Beautifully written story and well-said about our right to invent and reinvent ourselves even if society tries to squeeze us into neat boxes that are easier to grasp and sell. While reading your piece I was reminded that Lil Nas X put out Old Town Road a few years back and I could be wrong but I remember the reaction being “wow, this is creative and cool.” Maybe because Lil Nas X’s approach to country was more playful or maybe (probably) because Beyoncé is a Black woman, but all of a sudden people want to make a problem 🙄 I’m admittedly not a country fan but Beyoncé is helping me see the genre in a different light.
Anyway, thank you for sharing this and thank you also for mentioning my newsletter. I’m so grateful that you enjoy my writing enough to share it with others. Looking forward to reading more of yours!
I could visualize this all. I could hear the country crock tub lid crackling open and taste the acidic orange juice. So beautiful and rich with life. I also love getting to know more about you.
Loved her album. I can sometimes feel overcome with how incredible it all is. Like the brilliance and every little moment considered. It’s breathtaking.
I grew up in the country. At the time there were 4K people in the town. I look back now and feel how spacious it felt. It was really special. I often have to do a lot of explaining (and re-educating) to my city boy husband.
I also grew up ON country and while I took a break in my early adulthood, if one of those songs are playing in a store I will break out into song and dance to my aforementioned husband’s horror. You don’t wanna be around me when Shania Twain’s Any Man comes on unless you’re ready to get after it.
Yes, yes, yes! Love this piece. Having come up an Oklahoma country girl I’ve always felt that society at large just doesn’t bother to look beyond the commercial stereotypes of country folk. There are endless ways to embody country culture, lots of them being copycatted by mainstream fads all the time.
Thank you for this. My wife is from the south, I’m from the big city. I use to tease her when I met her like the people you mentioned. I’ve learned so much about the Beaufort of the South now that I live here. I’m also jealous you can experience Beyoncé’s work since it hits home home for you.
What a beautiful visual story. I was raised in a small town, not country but my grandmother owned orange tree orchards and we went there to pick oranges and eat them to our hearts’ content. My dad loved country music (an odd choice for a Spaniard) so our road trips were Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. My favorite song was Lucille, were I always wondered why Lucille left her husband and children. Yeah, I really disliked Lucille. My brother and sang a killer duet to “the gambler”. Boy named Sue is a song I think unforgettable. I am not a great fan of country music in general, but those singers take me back to my childhood and the stories they tell feel so real to me.
I am not a great Beyoncé follower, which I don’t understand because when I listen she never disappoints. In any case, I listened to Cowboy Carter after hearing all the controversy and I have to say that it flows so flawlessly from one song to another, seamlessly, like a river. My favorite song ll HANDS II HEAVEN or II MOST WANTED. Thank you for the question on yeehaw moments, it sparked an idea that I want to write about.
So beautiful, Carrington! My daughter's father is from Nathalie, not to far from where you from and I'm from Cleveland, OH. When I first moved east people said I sounded country. When I met my ex's family I met a whole other side of country folk I hadn't been exposed to and I loved them for it.
I’m definitely southern. I’ve always felt more country than city folk and more city than country folk. I grew up in the city but at a more country pace. We always had vegetable gardens, canned our own food, even ground our own grains at times. Got local eggs with mud on them and local unpasteurized milk when mom could find it. (You can tell when the cow found an onion patch.) None of my city friends lived like this. I rode horses whenever we were at friends farms. Played with goats. But I had a manicured sidewalk and a bicycle at home.
Another beautiful piece and gorgeous photographs to match (I've been meaning to comment on this for a while, the photography is always on point over here). I cherish this one a lot and the intimate dive into your upbringing and memories from the South. I have so many thoughts after reading this but one thought that stands out is your reference to 'High on the Hog'. I LOVED that series. I watched it with my grandparents and although the series about the States feels a little removed from our heritage, there was so much warmth in experiencing southern food and its journey around the nation. In more ways than one that show proved how southern cuisine really can bond people. Me watching all the way from London with my Jamaican grandparents and feeling such connection proved that.
