))
Debutante culture in the South is fancy and persistent -- and often very secretive. In "Recovering Debs," writer and former debutante Mary Lambeth Moore examines the shadow side of high society in North Carolina, the only state that continues to have a statewide debutante ball. The podcast begins with a story from the 1960s when a young woman's prominent father made her debut a matter of life-and-death. Subsequent episodes include interviews with more recent state debutantes and academic exp ...
…
continue reading
Continuing the conversation with Anna Shelton-Ormond, we dive into a more analytical view of NC’s debutante scene. Anna’s research indicates that many NC debs are ambivalent in some way. So with all this ambivalence, why does the debutante tradition continue? Turns out that strong social, economic and cultural incentives exist that may keep it in p…
…
continue reading
What is North Carolina's state debutante ball really like? Former debutante and PhD student Anna Shelton-Ormond walks us through the rituals of the ball—including the famous decorated stools—and describes her personal experience. “It felt very ritualistic and very fake. It felt like my family was performing some kind of part in a play that just did…
…
continue reading
We turn our attention to NC's statewide debutante ball and hear from a more recent debutante. Anna from eastern NC talks about her experience: the bribe her older sister received, how Anna's thinking about deb culture changed over time, and the curious advice she received from an elder former debutante: Don't get too drunk. We also hear the Durham …
…
continue reading
1
Under Pressure: A Very Reluctant Debutante - Part 2
33:36
33:36
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:36
Lisa Grabarek continues her story as a resistant debutante: Her reaction to her father's threat, the aftermath, and the surprising conversations with her parents that took place years later. She wraps it up with a cathartic purge in her family's home, plus advice to would-be debs.By Mary Lambeth Moore
…
continue reading
1
Under Pressure: A Very Reluctant Debutante - Part 1
26:03
26:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:03
In the 1960s, Mayor Wense Grabarek became nationally known as he led Durham, NC through a tumultuous period of desegregation. He was praised as a civil rights champion and a skilled peacemaker, but his household became a battleground as he and his wife insisted that their daughter, Lisa, make her Durham debut. Lisa tells the story of arguments and …
…
continue reading
