Justin Alvarez: Barry Hannah in the Oxford American

By **Justin Alvarez**

Justin Alvarez_Large.jpg The March issue of the Oxford American is dedicated to the fierce Mississippi-bred writer and professor Barry Hannah, who died a little over a year ago on March 1, 2010. In the issue, fans and past students reflect on Hannah and his work, including Gothic classics such as Airships, Geronimo Rex, High Lonesome, and Bats Out of Hell. His literary influence is extensive, stemming from the 28 years he taught and directed the Creative Writing M.F.A. program at the University of Mississippi. His many students over the years included writers Larry Brown, Donna Tartt, Bob Shacochis, and Wells Tower.

In a video shot by writer and friend John Oliver Hodges to accompany his essay in the Oxford American’s current issue on his time spent as Hannah’s right-hand man, the two revisit some of Hannah’s old ghosts as they drive around the town of Tuscaloosa. “It’s been 30 years, and everything has changed of course,” Hannah reflected. “I don’t remember Tuscaloosa ever having a real soul. It was hard to find a spirit in this town for me.” Luckily for us, the words of Barry Hannah never did and never will lose its tenacity.

You can read more about Hannah at the Oxford American. Watch the full video below.

Thanks to Guernica contributing editor Wes Enzinna for the link.

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Justin Alvarez is a blog intern at Guernica. Read more about him here.

To read more blog entries from GUERNICA click HERE .

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