By ELISSA ROSEN
Special to The Sun
History books about the South are full of misconceptions and myths, says author and University of Florida graduate Clint Johnson.
In fact, says Johnson, the South was responsible for inventing many art forms and was an integral part in founding America.
Johnson, who graduated from the UF College of Journalism in 1975, will be in Gainesville on Friday and Saturday to sign copies of his latest book, "The Politically Incorrect Guide to The South."
Johnson will be at the UF Bookstore, located in the Reitz Union, Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Books-A-Million, 2601 NW 13th St., Saturday at noon.
"The book is a combination of a history book and a social history of the South," Johnson said. "It tries to explain what the true South is about. It addresses what you don’t know and takes away the myths of what people say about the South."
Johnson said he decided to write the book after seeing various attacks on Southern heritage.
"A lot of people are trying to remove confederate statues and confederate flags," he said. "People even want to remove the word ‘confederate.’ To me, confederacy is a part of the Southern history. You shouldn’t be removing it. You should be looking at it and studying it."
Johnson said while studying the South, he stumbled upon history many people aren’t familiar with. These include Southerners’ strong faith and family values and the South’s many contributions to founding America, he said.
"It is the politically incorrect guide for a reason," Johnson said. "If you aren’t born in the South, you have an image of a dark and dangerous place, and it is really a welcoming place with a great history."
For more information on the book, go to www.ThePoliticallyIncorrectGuideToTheSouth.com.
On The Web: http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070208/LOCAL/70208023/-1/news
