Hi ,

I'm heading to Suffolk, Virginia for the Suffolk Author's Festival. This is a fun little reader event that started for mystery books first, but now has expanded into all fiction. I've met some great authors there, including Charlaine Harris, Julie Hyzy, and Sujata Massey, along with my usual buddies I see at east coast book events. 

Probably the coolest fact about Suffolk, Virginia is that it's the home of Mr. Peanut. It's also not far from the Great Dismal Swamp, which, if you watch Outlander, was mentioned in season 7. I suspect they were on the North Carolina side. 

Speaking of North Carolina, have you been watching White Lotus this season? I don't know why, but I'm lovin' Victoria Ratliff (played by Parker Posey). She and her co-star, British actor Jason Isaacs (Lucious Malfoy), have unique southern accents. Posey is from Mississippi, so she knows southern, but her accent isn't exactly what you'd hear in Mississippi (or maybe even Durham, NC). They've both admitted to watching Southern Charm, a reality TV show featuring southern socialites in Charleston, SC. But Parker seems to use the accent as part of her character. She draws out words more than you might see in a typical southerner. I think it's partly due to her character's constant popping of Lorazepam (which incidentally is my and Jack Valentine's "fly pill" when having to fly) as well as a caricature of a rich southern mom. It's fun to watch her. 

Lately, I've been looking for shows/movies in New Orleans, thinking I'd move my planned mafia series down there (did you know the mafia first came to New Orleans in the late 1800's?). So many shows I've found, Treme and Your Honor, don't have the distinct New Orleans accent, nor much in the way of Cajun or creole. I love those accents/dialects. 

What's the difference between an accent and a dialect? Accent is how words are pronounced and dialect can include pronunciation but also vocabulary, and grammar. 

Anyhoo...all this reminded me of a little booklet I put together when Drawn to Her first came out on speaking southern. I should find that on my backup drive and share it. 

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