Episodes
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Episode 3
S1 E3 - 54m 8s
In episode three, some of the South’s most compelling and influential contemporary creators take us to the places that feed their imaginations: Mississippi author Jesmyn Ward, Georgia screenwriter and series creator Michael Waldron, Arkansas songwriter Justin Moore, Mississippi poet Natasha Trethewey, New Orleans songwriter Tarriona “Tank” Ball and Virginia songwriter Thao Nguyen.
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Episode 2
S1 E2 - 53m 28s
Six of the South’s most influential creators take us home to the places that define them: author Angie Thomas to Mississippi; singer/songwriter Jason Isbell to his musical Alabama roots while Amanda Shires takes us to the farm the couple shares; Michael Twitty revisits rural Alabama; Lyle Lovett remembers the Texas of his childhood; and Qui Nguyen returns to his Arkansas small town.
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Episode 1
S1 E1 - 53m 23s
Southern creators of literature, music and film explore deep ties with the South: Billy Bob Thornton reflects on a life of writing songs and screenplays; Adia Victoria celebrates music and marriage near Nashville; David Joy laments the loss of the Appalachian culture he loves; Jericho Brown reveals the South to be essential to his creativity; and Mary Steenburgen remembers her Arkansas childhood.
Extras + Features
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Justin Moore Discusses the Inspiration for His Songwriting
S1 E3 - 1m 13s
Country music star Justin Moore still lives in his hometown of Poyen, Arkansas; population 300. Moore shows us the land he grew up on and remembers his grandfather who inspired his songwriting.
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Episode 3 Preview
S1 E3 - 30s
In episode three, some of the South’s most compelling and influential contemporary creators take us to the places that feed their imaginations: Mississippi author Jesmyn Ward, Georgia screenwriter and series creator Michael Waldron, Arkansas songwriter Justin Moore, Mississippi poet Natasha Trethewey, New Orleans songwriter Tarriona “Tank” Ball and Virginia songwriter Thao Nguyen.
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Natasha Trethewey Returns to New Orleans
S1 E3 - 2m 31s
Pulitzer Prize winner Natasha Trethewey's book of poetry "Monument" is creative defiance against cultural erasure in the face of white supremacy. Trethewey returns to New Orleans where the removal of Confederate monuments begs the question, "What was there?"
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Jesmyn Ward Reads From Her Memoir 'Men We Reaped'
S1 E3 - 2m 13s
Two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward is from DeLisle, Mississippi, also known as "Wolftown." Ward wrote her memoir "Men We Reaped," in memory of her late brother and four of her friends. She laments the erasure of her ancestors and culture.
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Author Angie Thomas Talks About Being Bullied
S1 E2 - 1m 35s
New York Times Bestselling Author Angie Thomas ("The Hate U Give") loves writing for young people, because she believes it's "the most meaningful time in their lives, when you can save their lives." She speaks from experience; she was bullied in middle school to the point she considered taking her own life.
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Screenwriter Qui Nguyen on Storytelling
S1 E2 - 1m 14s
Screenwriter Qui Nguyen ("Raya and the Last Dragon") was given the gift of storytelling by his grandmother who fled Vietnam with nothing. He remembers her saying, "The only thing I have of value, are my stories. Because when I left Vietnam I was escaping... Story is the only thing that any of us have of value."
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Episode 2 Preview
S1 E2 - 30s
Six of the South’s most influential creators take us home to the places that define them: author Angie Thomas to Mississippi; singer/songwriter Jason Isbell to his musical Alabama roots while Amanda Shires takes us to the farm the couple shares; Michael Twitty revisits rural Alabama; Lyle Lovett remembers the Texas of his childhood; and Qui Nguyen returns to his Arkansas small town.
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Grammy Award Winner Lyle Lovett and His Love for Horses
S1 E2 - 1m 29s
Grammy Award winning songwriter Lyle Lovett grew up in Texas around horses. Those experiences have shaped his country music songwriting process.
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Southern Book Prize Winner David Joy
S1 E1 - 4m 35s
Novelist David Joy ("Where All Light Tends to Go") lives deep in the Blue Ridge mountains of Jackson County, N.C. But the landscape and culture is changing fast as land development continues at a record pace. Joy laments this change, and writes about a people and place often "misunderstood."
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Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet Jericho Brown
S1 E1 - 2m 15s
Pulitzer Prize winning poet Jericho Brown delivers a powerful spoken word reading of his poem, "Foreday in the Morning." For Jericho, the South is the foundation and inspiration for his writing. "The South is my air, it's what I breathe. It's who I am."
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Episode 1 Preview
S1 E1 - 30s
Southern creators of literature, music and film explore deep ties with the South: Billy Bob Thornton reflects on a life of writing songs and screenplays; Adia Victoria celebrates music and marriage near Nashville; David Joy laments the loss of the Appalachian culture he loves; Jericho Brown reveals the South to be essential to his creativity; and Mary Steenburgen remembers her Arkansas childhood.
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How Storytelling Endures In the South
S1 - 1m 30s
Director Craig Renaud and the creators explore Southern culture and how storytelling remains vital in the South.
Schedule
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Southern Storytellers
Saturday
Dec 14
1 Hour
Billy Bob Thornton, Adia Victoria, Jericho Brown, David Joy and Mary Steenburgen reveal their bonds with the South and the imprint the region has made on their lives and work. -
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Southern Storytellers
Saturday
Dec 14
1 Hour
Author Angie Thomas, singer-songwriters Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, author Michael Twitty, country singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett and screenwriter Qui Nguyen reveal places that define their lives and work. -
Image
Southern Storytellers
Sunday
Dec 15
1 Hour
Billy Bob Thornton, Adia Victoria, Jericho Brown, David Joy and Mary Steenburgen reveal their bonds with the South and the imprint the region has made on their lives and work. -
Image
Southern Storytellers
Sunday
Dec 15
1 Hour
Author Angie Thomas, singer-songwriters Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, author Michael Twitty, country singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett and screenwriter Qui Nguyen reveal places that define their lives and work. -
Image
Southern Storytellers
Saturday
Dec 21
1 Hour
Author Jesmyn Ward; screenwriter Michael Waldron; poet Natasha Trethewey; songwriters Justin Moore, Tarriona "Tank" Ball and Thao Nguyen. -
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Southern Storytellers
Sunday
Dec 22
1 Hour
Author Jesmyn Ward; screenwriter Michael Waldron; poet Natasha Trethewey; songwriters Justin Moore, Tarriona "Tank" Ball and Thao Nguyen.
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