Second point, I thought about is how prevalent country music is here in the Caribbean too. I found it odd at first when I first started traveling, especially in Central America's Caribbean, but it's here, reaching people far and wide and I wanted to add that because it's sweet that country music resonates with so many in so many unexpected lands. Your influence is so far-reaching, I hope this makes you even more proud and rightly protective. Also, yes to your little baby boy already dancing along to country music, this made me smile so much. Thanks also for including me and my latest letter. As ever Carrington, I appreciate being seen and shared by you, one of my favourite writers <333
Beautifully written story and well-said about our right to invent and reinvent ourselves even if society tries to squeeze us into neat boxes that are easier to grasp and sell. While reading your piece I was reminded that Lil Nas X put out Old Town Road a few years back and I could be wrong but I remember the reaction being “wow, this is creative and cool.” Maybe because Lil Nas X’s approach to country was more playful or maybe (probably) because Beyoncé is a Black woman, but all of a sudden people want to make a problem 🙄 I’m admittedly not a country fan but Beyoncé is helping me see the genre in a different light.
Anyway, thank you for sharing this and thank you also for mentioning my newsletter. I’m so grateful that you enjoy my writing enough to share it with others. Looking forward to reading more of yours!
I could visualize this all. I could hear the country crock tub lid crackling open and taste the acidic orange juice. So beautiful and rich with life. I also love getting to know more about you.
Loved her album. I can sometimes feel overcome with how incredible it all is. Like the brilliance and every little moment considered. It’s breathtaking.
I grew up in the country. At the time there were 4K people in the town. I look back now and feel how spacious it felt. It was really special. I often have to do a lot of explaining (and re-educating) to my city boy husband.
I also grew up ON country and while I took a break in my early adulthood, if one of those songs are playing in a store I will break out into song and dance to my aforementioned husband’s horror. You don’t wanna be around me when Shania Twain’s Any Man comes on unless you’re ready to get after it.
Yes, yes, yes! Love this piece. Having come up an Oklahoma country girl I’ve always felt that society at large just doesn’t bother to look beyond the commercial stereotypes of country folk. There are endless ways to embody country culture, lots of them being copycatted by mainstream fads all the time.
Thank you for this. My wife is from the south, I’m from the big city. I use to tease her when I met her like the people you mentioned. I’ve learned so much about the Beaufort of the South now that I live here. I’m also jealous you can experience Beyoncé’s work since it hits home home for you.
What a beautiful visual story. I was raised in a small town, not country but my grandmother owned orange tree orchards and we went there to pick oranges and eat them to our hearts’ content. My dad loved country music (an odd choice for a Spaniard) so our road trips were Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. My favorite song was Lucille, were I always wondered why Lucille left her husband and children. Yeah, I really disliked Lucille. My brother and sang a killer duet to “the gambler”. Boy named Sue is a song I think unforgettable. I am not a great fan of country music in general, but those singers take me back to my childhood and the stories they tell feel so real to me.
I am not a great Beyoncé follower, which I don’t understand because when I listen she never disappoints. In any case, I listened to Cowboy Carter after hearing all the controversy and I have to say that it flows so flawlessly from one song to another, seamlessly, like a river. My favorite song ll HANDS II HEAVEN or II MOST WANTED. Thank you for the question on yeehaw moments, it sparked an idea that I want to write about.
So beautiful, Carrington! My daughter's father is from Nathalie, not to far from where you from and I'm from Cleveland, OH. When I first moved east people said I sounded country. When I met my ex's family I met a whole other side of country folk I hadn't been exposed to and I loved them for it.
I’m definitely southern. I’ve always felt more country than city folk and more city than country folk. I grew up in the city but at a more country pace. We always had vegetable gardens, canned our own food, even ground our own grains at times. Got local eggs with mud on them and local unpasteurized milk when mom could find it. (You can tell when the cow found an onion patch.) None of my city friends lived like this. I rode horses whenever we were at friends farms. Played with goats. But I had a manicured sidewalk and a bicycle at home.
Another beautiful piece and gorgeous photographs to match (I've been meaning to comment on this for a while, the photography is always on point over here). I cherish this one a lot and the intimate dive into your upbringing and memories from the South. I have so many thoughts after reading this but one thought that stands out is your reference to 'High on the Hog'. I LOVED that series. I watched it with my grandparents and although the series about the States feels a little removed from our heritage, there was so much warmth in experiencing southern food and its journey around the nation. In more ways than one that show proved how southern cuisine really can bond people. Me watching all the way from London with my Jamaican grandparents and feeling such connection proved that.
Second point, I thought about is how prevalent country music is here in the Caribbean too. I found it odd at first when I first started traveling, especially in Central America's Caribbean, but it's here, reaching people far and wide and I wanted to add that because it's sweet that country music resonates with so many in so many unexpected lands. Your influence is so far-reaching, I hope this makes you even more proud and rightly protective. Also, yes to your little baby boy already dancing along to country music, this made me smile so much. Thanks also for including me and my latest letter. As ever Carrington, I appreciate being seen and shared by you, one of my favourite writers <333