SouthBound
142 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 274 ratingsThe South … What is it? Movies, books, songs, myths and legends have tried to explain this part of the United States. SouthBound, a new podcast series from WFAE, talks to people who were born and raised in the South. Hosted by journalist Tommy Tomlinson, SouthBound features conversations with notable Southerners from all walks of life – from artists and athletes to preachers and politicians.Who would you like to hear on the SouthBound podcast? Click here or use the form below to submit your favorite Southerner and the question you would love for them to answer. Who knows... you might just hear them on a future episode.
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Episodes
Pete Candler delves into the untold history of the South, and of his own family
April 24, 2024 08:00 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Pete Candler. He comes from a storied Southern family—one of his ancestors founded Coca-Cola—but Pete has written a new book about the secrets in his family’s history, and in the South’s history as well.
It's our second panel of SouthBound Live, a discussion about the future of Charlotte
April 10, 2024 08:00 - 53 minutes - 48.7 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson convenes a panel of three experts on Charlotte for his second SouthBound Live event about the future of the city. This time we’re talking about affordable housing, equity, and what we can learn from the city’s history.
It's SouthBound Live, a panel discussion about the future of Charlotte
March 27, 2024 08:01 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBThis week on SouthBound, we've got a live recording of a SouthBound panel discussion on the future of Charlotte. The panelists are Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Crystal Hill; Sil Ganzó, the founder of ourBRIDGE, which provides after-school programs for immigrant and refugee children; and John Searby, director of the Catawba Riverkeeper organization and the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens.
Alice Randall shines a light on the Black trailblazers in country music (including herself)
March 13, 2024 08:00 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Alice Randall, who became the first Black woman with a writing credit on a #1 country song with Trisha Yearwood’s 1994 hit “XXXs and OOOs.” Randall has now written a memoir called “My Black Country” and it comes with a companion album of the same name.
Kindred Motes helps companies doing well make sure they're doing good
February 28, 2024 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Kindred Motes, an Alabama native who works with nonprofits and small businesses to help them be more socially responsible. He also guides those companies to send money to places in the South that need it.
Jason Kirk grew up an evangelical kid. Now he's written a novel about it
February 14, 2024 09:00 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Jason Kirk, whose novel “Hell Is a World Without You” draws from his experiences as a teenager in evangelical churches. We talk about how those churches shaped him, and what his beliefs are now.
SouthBound replay: Tressie McMillan Cottom explores deep American issues both public and personal
January 31, 2024 09:00 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MBToday's SouthBound podcast is a replay of host Tommy Tomlinson's conversation from summer 2023 with Tressie McMillan Cottom, a sociologist, author, columnist for the New York Times and recipient of the MacArthur “genius grant.” Their conversation ranges from the concept of whiteness in American life to the tragedy that shaped her life.
Social media star Landon Bryant explains the South to the rest of the world
January 17, 2024 09:00 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Landon Bryant, the social media star known for his videos discussing the ways and words of the South. He used to be a Mississippi schoolteacher; now, he gets recognized at Disney World.
Rebecca Renner takes us to 'Gator Country' with a tale of swampers and poachers
January 03, 2024 09:00 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to author Rebecca Renner, whose new book is called “Gator Country.” It’s the amazing story of a Florida wildlife agent who went undercover to bust a ring of alligator poachers.
A holiday gift from us to you: the Best of SouthBound 2023
December 20, 2023 09:01 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson presents the Best of 2023 episode. We’re playing clips from favorite guests: Ben and Erin Napier, Robert Earl Keen, Bomani Jones, and many more. Come celebrate with us.
Ellen Ann Fentress plumbs how the South segregates in more ways than one
December 06, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Mississippi journalist Ellen Ann Fentress, who has two fascinating projects: her new memoir, called “The Steps We Take,” and her website documenting the history of segregation academies in the South.
Historian Johnny Smith explores Michael Jordan's delicate dance with racial issues
November 22, 2023 08:59 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to historian Johnny Smith, author of a new book called “Jumpman,” about Michael Jordan, and the dance he did regarding racial issues throughout his legendary NBA career and beyond.
Max Marshall tells a wild tale of a fraternity drug ring in 'Among the Bros'
November 08, 2023 08:59 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Max Marshall, author of the new book called “Among the Bros,” a wild and true story about a massive, multistate drug ring centered around fraternity members at the College of Charleston. The party felt like it would never end … until it did.
