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

Karen Butler of Shoot Like a Girl on Confidence and South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

Sometimes a girls’ trip comes with hunting boots, bird dogs, and a chorus of “Rooster!”

After two and a half days of pheasant hunting in South Dakota, I sat down with Karen Butler, founder of Shoot Like a Girl, to talk about what happens when women give themselves permission to try something unfamiliar.

Karen didn’t grow up in shooting sports. In her late twenties, navigating a divorce and raising two young boys, she reluctantly joined friends on a camping trip near Pikes Peak. That weekend brought a deep breath, her first experiences with a rifle and bow, and a sense of accomplishment she hadn’t realized she was missing. She went on to become a Colorado state archery champion—and eventually built a business around giving other women that same opportunity to discover their capabilities.

Our conversation takes you behind the scenes of our all-female hunt at A1 Al’s Pheasant Ranch, where participants ranged from experienced hunters to a woman who had never touched a firearm. Every woman got a bird. Just as memorable was how everyone cheered one another on.

We also explore Karen’s entrepreneurial journey, the mobile shooting simulator that introduces newcomers to shooting sports, and the partnerships that help remove the cost of buying equipment before trying something new.

And we talk about something many of us could use: time outside, away from our phones, with room to reconnect with ourselves and one another.

In this episode

• How a camping trip helped Karen find confidence during a difficult chapter of her life.
• The idea behind Shoot Like a Girl and its traveling firearm simulator.
• What our South Dakota pheasant hunt offered first-time shooters.
• Building a business through financing, persistence, and industry partnerships.
• Removing equipment barriers for women curious about hunting.
• Making time for yourself—and learning to own your success.
• Karen’s hunting-bag essentials, soft-serve weakness, and next big goal.

Episode chapters

00:23 — Meet Karen Butler after our South Dakota pheasant hunt
01:31 — Divorce, motherhood, and a life-changing camping trip
03:00 — Finding confidence with a rifle and bow
05:06 — Building Shoot Like a Girl
05:47 — Inside the traveling shooting simulator
06:44 — Giving newcomers a chance to try
08:02 — Every woman got a bird
09:21 — Financing a business and building partnerships
12:43 — “Huntress Christmas” and removing gear barriers
14:19 — Why time outdoors matters
16:33 — How to inquire about a group hunt
17:16 — Confidence, leadership, and owning your success
18:38 — Hunting-bag essentials and the lightning round

About the guest

Karen Butler is the founder of Shoot Like a Girl. In this conversation, she shares how discovering shooting sports as an adult inspired her to build a company that introduces women to the sport through accessible, encouraging experiences.

About the host

Christiana Roussel is a Birmingham, Alabama–based food, travel, lifestyle, and upland hunting writer and the host of Red Fox on the Run. A late-blooming outdoorswoman, she follows her curiosity into conversations about the people, places, and experiences that expand our worlds.

Learn more

Visit Shoot Like a Girl to explore its programs, find event information, or inquire about arranging a hunt.

Follow Red Fox on the Run on your favorite podcast platform, and share this episode with the friend you’d take on a different kind of girls’ trip.