Dateline: Rome, Italy

I am writing this entry on the third and final day of the O'Connor conference held at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, Italy. As expected, the primary papers have focused on O'Connor's Catholicism or her theological vision; however, even within that framework, there has been considerable variety. The other papers have truly been all over the board, from the influence of Dante on O'Connor's craft to a comparison of the grotesque in her fiction and the television cartoon series, The Simpsons! I have attended O'Connor conferences in the U.S. that attracted several people from foreign countries, but nothing on this scale. It is amazing to see so many different ethnic and even religious groups represented in one place at one time, all interested in if not devoted to the work of Flannery O'Connor. I was honored to participate on a small level and appreciated the opportunity to provide information about the Foundation's work at Andalusia.

Craig

Another O'Connor website

The Foundation's website at www.andalusiafarm.org is primarily designed to inform visitors about our Foundation and its efforts to restore and preserve Andalusia. Of course, it includes some details of O'Connor's life, the history of the farm, information about visiting the property, teaching resources, and the news and events associated with Andalusia. Visitors can even make donations through the website using a credit card. There are other sites of interest such as the O'Connor Collection at the GCSU Museum in Milledgeville and O'Connor's Childhood Home in Savannah. There is another site devoted to all things O'Connor that gets an incredible amount of web traffic. The site is called "Comforts of Home" and bills itself as a Flannery O'Connor Repository, which you will find is an accurate description. Brian Collier, the site administrator, is quite diligent in keeping the site up-to-date with information about O'Connor along with bibliographies, essays, links to other sites, and O'Connor-related news. Make a point to visit this resourceful site at www.mediaspecialist.org.

Craig

Headed to Rome

I will be attending "Reason, Faith and Fiction: An International Flannery O'Connor Conference," hosted by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, in Rome, Italy, April 20-22. This is the fourth conference of Poetics & Christianity, an international forum for studying the intersection of artistic culture and expressions of religious faith, with a special emphasis on narrative and dramatic arts. I am presenting a paper titled "A View from the Woods: Preserving the Fortune of Andalusia." The paper will illustrate the similarities between the circumstances in O’Connor’s short story, “A View of the Woods”, and the developments that were taking place in the Milledgeville, Georgia area where O’Connor was living when she wrote the story. O’Connor presents Mr. Fortune as an ambitious landowner, driven by pride and domination, whose hunger for progress and personal acclaim blinds him to the pure beauty of the natural world. He believes his vision of the future is shared and validated by his granddaughter, Mary Fortune Pitts. Mr. Fortune’s canvas of the future is painted with deception, revenge, and even violence. I hope to demonstrate how the story pairs reckless commercial progress with greed and avarice, contrasting the irresponsible destruction of natural resources to the stewardship of preserving the rural landscape. Using this theme as an analogy, I will chart the rapid commercial and residential development surrounding Andalusia. Finally, the paper will briefly outline the steps that the Flannery O’Connor – Andalusia Foundation is taking to preserve the 524 acres in its stewardship and what effects, both good and bad, the encroaching development has and will have on Andalusia.

Craig

The Southern Literary Trail is blazin'

The TRAILFEST09 programs in Milledgeville for the Southern Literary Trail hosted by the Foundation and the Flannery O'Connor Review were a tremendous success. We have received reports from locations in all three states of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi of the terrific response to all the activities. The readings, lectures, and film screenings in Milledgeville attracted approximately 330 people. I would like to thank the Georgia Humanities Council and the Knight Fund for Milledgeville along with Arts Unlimited, the Office of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs, and the Creative Writing Program at Georgia College for their gracious sponsorship of these events. Bruce Gentry, editor of the Flannery O'Connor Review, was responsible for so much of the planning and coordination of the programs, for which I am extremely grateful. Lastly, I would like to thank the students, faculty, and community members who attended the programs and made TRAILFEST09 such a memorable occasion. Check out the details at www.southernliterarytrail.org