Mike Chamberlain studies the majesty and mysteries of the wild turkey
October 25, 2023 08:00 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Mike Chamberlain, a researcher at the University of Georgia who is an expert on wild turkeys. They talk about the changing landscape for wild turkeys, and how different they are from the Butterballs we have at Thanksgiving.
SouthBound replay: Poet Ada Limón searches for 'radical hope'
October 11, 2023 08:01 - 32 minutes - 30 MBThis week on SouthBound, we replay host Tommy Tomlinson's 2021 conversation with Ada Limón, who is a United States Poet Laureate and recent recipient of a MacArthur “genius grant.” They talk about a lot of things, but mostly about hope.
Kate Medley documents the Southern treasure of gas station food
September 27, 2023 08:00 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Kate Medley, a photographer who spent years roaming the South to take pictures of gas station food, and the people and places that serve it. Her photos are collected in a new book called “Thank You Please Come Again.”
Nat Glover's path to becoming Florida's first Black sheriff since Reconstruction
September 13, 2023 08:01 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Nat Glover, who in 1995 was elected sheriff of Jacksonville, Florida, becoming the first Black sheriff in Florida since Reconstruction. He’s written a new memoir about how he earned his way there, and about the terrifying moment that defined his childhood.
'Shutdown Fullcast' co-host Ryan Nanni explores the weirdness of college football ... and many other things
August 30, 2023 08:00 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks college football — and many other things — with Ryan Nanni, one of the hosts of the strange and wonderful podcast called the "Shutdown Fullcast." Among other things, they discuss whether Tommy owes any money to a basketball-playing dog.
SouthBound replay: Roy Wood Jr. talks COVID-19 comedy, and we argue about pimento cheese
August 16, 2023 07:57 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBThis week on SouthBound, we're replaying host Tommy Tomlinson's 2020 conversation with comedian Roy Wood Jr. It’s an interesting look back at the first days of COVID-19 and how it informed Wood’s comedy — and his ability to perform. Roy and Tommy also get into it over pimento cheese.
Anne Hull remembers a complicated childhood among the orange trees
August 02, 2023 08:00 - 40 minutes - 37 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Anne Hull, author of the new memoir “Through the Groves.” It’s about her formative years growing up in central Florida in the days before Disney World, when there was nothing but small towns and orange trees as far as the eyes could see.
Craig Renaud documents Southern storytellers while mourning his late brother
July 19, 2023 08:00 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Craig Renaud, director and producer of the new PBS limited series “Southern Storytellers.” The series includes novelist Jesmyn Ward and singer Jason Isbell, among many others. Renaud also talks about his brother, Brent, who was killed last year in Ukraine while filming a documentary on refugees.
SouthBound Replay: Author S.A. Cosby talks about 'Razorblade Tears'
July 05, 2023 07:59 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MBThis week on SouthBound is a replay of host Tommy Tomlinson's 2021 interview with author S.A. Cosby. They talk about his crime thriller “Razorblade Tears,” which became a bestseller. His new novel, “All the Sinners Bleed,” just got a rave review by Stephen King in the New York Times.
Jack Taggart 'beats up clothes' to age the costumes for Hollywood blockbusters
June 21, 2023 07:11 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Jack Taggart … you might not know the name, but you’ve seen his work in movies from “Inception” to “Black Panther” to “Top Gun: Maverick.” His job is to age and weather costumes, making everything from T-shirts to space suits look right for their moments on screen.
Wright Thompson covers sports around the world but always turns south toward home
June 07, 2023 08:00 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBThis week on SouthBound, we replay host Tommy Tomlinson's 2020 conversation with Wright Thompson, senior writer for ESPN and author of the best-selling book “Pappyland,” about the legendary Pappy Van Winkle bourbon. Wright talks about everything from Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods to searching for family and home.
Robert Earl Keen is off the road, but the party hasn't ended yet
May 24, 2023 08:00 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBThis week on the SouthBound podcast, host Tommy Tomlinson welcomes Texas singer/songwriter Robert Earl Keen, known for classics like “The Road Goes On Forever.” Keen recently retired from the road but is still making music; his latest album, called “Western Chill,” comes with a songbook, a live DVD and a graphic novel.
