Downtown Athens is home to the University of Georgia and Bitter Southerner writer Laura Relyea.

Downtown Athens is home to the University of Georgia and Bitter Southerner writer Laura Relyea. / Flickr

Southern accents are inexplicably linked to a sense of culture, identity and community. They can also summon stereotypes about intelligence and education, something writer Laura Relyea found when her family moved from Charlotte to Chicago when she was young. 

Relyea explored her relationship to her own North Carolina drawl on a recent episode of "The Bitter Southerner Podcast." Her story of losing and finding her way back to her accent resonated with listeners all over Georgia. She joined "On Second Thought" to discuss how accents form a pillar of Southern identity.

 "On Second Thought" host Virginia Prescott speaks with Laura Relyea.

An excerpt of Relyea's piece called "With Drawl," along with her conversation with Bitter Southerner editor Chuck Reece, is featured on the season finale of "The Bitter Southerner Podcast." The podcast is a collaboration between GPB and The Bitter Southerner magazine.

 

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