Craig

Thank you, Dave Perkins

Dave Perkins is a very talented musician, a record producer, an academic administrator, a good soul, and a friend of Andalusia. Over the last few decades, he has played and recorded with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Ray Charles and Willie Nelson. He recently organized a benefit concert for Andalusia at a club called Mercy Lounge in Nashville. He assembled some of the most talented singers, songwriters, musicians, and actors you will find anywhere for a magical night of music and a round table discussion the next day at Vanderbilt University where Dave is the Director of the Religion in the Arts and Contemporary Culture Program at the Divinity School. The performers were Old Black Kettle, Minton Sparks, Mary Gauthier, Over the Rhine, and Denice Hicks. Because of Dave's dedication to our efforts at Andalusia and through the generosity of these incredible performers and all the folks who came out to hear them, this event raised over $1,400 for the Foundation. It was tremendously inspiring for me to be in a room of several hundred people who have read O'Connor and really get it. I will never forget those two days in Nashville and will be forever in your debt, Dave Perkins. Thank you.

Craig

Thanks to Karin Slaughter

Our Foundation hosted an evening with Karin Slaughter last Monday night at the Milledgeville public library. The weather was horrible with plenty of mist and fog, but we still had a respectable group of over twenty people, some of whom are really big fans of Slaughter's work. It was actually a very intimate setting in the Special Collections Room of the library, with folks sitting around the large conference table, with Karin at the head of the table. She read from one of her short stories, which was quite a departure from her suspense novels. She fielded questions after her reading and talked about growing up in the Atlanta area and how it affected her writing. She was absolutely charming, very approachable, and obviously quite relaxed. I am grateful to the library for providing the venue and to Waldenbooks in Milledgeville for having books on hand for the guests to purchase and have signed by the author. Most of all, I am very thankful to Karin for her willingness to donate her time in coming down from Atlanta for this special event and wish her all kinds of success with her upcoming books.

Craig

Andalusia on Facebook

Okay, so I know Flannery O'Connor would be appalled by all the ways our Foundation is promoting her life and work, especially through the Internet. But I can't think of a better way to get younger readers interested in O'Connor, her literature, and Andalusia than through the electronic sources that dictate communication among the younger generation. The Foundation has had a very effective website up and running for about six years, which is a standard information medium for all ages now. We developed a MySpace page a few years ago, but of course, that is SO 2005 (as my youngest son made clear to me). In an effort to stay relevant, we have now created a Facebook account, thanks to one of our fine Georgia College student volunteers, Ali Duckworth. Check out our profile, Andalusia-Flannery O'Connor, and let us know what you think. We will use the account to inform all our "Facebook Friends" of the Foundation's upcoming events and activities, just as we have been doing with the website, direct emails, our Friends newsletter, and this blog. More than anything else, we hope to see you here at Andalusia, but if you can't get here (or until you can), visit us virtually anytime!

Craig

Georgia Humanities Council Grant

I am overjoyed to report that the Foundation and the Flannery O'Connor Review at Georgia College, teaming with the Lillian Smith Center and other literary sites in Georgia, received a grant from the Georgia Humanities Council to offer a series of public programs in March 2009 as part of the Southern Literary Trail (see earlier blog entry). This grant will add to the funds already secured by the Foundation and the Review from the Knight Fund of Milledgeville, GCSU Arts Unlimited, and GCSU Office of Diversity and Multicutural Affairs for these Trailfest '09 events. Check out the News & Events Page of the Foundation's website (www.andalusiafarm.org) for the complete schedule of these and many other events offered through March 2009 in Milledgeville.

