A Magazine of the South”, Oxford American is a nonprofit quarterly which features the very best of Southern writing and highlights the vibrancy of the American South.

In this issue:

• Motifs of devotion and daydreams, of antiheroes and broken hearts appear throughout this very special 25th-anniversary edition of our annual Southern Music Issue. Dedicated to ballads of all genres and origins, our 123rd issue features an impressive lineup of new and returning contributors: Dom Flemons debuts a brand-new ballad written especially for this edition; Lauren Du Graf slows down to the tempo of Shirley Horn’s music and life; and Ed Pavlić relives the memory of an important friendship made to the croons of Anita Baker. The Middle Eight, named after the climactic section of the thirty-two-bar song structure, collects eight short pieces covering artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Project Pat to Paramore. Elsewhere, Gaby Wilson connects Filipino and American history, karaoke, and Beyoncé; contributing editor David Ramsey dives deep into the tangled history of a traditional murder ballad; and Benjamin Hedin searches for R.E.M.’s ineffable coolness in Athens, Georgia. The Ballads Issue also includes new fiction by Clyde Edgerton, exclusive playlists for listening while you read, and a meticulously curated collection of visual art and photography.

Arkansas, United States; 213x273 mm, 96 pages; 25th anniversary CD included!!!