"The New South is enamored of her new work. Her soul is stirred with the breath of a new life. The light of a grander day is falling fair on her face. She is thrilling with the consciousness of growing power and prosperity."
- Henry W. Grady, "The New South" (Delivered 22 December 1886)
With those words, Henry W. Grady began the task of rehabilitating the reputation of the former Confederate States of America, crafting them into a modern utopia that was no more real than the glorified "Old South" of song and legend. It seems appropriate, then, that G. M. Lupo quotes these words as the prologue for his first collection of Atlanta Stories, entitled Fables of the New South. Lupo imagines a vision of Atlanta that Grady and his generation could never conceive, let alone accept.
Published in 2017, Fables of the New South is comprised of eight stories which highlight some of the richness and diversity of Atlanta as it assumes the mantle of being a truly international city. The characters all come to town seeking transformation, and, in some instances, redemption. With change comes conflict and discomfort, but the rewards vastly outweigh the risks.
The themes of family and community resonate in Fables of the New South, both families into which one is born and those one chooses for oneself. The characters may have their quirks, but readers should still find someone with whom they can identify.
Atlanta Stories: Fables of the New South is the first in a trilogy of books that will focus on the ongoing tales of these characters. Along with the second book in the series, Reconstruction, and the planned third volume, tentatively entitled Terminus, the offer a vision of the South in general, and Atlanta in particular, for the new millennium.
