In Asheville and the surrounding Blue Ridge area, we are finding a spoon shape inside a locally grown persimmon seeds, which predicts heavy, wet snow for the upcoming winter. This is part of a deeply rooted Appalachian folk tradition. Every autumn, locals slice open the seeds of the native American persimmon lengthwise to reveal the shape of the internal embryo (the cotyledon). Generations of mountain families have treated the shape as nature's local winter weather forecast. The folklore breaks down into three distinct utensil shapes: Spoon (snow shovel), Knife (cutting cold wind) or Fork (mild winter).

Southern Noir to Grit Lit Simply put, Southern Literature is complex—not Scarlett O’Hara’s plantation or Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County, but both. Recently, this traditional Southern Gothic literature has given way to Southern Noir, complete with sex, violence, and bad choices, as seen in works by S. A. Cosby. Another popular new genre is Grit Lit. Set in small towns, Grit Lit features hard characters battling poverty, prejudice, and violence. Think Harry Crews. This is not your usual Southern Literature class. Can you take it? Sure, come on in and set a spell. For more information, email nhwilliard@nhwilliard.com 

There is not a single thing to say about the old man that we haven’t said. My brother is still passing the whiskey, but we’ve all gone silent. My uncle Charlie, my dad’s older brother, leans his elbows on his knees. He’s so drunk he can barely sit. The other men are old as well except for my brother Ralph who is two years younger. Ralph is holding his liquor so far, but his eyes look a little glassy. I can drink them all under the table, so I bide my time.

(Avalon Literary Review Fall 2022)

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