A World of Speculation

‘The Turkey’—A Redneck Fairy Tale

‘The Turkey’—A Redneck Fairy Tale

If Flannery O’Conner were to write a fairy tale about a boy who got everything he wished for and it all turned to dirt on him, it would look a lot like her story “The Turkey.” Ruller is a boy of about twelve who spots a turkey limping through the underbrush and wishes...
‘The Crop’—Living in My Head

‘The Crop’—Living in My Head

OK. She’s done it this time. In her story “The Crop,” Flannery O’Connor has taken her satire a step too far—skewering a writer in search of a story. As the old joke goes, “I resemble that remark.” Miss Willerton (and O’Connor never gives us her first name)...
‘Wildcat’—Facing Death

‘Wildcat’—Facing Death

In Flannery O’Connor’s story, “Wildcat,” an old, blind, black man faces death. Old Gabriel, blind from childhood, can perceive a lot through his senses of smell and hearing. He recognizes three of the four young men—his grandchildren—on the front porch by their smell,...
‘The Barber’—Arguing with Trolls

‘The Barber’—Arguing with Trolls

O Lord and Master of my life, take from me a spirit of despondency, sloth, love of money, and idle talk. — Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian Did you ever get into an argument with a troll? I’m ashamed to say that I have a few times, and it doesn’t turn out...
‘The Geranium’ and the Expulsion from Paradise

‘The Geranium’ and the Expulsion from Paradise

In one of Flannery O’Connor’s earliest stories, an old man from Georgia laments his decision to move in with his daughter in New York City. His yearning for home is like Psalm 136 (137): By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept, When we remembered...