Lee Smith is in a league of her own!
Actually Lee Smith is not in a league of her own, but she is among a handful of female literary authors that have won the respect of critics all over the country. Many times she is referred to as a premiere Southern Author, and that is true. A reviewer for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner wrote, “Lee Smith seems to have taken the torch flung from Welty and the late Flannery o’Connor, creating a Southland full of visionaries and dreamers whose illusions tell us enough about reality to drive us to laughter and tears.”
It is also true that her writing goes beyond the regional draw to encompass timeless truths about people everywhere. Smith’s main character in each book is always a woman, of course. Because so many MFA students have written dissertations about her work, I was able to read their analyses, all of which are very scholarly, of course. One student wrote about the three types of Smith’s women characters. The dissertation showed how her characters have changed through the years and have grown more assertive with Smith’s later writings.
Maybe that’s why I like her books so much. She is a southern women who is creative and sensitive but strong and persistent. The first book I read was Family Linens, published in 1985. I was in a book club that focused on Women’s Literature. In the 80’s, women’s literature was a growing genre and offered as a course in many colleges. It wasn’t until I read Fair and Tender Ladies, however, that I really saw myself in Smith’s books. Coming from a background where for years my favorite book was Gone With the Wind, Smith provided me with an alternative role model. Fair and Tender Ladies is my favorite book. It is also the favorite book of my friend Paula Feldman. I know I’m in good company here because Dr. Feldman is a retired professor of English Literature. I must report, in fair disclosure, that I recommended Fair and Tender Ladies, as well as another Smith book, to my neighborhood book group on Kiawah. None of them had a southern background so I don’t think they appreciated my favorite book! Their questions indicated that they didn’t identify with Ivy Rowe. They simply didn’t understand her. Maybe Lee Smith is a regional writer, but she remains my favorite author.
Smith’s new book Silver Alert is about Herb, whose wife is an invalid, and the wife’s manicurist DeeDee. Herb’s adult children are trying to intervene on their parents’ behalf with ideas that Herb doesn’t like. DeeDee is trying to run away from something. The two of them form a relationship and decide to take a joy ride in Herb’s Porche. And so, of course, Herb’s children issue a ‘silver alert’.
A list of some of Lee Smith’s books. Please comment on any of these you have read. Or maybe you would like to share YOUR favorite author.
- Black Mountain Breakdown (1980)
- Oral History (1983)
- Family Linen (1985)
- Fair and Tender Ladies (1988)
- The Devil’s Dream (1992)
- Fancy Strut (1993)
- Saving Grace (1995)
- The Last Girls (2002)
- On Agate Hill (2006)
- Guests on Earth (2013)