SHREVEPORT – Evolution.
On the backdrop of an ever-changing South, LSUS professor Dr. Dorie LaRue explores the changing roles of women and men in her new collection of short stories, “Only Visiting This Planet: Stories from the New South.”
“This is a collection of stories that I’ve been writing forever, and nowadays, publishers want a theme for a collection,” LaRue said. “I realized that my stories were evolving as I was evolving.
“At the very beginning, there are women who are clueless about their new roles in the South. So they go through these adventures with fits and starts. Eventually in the last story of the first section, the reader meets a woman who pretty much has it together. She’s not a brilliant person, not college educated, but she has that savvy.”
Fans can order a digital copy via Kindle or a hard copy, which was released Tuesday. Hard copies can be ordered through Amazon or in brick-and-mortar locations locally.
The first section of the collection focuses on the female perspective.
But the second section looks at these evolving gender roles from men’s point of view.
“The male perspective is about their reaction to women’s coming to in the South,” LaRue said. “These are kind of hapless men who don’t know quite what’s going on, but just about all of them supported these women.
“They are in love and trying their best.”
LaRue points out that some characterize men as “clueless enemies.”
“But they aren’t,” LaRue said. “They are struggling just as much as the women struggle. They are compassionate, kind, fair and believe in equality.
“But if you call them a feminist, they’ll probably get very upset.”
LaRue said she channeled Bobbie Anne Mason’s story “Shiloh” when considering the male point of view in this arena.
“The main male character Leroy is a feminist, he just doesn’t know it.”
LaRue, who has been on the LSUS faculty since 1993, has published two novels and four collections of poetry in addition to her short stories.
Southern Literature has been a favorite genre of LaRue in her career.
“I’ve taught Southern Lit, and I love reading stories set here,” LaRue said. “This genre has held on longer than stories from New England or other regions – it’s a genre that’s taking its time letting loose of its readers.
“There’s a special flavor, intensity and passion that readers love.”
LaRue was awarded a nearly $15,000 grant from the State of Louisiana Board of Regents Support Fund to complete the collection.
“The grant allowed me to take two classes off in the spring and not teach in the summer,” LaRue said. “Writing time and writing are inextricable, and I’m so grateful that I had this chance.
“It gave me lots of time to polish and enjoy what I was writing – to tinker with it. That’s the fun part.”
