Looking for Magical Country

Camera in hand, Maria von Matthieson set out to meet and capture in words and photographs some of the South's most charming aspects, from its famed writers, its sacred places, its musicians, its myths, memories, and stories. In evocative language, von Matthieson captures the unique diversity that characterizes the land and the people she loved so well.

Within these pages, readers will remember Christmas in Butcher Hollow with Loretta Lynn; will call on Eudora Welty at her book-filled home; will commune with the ghosts in the Ryman Auditorium; will chat with Dolly Parton's old babysitter; will visit with Mildred Council and learn about her recipe for Pine Needle cough syrup; will hear Willie Nelson sing at a chili cook-off; and will meet the Man Who Was Bitten By An Alligator Sixteen Times.