Covington, Dennis. Redneck Riviera: Armadillos, Uutlaws, and The Demise of an American Dream.COVINGTON Covington (kŭv`ĭngtən), city (1990 pop. 43,264), seat of Kenton co., N central Ky., at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers; inc. 1815. It is an industrial center, connected by bridges with Cincinnati across the Ohio and Newport across the Licking., Dennis. Redneck Riviera; armadillos armadillo (är'mədĭl`ō), New World armored mammal of the order Edentata, a group that also includes the sloth and the anteater, characterized by peglike teeth without roots or enamel. Armadillos are found from Argentina to Panama, with one species reaching the southern United States., outlaws, and the demise of an American dream. Counterpoint. 182p. c2004. 1-58243-296-1. $13.00. SA In a combination of the story of his childhood, his relationship with his father and his desire to reclaim his inherited 2.5 acres of worthless land in Florida, Covington describes his own feelings about his Southern roots. The book begins with his childhood family trips from Alabama to Florida, which culminated in his father's purchase of land in Central Florida. Unwittingly, his father had become part of the famous "swampland in Florida schemes" of the 1950s and '60s that went from bad (Cape Coral) to worst (River Ranch). As an adult, Covington hopelessly tried to save his inheritance as part of his homage to his father, but he ran into legal, but mostly illegal, roadblocks to the privileges of ownership. His pursuit ended with a hilarious, but dangerous, night raid through barricades put up by squatters and co-opters. In telling his own story, he illuminates the values and lifestyle of the typical "redneck" that, while having some of the cliched characteristics we all know, has other attributes as well, including a love for the land, family and one's right to one's own property. Covington occasionally wanders away from his topic, as in the case of the story of his childhood venture into armadillo sales, which he writes in a funny, self-mocking style, but even the diversions add to his brightly painted picture of life on the Redneck Riviera. Nola Nola (nô`lä), town (1991 pop. 32,613), in Campania, S Italy. It is an agricultural center with food-processing industries. An Etruscan stronghold as early as 500 B.C., Nola flourished after passing (c.316 B.C.) to Rome and was an important center of early Christianity. Theiss, Sanibel, FL S--Recommended for senior high school students. A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries. |
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