Rick Bragg

When Rick Bragg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, thought about writing an appreciation of his mother and a memoir of his life, he hesitated. How would mama feel about seeing her life in print? When he asked her, she told him, "Write it," especially since she had remained quiet about her life for 50 years. All Over but the Shoutin' tells the story of a woman who endures years of hardship and deprivation to raise her three sons. It is not a simple...

"For the first time, prize-winning author Rick Bragg's funny, evocative, spot-on portraits of Southern life are combined into one volume. ... With his insightful and deadpan sense of humor, Bragg travels through the South's varied geographies, including his native Alabama, Cajun country, and the Gulf Coast--though sometimes he is content just to sit on a good porch. Deeply felt and beautifully expressed, this engaging book is a love letter to the...

"A monumental figure on the American landscape, Jerry Lee Lewis spent his childhood raising hell in Ferriday, Louisiana, and Natchez, Mississippi; galvanized the world with hit records like "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls of Fire," that gave rock and roll its devil's edge; caused riots and boycotts with his incendiary performances; nearly scuttled his career by marrying his thirteen-year-old second cousin--his third wife of seven;...

"Part cookbook, part memoir, The Best Cook in the World is Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Bragg's loving tribute to the South, his family, and, especially, his extraordinary mother. Here are irresistible stories and recipes from across generations. They come, skillet by skillet, from Bragg's ancestors, from feasts and near famine, from funerals and celebrations, and from a thousand tales of family lore as rich and sumptuous as the dishes they inspired."...