The Only Good Southern Writer is a Dead Southern Writer

    What?

    What was that?

    What could that mean? The only good "Southern writer..."

    Precisely. 

    Some of us might think we know what that statement means. But it requires more context.

    Because it is in English, and the pronouncer of the statement is likely American, or a U.S. citizen, many people might presume or assume that the southern writer is referring to someone from the U.S. South, like North Carolina or Georgia or Alabama, or even Texas.

    Of course, there could be some playful sarcasm or irony in the phrase, like implying that one is only appreciated the most after their death, and that while living it is very hard for a working artist or writer to be valued and esteemed for what they produce, craft, and write.

    Perhaps this is not applicable to the U.S. South at all, but it means southern "India" or the south of England, or France, or Italy?

    Russia. Southern Russian writers are probably not as distinguishable a trait as Moscow versus St. Petersburg versus all the other non-big city writers.

    Most of us do not know enough authors from all the cultures to characterize the south of all the places. Perhaps by "south" it is meant to be the global south, which is less developed and poorer than the more prosperous and wealthier "north". That would imply that richer people are better than those with less money, maybe.

    Perhaps it does not have any real meaning and was simply thought abstractly, and put to paper (so to speak) in order to fill out the thought, or at least provoke more thoughts. Suggested simply to empty it and then perhaps refute it. Or analyze. Scrutinize why someone would think it, let alone write it out for one to see or for the amusement of others.

    Humor. Shock. Provocation. 

    Maybe so, maybe so.

    Perhaps it means I have a healthy disdain for William Faulkner. He is dead. Does that mean he is good? Not necessarily. Maybe even Southern-based writers who are dead are not good, either.

    Of course, generalizing in all such platitudes and assessments are likely a false premise in the first place.

    Yeah, that is the ticket.

    We can only make individual evaluations, and even then we have to distinguish between the works of each author and artist. Some Mark Twain is very good and classic, some of ole Samuel Clemens is clap and tripe.

    Right, that is it.

    And that, certainly, is what we mean by speaking about good and bad and living and dead writers.

    Which, at the end of the day, cannot be too objective but is almost entirely subjective from the get go.

    Yes.

    Blog away.