William Ferris has long reigned as the unimpeachable source of the entire southern experience. His work on southern folklore and the composition of the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture have made him both legendary and necessary. His book, The Storied South , is a love song to the South Bill helped illuminate. It's a crowning achievement of his own storied career.

(You) don't leave the chicken to watch the feed.

... the wing of a fly is proof enough of the existence of God for me.

The University of South Carolina has always played a role in my life and the intellectual life of South Carolina.

Families without songs are unhappy families.

My soul grazes like a lamb on the beauty of an indrawn tide.

Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.