Mike Collins celebrates, and remembers, 25 years of 'Charlotte Talks'
May 10, 2023 08:01 - 49 minutes - 45.2 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Mike Collins, host of Charlotte Talks on WFAE. For the 25th anniversary of his show, we put Mike in the guest chair. Tommy learned a lot about Mike’s influences and some of his favorite guests over the years.
Ben and Erin Napier transformed their town, and 'Home Town' transformed their lives
April 26, 2023 08:00 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Erin and Ben Napier, the hosts of the hit HGTV series “Home Town.” The Napiers have transformed their town of Laurel, Mississippi, by renovating homes there — and along the way, they’ve turned Laurel into a tourist attraction.
Charles Frazier's new novel comes down off the mountain to traverse 1930s America
April 12, 2023 08:00 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Charles Frazier, the North Carolina novelist best known for his tragic Civil War romance “Cold Mountain.” He’s got a new book called “The Trackers,” set during the Great Depression, and we talk about how that book stemmed from a single photograph.
Ryan McGee of ESPN tells stories of his minor-league summer and 'Marty & McGee'
March 29, 2023 08:00 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Ryan McGee, co-host of the "Marty & McGee" show on ESPN, and author of a new book called “Welcome to the Circus of Baseball.” It’s about the summer Ryan spent as an intern with the Asheville Tourists minor-league team. He’s got stories about everything from a Dairy Queen disaster to a mascot brawl.
SouthBound Replay: Fawn Weaver builds a whiskey empire from a long-forgotten story
March 15, 2023 08:00 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBThis week on SouthBound, we’re replaying Tommy Tomlinson's conversation from 2020 with Fawn Weaver. Weaver founded the Nearest Green distillery in Tennessee in honor of a Black distiller who helped Jack Daniel develop his famous whiskey. Weaver talks about how she went from reading a story about Green to bottling a whiskey called Uncle Nearest.
Trump called him a 'lowlife,' but Josh Dawsey is riding high in D.C. journalism
March 01, 2023 09:00 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Josh Dawsey, a South Carolina native who covers national politics for The Washington Post. He also covered the Trump White House, and tells Tommy the story about the time the president called him a “lowlife” on Twitter. Plus he’s a long-suffering South Carolina football fan.
Nic Brown deals with the memories of the band he built, loved and left
February 15, 2023 09:00 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Nic Brown, who as a teenager was the drummer for the alt-rock band Athenaeum back in the ‘90s. Now he’s a writing professor at Clemson. He’s got a new memoir about those rock ‘n’ roll days, called “Bang Bang Crash.”
Ron Green Jr. talks about playing with Tiger and Trump, and the new tour roiling pro golf
February 01, 2023 09:00 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to golf writer Ron Green Jr., who has covered 41 Masters and has played with everyone from Tiger Woods to Donald Trump. The world of pro golf has turned upside down in the last year, and Ron explains what’s going on.
Bomani Jones leads the discussion on the deeper meaning of sports
January 18, 2023 09:00 - 40 minutes - 36.8 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to sports commentator Bomani Jones, whose show “Game Theory” starts its second season on HBO this Friday. Bomani also has a popular ESPN podcast and a huge following on Twitter, where he discusses everything from the NFL playoffs to Pink Floyd. He’s got a wide-open mind.
SouthBound Replay: Fortune Feimster finds her path by way of comedy (and a Lifetime movie)
January 04, 2023 09:00 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MBThis week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson re-airs his 2020 talk with comedian Fortune Feimster. Feimster grew up a debutante in North Carolina and learned she was gay by watching a Lifetime movie. Now she goes on national tours and has done two Netflix specials.
SouthBound's Best of 2022, continuing the search for a Southern identity (or identities)
December 21, 2022 09:00 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBThe latest SouthBound podcast is our Best of 2022 highlight show. Host Tommy Tomlinson has excerpts from his guests throughout the year, including author Jason Mott, scholar Tressie McMillian Cottom, singer Mary Gauthier, and lots more. It’s been a very good year.
Mary Gauthier finds hope in hard lives, and even in a busted guitar
December 07, 2022 09:00 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier, from Nashville by way of New Orleans. She started late as a musician, after a lifetime of drinking and drugs, and her songs reflect hard times leavened with moments of humor and hope.
