World Book Club

Paul Theroux: Deep South

Apr 1, 2023

Paul Theroux, acclaimed American author of bestselling travel books, is interviewed about his book Deep South. He explores the contradictions and unique characters he encountered while traveling through the region. Theroux reflects on the impact of poverty, racial segregation, and urban decay, but also shares stories of warmth and generosity from the people he met. He discusses the significance of churches and the cultural importance of guns. Theroux also delves into the diverse identities within the South and the impact of the blues in Mississippi. The podcast concludes with a reflection on the writer's portrayal of individuals and a haunting visit to a desolate ghost town in South Carolina.

49:27

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Episode guests

Paul Theroux

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Quick takeaways

The Deep South of the USA is marked by a complex mix of poverty, racial segregation, and urban decay, but also showcases resilience, kindness, and warmth from its inhabitants.

Exploring the Deep South through its rich blues culture and musical heritage provides a unique lens into the region's history, challenges, and identity.

Deep dives

The poverty and decay in the southern USA

In the non-fiction book 'Deep South,' author Paul Thoreau describes his journeys through the impoverished and haunted parts of the southern USA. He recounts his experiences in states like Arkansas, Mississippi, Virginia, and North Carolina, which were once prosperous due to slave labor but now suffer from dire poverty, racial segregation, and urban decay. Despite the darkness he encounters, Thoreau also highlights the kindness, generosity, and warmth he experiences from the people he meets during his travels.

Introduction

4min

Exploring the Deep South

16min

Multiple Identities within the Southern Region

6min

Exploring the Cultural Significance of the Blues in Mississippi

2min

Mixed Race Road Trip in the Deep South

6min

Questioning Negative Portrayal and Mellowed Views

2min

A Haunting Visit to a Southern Ghost Town

12min

Wrapping up the conversation and introducing a new novel set in an exclusive boarding school

2min

Presenter Harriett Gilbert and readers around the world talk to acclaimed American author Paul Theroux about his bestselling travel book Deep South.

After fifty years crossing the globe, seeking adventure and stories to tell about places far from home, Theroux travels deep into the heart of his native country and discovers a land as profoundly foreign as anything he has previously experienced abroad. He finds in the deep south a place of contradiction, full of unforgettable characters, landscapes, music, and sense of community, but also some of the nation’s worst schools, housing, and unemployment rates.

On four road trips across four seasons, wending along rural highways, Theroux visits small-town churches and gun shows, meets mayors and social workers, writers and reverends. The spectre of racism and the history slavery is never far away, but more often than not Theroux is met with the warmest of welcomes and a willingness to engage in deep and wide-ranging conversations.

(Picture: Paul Theroux. Photo credit: Steve McCurry.)

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World Book Club

Paul Theroux: Deep South

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The poverty and decay in the southern USA

The significance of the blues in Mississippi

The multiple identities of the southern USA

The role of literature in understanding the south

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts