Waiting for Harper Lee’s new book

We are a patient people, as shown by the long waiting lists at libraries for a recently re-discovered book manuscript. In the mid-1950s, before To Kill a Mockingbird was published, Harper Lee had written Go Set a Watchman. The events take place two decades after the original story. In this new book, Scout returns to her father’s home in Maycomb, Alabama in the midst of social and political turbulence. The town and many of the same characters appear, but now Scout arrives home, a child no more, and sees everything with new eyes.

The novel is set to be released in mid-July. In the meantime, you might enjoy dipping into the novels and stories of a few other noteworthy Southern writers.

Truman Capote was Harper Lee’s childhood friend and neighbor while growing up in Monroeville, Alabama. His book The Complete Stories of Truman Capote might be a good way to slip into a Southern state of mind.  Reynolds Price, another small-town Southerner who grew up  listening to grown-ups tell entertaining stories full of local color, was called "one of our greatest novelists" by Harper Lee herself.  Kate Vaiden is one of the favorites of many of Price's readers.

Also fitting right in with this stellar group is Eudora Welty, who grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. We have her Complete Novels which includes The Optimist's Daughter, Delta Wedding, and Losing Battles (also available in individual editions).
Carson McCullers' Complete Novels is another repository of Southern stories now considered classics. One of her titles most often recognized is The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.
Finally, we have Flannery O'Connor, playing out her darkly tragic yet humorous religious themes in stories with strange, memorable characters. Her book  A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories is considered one of the most original story collections of her time. She wrote her recently discovered and published spiritual diary, A Prayer Journal (2013) during her time away at college in Iowa. It offers readers insight into her deep passion for writing and religion. 
Of course, there are many other Southern writers, and discovering more about their lives and books seems like an enjoyable way to wait for Go Set a Watchman. 
For an interesting article on Harper Lee, visit:

http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/02/the_favorite_thing_i_ever_read.html