Oxford American # 91, Winter 2015

GEORGIA ON MY MIND
Listening
The Music of Georgia
Editors’ Note

There’s nobody like Blind Willie McTell
by Peter Guralnick

The moony lyricism of Johnny Mercer
by John Lingan

Pondering the Indigo Girls, awaiting clarity
by Jamie Quatro

DA ART OF STORYTELLIN’ (A PREQUEL)
OutKast’s Southern Stank
by Kiese Laymon



FABLES OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
Innovation
Gram Parsons’s prophetic Nudie suit
by Elyssa East

The Skillet Lickers’ pickin’ picnic
by Greg Reish

MC Shy D, an original ATLien
by Will Stephenson

Thomas A. Dorsey unites gospel and blues
by Dom Flemons

THE ROAD GOES ON FOREVER
The Allman Brothers’ wild South
by Amanda Petrusich



THE DIRTY SOUTH
Scenes
Savannah, metal, and mourning
by Bill Dawers

Hip-hop and black history in Albany
by Regina N. Bradley

Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn soul
by Brian Poust

WHEN THE FIRE BROKE OUT
Life and Death in Cabbagetown
by Abigail Covington



ATHENS X ATHENS
Why Athens?
by David Barbe

Welcome Hinges
by Art Rosenbaum

The Cos-mo-pol-i-tan Sound
by Patterson Hood

Plus: anecdotes, images, and memories from around town



ENLIGHTENED ROGUES
Legends
Calling Little Richard
by David Ramsey

Beverly “Guitar” Watkins at seventy-six
by Rachael Maddux

Bessie Jones, vision and voice
by Nathan Salsburg

In defense of Dave Prater
by Jonathan Bernstein

Fiddlin’ John Carson’s darkest murder ballad
by Christopher C. King

Ray Stevens remembers a comedy song
by Jewly Hight

SUGARFOOT STOMP
The genius of Fletcher Henderson
by Cynthia Shearer



OH, MAKER
Visionaries
Rico Wade’s Dungeon Family reunion
by Rodney Carmichael

Sharon Jones comes home
by Maxwell George

In the cosmic mind of Col. Bruce Hampton
by Lance Ledbetter

Killer Mike turns forty
by Austin L. Ray

Janelle Monáe looks toward the future
by Brit Bennett

AN UNFINISHED STATE
Dust-to-Digital’s unheard magnum opus
by Wyatt Williams



Poetry
Upbringing by William Wright

Talking Drum #1 by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

Tar Road by Nick Norwood

Elegy for an Acordion by Chelsea Rathburn

The Summer Archivist by A. E. Stallings