“Southern studies are at a critical juncture. Old interests and paradigms are losing their hold; new ones are emerging but have yet to dominate.”

Southern studies are at a critical juncture. Old interests and paradigms are losing their hold; new ones are emerging but have yet to dominate. Novel forms of academic communication and publication are multiplying. Never before have southernists had the intensity and number of interactions now proliferating on the Internet. As a result, the field is ripe for new investment, strategic innovation, and critical direction.