One critic has called contemporary Writers like Raymond Carver, Ann Beattie, and Bobbie Ann Mason "K-Mart realists." What do you think this term means? Do you feel it is accurate?

The South has inspired many talented women writers. Two of the most popular are Flannery O'Connor and Eudora Welty. Read a story by each of these authors and discuss how their perceptions of the South differ from Mason's.

Critics Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet have compared Leroy Moffitt to the Fisher King of the Holy Grail legend. Find out who the Fisher King was, and explain if you think this is a valid comparison.