional filing system that is a writer's mind." --The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Without even trying, Bragg explains why it is humans came to believe in miracles." --USA Today

"Another heapin' helpin' of feel-good musings." --Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Vintage Bragg: comforting, thought-provoking and as heartfelt as it gets. . . . [His] voice is as rich as ever as he finds fresh ways of telling stories both hilarious and poignant. . . . Where I Come From is a series of vignettes--little jewels on family, faith, food and Fords." --BookPage

About the Author

Rick Bragg is the author of twelve books, including the best-selling Ava's Man and All Over but the Shoutin'. He writes a monthly column for Southern Living, teaches writing at the University of Alabama, and is also a regular contributor to Garden & Gun magazine. He lives in Alabama.