Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964) was an American author known for her Southern Gothic style, blending dark humor with themes of faith, morality, and human struggle. Her works, like A Good Man is Hard to Find and Wise Blood, often feature grotesque characters and explore complex religious themes. Raised in Georgia and deeply influenced by her Catholic faith, O’Connor became a major figure in 20th-century American literature, despite her early death from lupus.
Charles Hughes-Huff is Assistant Professor of Scripture Studies at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. Hughes-Huff earned his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago in 2019. Hughes Huff teaches courses in Bible, languages, archeology, ethics and social justice, Christian mysticism, and Catholic Studies. He’s an Area Supervisor and Historian for the Baluʿa Regional Archaeological Project with excavations in Khirbat al-Baluʿa, Jordan. A Texan with Mississippi roots, Hughes-Huff loves southern literature and repairs to it personally and pedagogically whenever possible.