cover image Care and Feeding of Southern Men: A Survival Guide for the Unsuspecting Yankee

Care and Feeding of Southern Men: A Survival Guide for the Unsuspecting Yankee

Claudia Greco. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, $6.95 (130pp) ISBN 978-0-912697-60-4

Greco offers ""guidelines to help the average Northern woman sidestep the yawning cultural gap'' found when dealing with the average Southern male. Writing occasionally in Southernese, she gives advice (``Nevvuh feed quiche to a redneck''); discourses on hound dogs (``the Dawg always understands him when His Woman don't''); notes the link between football and religion (``on the seventh day, Gawd made Footbawhl''); and unveils the mystery of ``real'' barbecue (cook it ``till it falls awwhhf th'bone''). Greco writes with wit and flair, and Obrion contributes 10 cartoons. Although this book covers much of the same territory staked out by Southerner Florence King in her hilarious Southern Ladies and Gentlemen, many readers will find that Greco has an amusing, if stereotypical, Northern perspective and tosses off some memorable and funny anecdotes. (October)