Oxford American Issue 123 (Winter 2023) Southern Music Issue Vol 25

Oxford American Issue 123 (Winter 2023) Southern Music Issue Vol 25

New in sealed baggie. Includes 18 track CD.

Motifs of devotion and daydreams, of antiheroes and broken hearts appear throughout this very special 25th-anniversary edition of our annual Southern Music Issue. Dedicated to ballads of all genres and origins, our 123rd issue features an impressive lineup of new and returning contributors: Dom Flemons debuts a brand-new ballad written especially for this edition; Lauren Du Graf slows down to the tempo of Shirley Horn’s music and life; and Ed Pavlić relives the memory of an important friendship made to the croons of Anita Baker. The Middle Eight, named after the climactic section of the thirty-two-bar song structure, collects eight short pieces covering artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Project Pat to Paramore. Elsewhere, Gaby Wilson connects Filipino and American history, karaoke, and Beyoncé; contributing editor David Ramsey dives deep into the tangled history of a traditional murder ballad; and Benjamin Hedin searches for R.E.M.’s ineffable coolness in Athens, Georgia. The Ballads Issue also includes new fiction by Clyde Edgerton, exclusive playlists for listening while you read, and a meticulously curated collection of visual art and photography.

Read about it on the Oxford American website.