ern Rock" more than any single musical style shared by bands from the South. Smith then invites us to sit at the table with the heroes and legends of the diverse genre: the players, technicians, crew members and friends. I know and love many of them, and they are captured faithfully. Listening to the rambling tale of the ex-
tended family my father Duane and his All- man Brothers gave birth to in 1969, the power of the brotherhood is palpable. It is fitting that this history is expressed in the vivid voices of the people who lived it, many whom we have since lost. There is no prouder south- ern tradition than the love of storytelling, ex- cept maybe the love of playing music together. There are many twists and turns in this
tale, some funny, some tragic, all fascinating and in the end, inspiring. Rebel Yell is a gift Smith has given back to the musicians he has always loved, and we all benefit from receiv- ing it."
- Galadrielle Allman
Farming, Friends and Fried Bologna Sandwiches Renea Winchester (Mercer University Press)
When I was thumb-
ing through the Mercer University Press catalog of new releases looking for a good book to read and review, this one rose to the top like cream on a bottle of milk. First of all, the title included the words “fried bologna sand- wiches,” three words I
had not though about in many moons. My in- nate love of all things nostalgic kicked in, and
suddenly I was a child of the sixties again, watching my sweet Mother fry up a slice of bologna in the cast-iron frying pan. I’d wait for the meat to brown a bit around the edges and bubble up in the middle, then I’d hand her my paper plate with two slices of Sun- beam white bread in the center. She’d drop the hot bologna onto the bread, and I’d slather it with Duke’s mayonnaise,and when we could afford the luxury, some sliced tomato. Renea Winchester has a real knack for mak-
ing us Southerners feel nostalgic, and I love that about her. Everything about her latest book seemed to keep a smile glued to my face, from her recollections on gardening and farming, to her obvious love and respect for her friend and mentor, 82-year-old Billy Al- bertson, whose farm recalls a time most of us age 50-plus refer to as “the good ol’ days.” A time before folks were always in a hurry. Be- fore technology ruled our lives. Renea makes the reader feel as though we are friends with both her and Billy. Also included are dozens of Southern-in-
spired recipes woven into her stories. Her piece about drinking a “dope” (Coca-Cola) from a glass bottle with a small bag of Lance peanuts poured into it took me back in time to my early teens, when the Preacher’s son and I cut peoples lawns around Spartanburg, SC every Saturday, then hit the store for a Coke, peanuts and usually some Lance cheese crackers as our go-to snack after a hard day of working in the sunshine. Farming, Friends and Fried Bologna
Sandwiches is pure Southern goodness. It’s better than an RC Cola and a Moon Pie. Bet- ter than cracklin’ cornbread with buttermilk and onion. Oh yeah, it’s that good. But I still want me some buttermilk and cornbread!
- Michael Buffalo Smith
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