The Okefenokee Swamp: A Natural and Cultural History - Paperback

by Marie Lathers (Author)

Marie Lathers wades into the history and legends of the Okefenokee Swamp. The Okefenokee, nearly 440,000 acres of bog and swamp lying in south Georgia and north Florida, is the largest blackwater wetland in North America. Almost all of these acres are protected by a National Wildlife Refuge, one of three access points to a land characterized by cypress, Spanish moss, and alligators. This book, with its broad overview of the Swamp and more detailed focus on certain aspects, has something for everyone, the nature-minded, history buffs, and regional culture enthusiasts. Read about the animals named for the Swamp--the Okefenokee fishing spider and zale moth--the history of lumbermen in the Swamp, the religious and musical practices of Swampers, and the novels and movies set in the Land of the Trembling Earth, including, of course, the infamous opossum, Pogo.

Author Biography

Marie Lathers grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, and spent summer vacations with her grandmother in Waycross, Georgia. Her first question when she arrived there was always, "When are we going to the Okefenokee?" Unlike her friends at home, she was never afraid of alligators--up to a point. Lathers holds advanced degrees in literature and has spent thirty-five years teaching literature, film and French to university students, mostly at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She has written scholarly books and articles and is trying her hand at creative writing for children.