Craig

Karin Slaughter is coming to Milledgeville

Karin Slaughter is an internationally bestselling crime novelist with over eight books to her credit, including the Grant County series, and the new Atlanta series. The latest book in the new series is Fractured, published by Delacorte Press in 2008. Slaughter will be at the Mary Vinson Memorial (public) Library in downtown Milledgeville on Monday, January 26, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Her presentation will be followed by a signing reception in the library with books available for sale. Slaughter is a long-time resident of Atlanta, and the books in her new series are set in the city. Her titles have reached the top of bestseller lists in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. I read Fractured a few months ago and could not help drawing the parallels with television programs such as CSI, Law & Order, and Criminal Minds. The main characters in this novel are GBI Special Agent Will Trent and Atlanta Police Department detective Faith Mitchell, who team up to solve the savage murder of a teenage girl in one of Atlanta's wealthiest communities. The story offers some interesting twists along with high tension and suspense with a kidnapping case thrown into the mix.

Craig

Lord willing and the creek don't rise . . .

The southern states got more than their fair share of rain this week (not that we're complaining since we are in the middle of a terrible multi-year drought). More than four inches fell in less than twenty-four hours, which turned Tobler Creek into a raging river and placed a good portion of the Lower Tobler Creek Trail under water. I am happy to report, however, that both of the new bridges held up marvelously, along with their approaches. We have to close down the trail temporarily when we get flooding rains, but these occurences are quite rare. If nothing else, the rains filled the pond back to full pool again, which will make the fish very happy.

Craig

Eagle Scouts at Andalusia

We are very fortunate at Andalusia to be the site for several Eagle Scout projects, primarily focusing on the nature trail. Local scouts have constructed foot bridges and installed picnic tables and benches. Other upcoming projects will include birdhouses on the trail, landscaping around the trail signs, and more picnic tables near the main house. Andalusia is an ideal location for volunteer projects, and in fact, so much of what we have accomplished at the farm would have been impossible without our dedicated corp of volunteers. Cheers to our volunteers!

Craig

A group of Altamont School students from Birmingham, Alabama, enjoyed a literary tour of Georgia during fall break in October. The tour was organized and conducted by Altamont teacher Juliet Hemingway. The students are devotees of Flannery O'Connor, so Andalusia Farm in Milledgeville was a primary destination. They also visited The Wren's Nest in Atlanta (home of Joel Chandler Harris) and the Childhood Home of O'Connor in Savannah. The students agreed to provide photos and their impressions for a page on the Southern Literary Trail website upon their return. They did a wonderful job!

The web page created by the Altamont students can be accessed at southernliterarytrail.org/paths_to_andalusia.html

These students obviously had a great trip, and our Trail's "sense of place" theme made an impact on them.

Special thanks goes to Juliet Hemingway and William Gantt for making this addition to the Southern Literary Trail website posible.

Craig

Bluegrass at Andalusia

The Foundation has been hosting a Bluegrass concert at Andalusia for the last few years, and it has turned out to be one of the most popular events of the year. This year the concert will be on Saturday evening on October 18, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The band is Redline Express, a group of talented musicians with quite a following in the middle Georgia area. The cost for admission is only $5 per person. The concert takes place on the front lawn of the main house, under the huge oak trees. People bring folding chairs, blankets, picnic baskets, wine, and flashlights, then set up as close or as far away from the band as they feel comfortable. The air gets cool after sundown, which adds to the whole atmosphere. Some folks get here early enough to walk the nature trail before settling in for the entertainment. The main house is open for tours, along with the gift shop. Bring a friend or the whole family and enjoy an evening out in the country, but only a few hundred feet from Highway 441. The concert is sponsored by Lynda S. Banks and Mary Anne Murray, two members of the Foundation's Board of Directors. Thanks ladies!

Craig

The Big Read

Andalusia will participate in The Big Read, a series of programs hosted by several organizations in Milledgeville and sponsored by Georgia College through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, all centered around Ernest Gaines's novel, A Lesson Before Dying. During the month of October, there will be celebrations, a keynote panel, oral interpretation events involving full participation for varied audiences, exhibits, movies, and more at locations all around town. The Foundation is hosting a literary nature walk at Andalusia at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 5. We are proud to be part of this wonderful collaboration to encourage the joy of reading.

Craig

What is that animal in the pasture?

