Christiana Roussel speaks with writer and Southern food storyteller John T. Edge about the stories food tells, how Southern identity and tradition evolve, and the personal history behind his memoir, *House of Smoke*. Edge also discusses *True South* and Greenfield Farm, a planned writers residency designed to give writers time and financial support.

keywords: John T. Edge, Christiana Roussel, Southern food, Southern Foodways Alliance, True South, House of Smoke, Greenfield Farm Writers Residency, Southern identity, food culture

key topics: Edge traces his curiosity to an only-child upbringing in Clinton, Georgia, where his parents included him in adult conversations and everyday life.

He founded the Southern Foodways Symposium in 1998 to explore what food reveals about identity and the many Souths overlooked by familiar narratives.

Southern Foodways Alliance oral histories and films put the microphone in the hands of working cooks, farmers, and food makers, including pitmaster Helen Turner.

Edge and sportswriter Wright Thompson created *True South* to portray the contemporary South by listening closely rather than relying on stereotypes; the show is in its ninth season.

Edge describes culture as a process and tradition as something that changes across generations, illustrated by evolving recipes and restaurants.

In *House of Smoke*, Edge revisits family stories, a Confederate ancestor, his complicated childhood, and the work of rewriting inherited narratives.

He reflects on building a home with his wife, Blair, and how her adaptation of his mother’s catfish stew keeps family memory alive while making the recipe their own.

Greenfield Farm Writers Residency, planned near Oxford, Mississippi, will offer four studios and a $1,000 weekly stipend, with applications expected in spring or summer of the following year.

The residency aims to serve writers connected to Mississippi and its landscape, including applicants of varied ages, abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs.

Chapters:

00:00 A childhood that fostered curiosity

03:13 Why Edge founded the Southern Foodways Symposium

05:57 Putting working cooks and food makers in the foreground

10:07 How *True South* set out to challenge stereotypes

14:58 Tradition, change, and culture in motion

19:05 Why food and football both build community

24:09 The family history behind *House of Smoke*

30:25 Finding a home to run toward

33:38 A catfish stew recipe that honors and adapts tradition

35:53 Greenfield Farm’s plan to support writers

43:41 Crinkle-cut fries, Milwaukee, and a final reflection