Keep the Days

Reading the Civil War Diaries of Southern Women

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, Civil War Period (1850-1877), Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Gender Studies, Women&
Cover of the book Keep the Days by Steven M. Stowe, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Steven M. Stowe ISBN: 9781469640976
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: April 2, 2018
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Steven M. Stowe
ISBN: 9781469640976
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: April 2, 2018
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

Americans wrote fiercely during the Civil War. War surprised, devastated, and opened up imagination, taking hold of Americans' words as well as their homes and families. The personal diary—wildly ragged yet rooted in day following day—was one place Americans wrote their war. Diaries, then, have become one of the best-known, most-used sources for exploring the life of the mind in a war-torn place and time. Delving into several familiar wartime diaries kept by women of the southern slave-owning class, Steven Stowe recaptures their motivations to keep the days close even as war tore apart the brutal system of slavery that had benefited them. Whether the diarists recorded thoughts about themselves, their opinions about men, or their observations about slavery, race, and warfare, Stowe shows how these women, by writing the immediate moment, found meaning in a changing world.

In studying the inner lives of these unsympathetic characters, Stowe also explores the importance—and the limits—of historical empathy as a condition for knowing the past, demonstrating how these plain, first-draft texts can offer new ways to make sense of the world in which these Confederate women lived.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Americans wrote fiercely during the Civil War. War surprised, devastated, and opened up imagination, taking hold of Americans' words as well as their homes and families. The personal diary—wildly ragged yet rooted in day following day—was one place Americans wrote their war. Diaries, then, have become one of the best-known, most-used sources for exploring the life of the mind in a war-torn place and time. Delving into several familiar wartime diaries kept by women of the southern slave-owning class, Steven Stowe recaptures their motivations to keep the days close even as war tore apart the brutal system of slavery that had benefited them. Whether the diarists recorded thoughts about themselves, their opinions about men, or their observations about slavery, race, and warfare, Stowe shows how these women, by writing the immediate moment, found meaning in a changing world.

In studying the inner lives of these unsympathetic characters, Stowe also explores the importance—and the limits—of historical empathy as a condition for knowing the past, demonstrating how these plain, first-draft texts can offer new ways to make sense of the world in which these Confederate women lived.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book Conquered by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book The Workboats of Core Sound by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book Greens by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book Muslim Pilgrimage in the Modern World by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book How to Read the Qur'an by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book Longleaf, Far as the Eye Can See by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book Rome at War by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book What Would Jesus Read? by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book Close Harmony by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book Party Games by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book Trade Unionists Against Terror by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book The Modern Caribbean by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book Reading the Romance by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book Making the World Safe for Democracy by Steven M. Stowe
Cover of the book The Transnational Mosque by Steven M. Stowe
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy