Editor's Note: Due to the formatting of this text, it was easier to publish this as a PDF "book". Enjoy! The views expressed at AbbevilleInstitute.org are not necessarily the views of the Abbeville Institute.
J. Shaw GillisMay 12, 2025
Pope Francis was, at most, a peripheral figure in the story of the South. Though the leader of the world’s largest Christian denomination, his influence has largely remained on the Catholic fringes of our cultural sphere – Texas, Cajun country, Florida, Maryland, Savannah, and in pockets of many of our larger cities. I primarily heard about Pope Francis and his…
J. Shaw GillisMay 1, 2025
This past week, I, along with the rest of the nation, watched the funeral service for President Jimmy Carter and followed along as his remains were transported around the country for his final goodbyes and honors. I was born well after Carter’s Presidency, so I never grew up with any baggage regarding his Presidency nor Governorship. I knew him at…
J. Shaw GillisJanuary 22, 2025
Margaret Mitchell is for many Americans, especially Georgians, a household name. Her Civil War epic holds a prominent place in the modern American literary and film halls of fame, and quotes from her novel still come out of the mouths of many Americans. In contrast, one would be hard-pressed to find a bookshelf in any home or public library that…
J. Shaw GillisJanuary 7, 2025
In an effort to be unique, a new ubiquity has consumed Christmas decorations across the nation – inflatable snowmen glow in every front yard, multicolored neon lights clash dramatically at property lines, and Santa’s feet stick upright out of chimneys. In stark defiance to this trend, the city of Winston-Salem, with its demure Christmas decorations, features prominently in Southern Living…
J. Shaw GillisDecember 24, 2024
In 2022, I was driving through Wilkesboro, NC and saw a brown DOT sign that said something along the lines of “St. Paul’s Church Frescos.” The word “frescos” caught my eye as I tend to associate frescos with Italy, not small towns in western NC. Some of the most famous works of art in the world are frescos such as…
J. Shaw GillisNovember 14, 2024
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