All Over but the Shoutin'

All Over but the Shoutin’

• Genre: Nonfiction; memoir; Southern literature
• Originally Published: 1997
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1160L; college/adult
• Structure/Length: Divided into 3 parts; approximately 329 pages; approximate length 2 hours and 41 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: All Over but the Shoutin’ is Rick Bragg’s poignant and powerful account of growing up in poverty in the Deep South, specifically in northeastern Alabama, and his journey to becoming a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. The memoir pays homage to his hardworking mother, who struggled to provide for her family, and offers a candid look at the complexities of family, poverty, and the pursuit of a better life against the backdrop of the American South. Bragg’s narrative is both a personal story of resilience and a broader commentary on Southern culture, societal neglect, and the enduring impact of heritage and home.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Descriptions of poverty, domestic violence, war, alcoholism, and the hardships of rural Southern life

Rick Bragg, Author

• Bio: Born 1959; American journalist and writer; known for his richly descriptive narratives about the American South; New York Times best-selling author; won more than 50 awards; has contributed to numerous publications, including the Anniston Star, the Birmingham News, and The New York Times
• Other Works: Ava's Man (2001); The Prince of Frogtown (2008); The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma’s Table (2018)
• Awards: Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing (1996); University of Alabama Clarence Cason Award for Nonfiction Writing (2004); Harper Lee Award for Alabama’s Distinguished Writer of the Year (2009)
• This TG follows the First Vintage Edition, September 1998
• ISBN: 978-0-679-77402-0

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Poverty
• Fighting and Violence
• War and Damaged Lives

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the social and cultural contexts around poverty and the American South that impact Rick Bragg’s life.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Poverty, Fighting and Violence, and War and Damaged Lives.
• Research, read, and analyze Bragg’s reportage that won him the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing before presenting their shared themes with those found in All Over but the Shoutin’ based on text details.  
• Examine and appraise the author’s purpose and techniques to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding rhetorical strategy, self-deprecation, and other topics.