Reprinted 2009, University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, South Carolina

Written by Jerry Blackwelder
Illustrated by Jim Harrison

In "Pathways to a Southern Coast" Jim Harrison departs from his rustic paintings in the book, which includes oils, watercolors, and pencil sketches, are hauntingly beautiful and capture the peculiar beauty of the Southern coast. Here are sand dunes, salt marshes, lighthouses, palmetto palms, fishing shacks, all in the inimitable Harrison style. In his accompanying text, Jerry Blackwelder uses words to capture this beauty and nostalgia. In explaining how important the coast has been to the South, he discusses its surrounding folklore and its traditions, its natural history and ecology, always returning to its natural beauty. Taken together, the paintings and text make up a sentimental journey to the Southern coast.