Believe it or not, this is a question that I hear from visitors at Andalusia as often as any other. They are referring to the beloved hinny named Flossie, the only full-time resident at the farm. She is actually a descendent of some of the animals that lived here during the time O'Connor was at Andalusia. So what's a hinny? Well, you might say it is the opposite of a mule. And what does that mean? A mule is a cross between a female horse (mare) and a male donkey (jackass). But a hinny is a cross between a male horse (stallion) and a female donkey (jenny). So you have a mixed breed of a horse and a jenny, thus a hinny. They are a sterile breed, and often have more horse-like features than a mule. Flossie is in her very golden years, probably approaching forty if she isn't already there. She is very cautious but will often come up to the fence when visitors stop to speak to her. She has become more curious with each passing year of the people who come from all around the world to this historic site. And here's an interesting tidbit: she is the subject for more professional photographers than anything else at Andalusia, including the main house! She has appeared on several websites, and her image has appeared in numerous newspaper and magazine articles. She was given world-wide attention in the three-page spread in the New York Times on February 4, 2007 by Lawrence Downes. I am happy to report, however, that Flossie remains humble in spite of her international fame.

Craig

Andalusia in O at Home magazine

We were told several months ago that Oprah Winfrey’s magazine, O at Home, was going to publish a story on writers’ homes and would possibly include Andalusia. Well, they did. The article is in the latest issue (Fall, 2008) and includes a full-page color photo of the hayloft in the barn at Andalusia and a brief excerpt from O’Connor’s short story, “Good Country People.” O at Home has approximately 361,000 subscribers. I am especially pleased that the article includes the Foundation's web address and the days Andalusia is open. The Foundation has been very fortunate to have incredible media coverage over the last four years, including articles in the New York Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Washington Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, and in magazines such as Travel+Leisure, Southern Living, and Oxford American.

You can view the online version of the O at Home article on their website at

http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oathome/200809_oah_writers_residence/5

Craig

Bridge Work

No, I'm not talking about teeth. Louis Kaduk, supervising contractor for the development of the Outdoor Learning Center at Andalusia, has gathered his group of volunteers for another work day this week to construct a second bridge across Tobler Creek to complete the loop for the Lower Tobler Creek Trail. This bridge connects two raised berms leading to the creekbed, so it provides a more elevated view of the surrounding area than the lower bridge does. If you haven't walked the trail at Andalusia, the coming months would be an ideal time as the temperature begins to drop back to more comfortable levels. By the middle of September, the trail will feature new interpretive signs linking the landscape to O'Connor's fiction. You will also notice small tree labels along the trail, around the pond, and near the main house, identifying the various species on the property. If you love the outdoors and learning from nature, Andalusia is exactly where you want to visit.

Craig

Southern Literary Trail

Andalusia is one of many literary landmarks included in a new consortium of twentieth-century fiction writers' homes in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi called the Southern Literary Trail. As far as I know, our organization is the first of its kind in the U.S. that crosses three state lines. Programs and activities are planned for all the organizations in the Trail to be held concurrently in March, 2009. Check out the website at the link above and make sure to take advantage of the "Trailfest" next spring. We hope to see you at Andalusia.

Craig

Getting started

Greetings from the land of Misfits and Good Country People! My name is Craig Amason, and I am the executive director of the Flannery O'Connor - Andalusia Foundation. Our non-profit organization is responsible for the restoration and preservation efforts at Andalusia, home of the highly-acclaimed fiction writer, Flannery O'Connor. This certainly is not the first nor the last blog devoted to Flannery O'Connor, so we aren't breaking new ground here. In fact, I got the idea from Bill Dawers, the current president of the Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home Foundation in Savannah, Georgia.

I will be posting entries periodically to report on activities, events, and "what's going on" at Andalusia. We believe this internationally significant site has the potential to be one of the most important literary landmarks in the country because it is more than just a place where an author penned her fiction -- it is a place that very clearly inspired so much of the fiction. If you have never been to Andalusia, I encourage you to make plans to visit soon. Check out our website for all the details, including directions. Don't hesitate to call us at 478-454-4029 if we can answer any questions. Thank you.