SouthBound replay: Shea Serrano talks hip-hop and traces his unorthodox path to being a writer
November 23, 2022 09:00 - 41 minutes - 37.5 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, we’re replaying host Tommy Tomlinson's talk from last year with author Shea Serrano. Shea has four New York Times bestsellers, two TV series in the works, and an army of followers on Twitter who do good works. It’s a long way from his start as a schoolteacher with twins on the way.
Thomas Lake dives into a deep and murky mystery: Was James Brown murdered?
November 09, 2022 09:00 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Thomas Lake, a reporter for CNN who has a new podcast that looks into a surprising question: Was James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, murdered? Some people who knew him well sure seem to think so. And Lake has spent five years looking into the mystery.
Sean Dietrich took a winding road to become the famed storyteller 'Sean of the South'
October 26, 2022 08:00 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Sean Dietrich, the Alabama storyteller who you might know as “Sean of the South.” We talk about his meandering path to becoming a writer, and how he sees humor as a healing force.
Jonathan Abrams traces the rise of hip-hop from its roots to its royalty
October 12, 2022 08:00 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to author Jonathan Abrams, whose latest book is called “The Come Up: An Oral History of the Rise of Hip-Hop.” Jonathan talked to some of hip-hop’s biggest stars, as well as others who were around when hip-hop began almost 50 years ago.
College football writer Ivan Maisel sees the world in a new way after the loss of his son
September 28, 2022 08:00 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to college football writer Ivan Maisel, who recaps the first part of the season and the changes in the college football landscape. Ivan also talks about the death of his son, and how that experience has changed him.
SouthBound Replay: Kyle Petty searches for the next big adventure
September 14, 2022 08:00 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, we re-air host Tommy Tomlinson's 2021 conversation with Kyle Petty. They have a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from his life in NASCAR, to his quest for adventure, to his music career, to the death of his son, Adam.
SouthBound: Kyle Petty searches for the next big adventure
September 14, 2022 08:00 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, we re-air host Tommy Tomlinson's 2021 conversation with Kyle Petty. They have a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from his life in NASCAR, to his quest for adventure, to his music career, to the death of his son, Adam.
Casey Parks delves into a story of sexuality and tolerance in the old rural South
August 31, 2022 08:00 - 42 minutes - 38.5 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Louisiana-born writer Casey Parks. When she came out to her family as a teenager, her grandmother told her about someone she’d known decades before — a woman who lived as a man. His story, and Casey’s story, are the core of her new book, “Diary of a Misfit.”
Beth Macy follows her bestseller 'Dopesick' with a look at the helpers in the opioid crisis
August 17, 2022 08:00 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Beth Macy, author of the bestseller “Dopesick,” which was made into an Emmy-nominated TV series starring Michael Keaton. She’s got a new follow-up to that book called “Raising Lazarus,” about the helpers on the front lines of the opioid crisis, including some here in North Carolina.
Tressie McMillan Cottom ponders the shape of America, and the tragedy that shaped her
August 03, 2022 08:00 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Tressie McMillan Cottom, a sociologist, author, columnist for the New York Times, recipient of the MacArthur “genius grant” … whew, she’s done a lot, and she talks beautifully about all of it. Our conversation ranges from the concept of whiteness in American life to the tragedy that shaped her life.
A long time ago, Chris Mullis took some pictures of galaxies far, far away
July 20, 2022 08:00 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Chris Mullis, a retired astronomer who took the first pictures 20 years ago of a galaxy cluster featured in the latest images from the Webb Space Telescope. Mullis reflects on making that discovery, and on what we can learn from looking at the stars.
Stephanie Stuckey is bringing back her family's iconic roadside brand
July 06, 2022 08:00 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Stephanie Stuckey, whose grandfather created the iconic Stuckey’s roadside stands that once lined the highways of the South. After the company was sold and fell into disrepair, Stephanie bought it back — and is trying to rebuild it one pecan log roll at a time.
Dan Chapman retraces John Muir's Southern journey, for good and ill
June 22, 2022 08:00 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBOn the latest SouthBound podcast, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Dan Chapman, whose new book “A Road Running Southward” retraces the steps of environmentalist John Muir, who walked the South from Kentucky to Florida in 1867. Along the way, Chapman shows what development and climate change have done to the Southern landscape.