What is the most common perception in this country about Southerners and their way of life? Most people's perception of life here in the South is one of slow-paced living, simple-minded people, and stubborn, unjustified pride. One of the best ways to combat this perception is to use humor; Lewis Grizzard was one of the best at this field because he could take the experiences of his own life as well as those of others in the South and turn them into humorous semi-fictional stories. He was one of the most prominent fiction writers this country has ever known because of his ability to connect with people and joke about daily life in the South, without offending the subjects of those jokes, despite the popular opinion in the rest of the country. The story of Lewis Grizzard began on the twentieth day of October nineteen hundred and forty-six in Columbus, Georgia. He was born to an Army soldier, Lewis Grizzard Sr., and a schoolteacher, Christine; they later divorced and Lewis and his mother moved to Moreland, a small town near Newnan. Grizzard received his bachelor's degree in journalism in 1968, after which he went to work for the Atlanta Journal and Constitution as a sports writer. During his college years at the University of Georgia, he "eschewed the school newspaper in favor of the independent Athens Daily News," according to the biography written by his wife (D. Girzzard). Sadly, the literary world suffered a great loss when Grizzard died of a congenital heart defect in March 1994. He began his career early, writing for the Newnan Times-Herald about his little baseball team. After college, he moved from paper to paper as... middle of paper ...... and issues facing our world today. Ultimately, everyone could learn a lot from a writer who was never afraid to share his opinion on any subject, no matter what others thought about it. This shows that no matter how much an opinion differs from the majority or popular opinion, everyone still has the right and responsibility to make it known. Works cited1. Staff reporter. "(You can't put Boogie-Woogie on the King of Ronk and Roll)." Tulsa World November 1991.2. Applebome, Peter. “Is it true what he says about Dixie?” The New York Times April 8, 1990.3. Girzzard, Debra. Don't Lock Me In: An Anecdotal Biography of Lewis Grizzard. Longstreet Press, 1995.4. Grizzard, Lewis. I haven't understood anything since 1962 and other Nekkid truths. Ballantins Books, 1992.5. Williams, Monte. “Diamond in the rough.” People April 4 1994: 86.