Southern Spirit

“Why We Are Here” presents Wilson’s introspective meditation on his local history, with accompanying color photographs, captions, and an eloquent short essay by Harris, who teaches at Duke University. Taken in toto, the book is these two men’s attempt to, in Wilson’s words, “cut more deeply than a traditional documentary description about a place.” They want to capture “its spirit,” and in this they succeed.

Duke Scholars

Contributor Alex Harris Sanford School of Public Policy