Outside the Magic Circle - The Autobiography of Virginia Foster Durr
Hollinger F. Barnard (Editor); Virginia Foster Durr; Studs Terkel (Foreword by)
Language: English
Published by University of Alabama Press, 1990
- Softcover
- Used
Seller: Barclay Books, York, WA, AustraliaBarclay Books
AbeBooks seller since October 22, 2015
Condition: Used
£ 24.16
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Virginia Foster Durr is the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, and she was raised in Birmingham during the early years of this century. She attended Wellesley for two years, until her family's circumstances made it impossible for her to continue. Virginia's sister Josephine married Hugo Black; and in 1926 Virginia married a young lawyer named Clifford Durr. The Durrs moved to Washington shortly after Roosevelt's inauguration, and Clifford was one of the "bright young lawyers" whom the new president relied upon to draft the legislation establishing the New Deal. After World War II the Durrs moved to Denver, then to Montgomery, where Clifford became one of the few white lawyers to represent blacks in civil rights cases. During the Durrs' Washington years Virginia had been active in the movement to abolish the poll tax and in to her liberal causes; and back in Montgomery, she shared Clifford's commitment to the civil rights movement and served as an inspiration to liberals of both races. Virginia Durr has succeeded in articulating the pleasures and the difficulties of growing up female in the vigorous young city of Birmingham; the broadening (and in some ways also restricting) of young women's intellectual horizons and social life at Wellesley; and the excitement of the courtship and marriage of a proper young Southern girl of good family and poor circumstance. She brings to life the social and political climate of Washington during the New Deal and war years, where her close connection to Justice Black gave the Durrs access to people whom they might not have come to know otherwise. A victim of McCarthyism, Clifford returned with Virginia to Montgomery with no job and few prospects. Their decision to become engaged in the civil rights struggle was consistent with their lifelong commitment to follow their consciences, regardless of the social and economic consequences. "Virginia Durr said it: there were three ways for a well brought-up young Southern white woman to go. She could be the actress, playing out the stereotype of the Southern belle. Gracious to 'the colored help,' flirtatious to her powerful father-in-law, and offering a sweet, winning smile to the world. In short, going with the wind. If she had a spark of independence or worse, creativity, she could go crazy--on the dark, shadowy street traveled by more than one Southern belle. Or she could be the rebel. She could step outside the magic circle, abandon privilege, and challenge this way of life. Ostracism, bruised of all sorts, and defamation would be her lot. Her reward would be a truly examined life. And a world she would otherwise never have known." -- from the Foreword by Studs Terkel 1990. A trade paperback copy in very good condition with light tanning of the edges, partial sun fading of the wraps and a slight crease to the bottom corner of the front wrap. The contents are fine and unmarked.…
Seller Inventory # 19242985
- Title
- Outside the Magic Circle - The Autobiography of Virginia Foster Durr
- Author
- Hollinger F. Barnard (Editor); Virginia Foster Durr; Studs Terkel (Foreword by)
- Publisher
- University of Alabama Press
- Publication year
- 1990
- Binding
- Paperback
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0817305173
- ISBN 13
- 9780817305178
- Dimensions
- 1.1 Inches X 6 Inches X 9.3 Inches
Winner of the Alabama Library Author Award
Outside the Magic Circle tells the remarkable story of Virginia Foster Durr, a southern white woman born into privilige who (along with her husband Clifford Durr, a lawyer best known for defending Rosa Parks), nonetheless devoted her life to Civil Rights activism.
Outside the Magic Circle is the powerful and deeply personal autobiography of Virginia Foster Durr, a Southern woman who defied the expectations of her privileged upbringing to become one of the most courageous voices for civil rights and social justice in 20th-century America. Born into a wealthy, white Alabama family, Durr was raised in a world steeped in segregation and conservative values. Yet through a journey marked by moral reckoning, intellectual awakening, and political activism, she stepped outside the "magic circle" of Southern gentility to confront the injustices that shaped her world.
With a foreword by renowned oral historian Studs Terkel, this memoir captures Durr's transformation from reluctant conformist to outspoken advocate. Her story spans decades of American history--from the Great Depression and New Deal politics to the McCarthy era and the Civil Rights Movement. Alongside her husband, attorney Clifford Durr, Virginia became a key figure in progressive circles, working to abolish the poll tax, defend civil liberties, and support Black activists in the segregated South.
Told in Durr's own voice, the narrative is rich with anecdotes, reflections, and encounters with historical figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr. It is both a personal reckoning and a political document, offering rare insight into the inner conflicts of white Southern liberals and the cost of dissent in a deeply divided society.
Outside the Magic Circle is more than a memoir--it is a testament to the power of conscience, the courage of transformation, and the enduring fight for justice. It remains a vital resource for readers interested in civil rights history, feminist thought, and the complexities of Southern identity.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Hollinger F. Barnard is a native of Alabama and an attorney who lives in Birmingham.
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Barclay Books
York, WA, Australia
Shipping rates from Australia to U.S.A.
| Item | 10 to 14 business days | 6 to 9 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 24.49 | £ 30.14 |
Payment methods
Store description
Barclay Books is a new,used and rare book store situated in the beautiful historic town of York, Western Australia. York is Western Australia's oldest inland town and being only 100km from Perth it is popular with tourists for it's charming period buildings and scenic Avon Valley setting. We are long time book collectors ourselves and understand the needs of collectors in regards to accurate book descriptions. We welcome any enquiry regarding our stock prior to purchase. Our opening hours are usually 9am - 5pm Thurs to Sun and Public Holidays or by appointment.…
Specialty
Used and rareAssociation member
Seller's business information
Cygnus (WA) Pty Ltrd
151 Avon Tce
York, WA Australia 6302
Terms of sale
We guarantee the condition of every book as it is described on the Abebooks website. A full refund will be provided for any book returned as being not as described or that does not arrive within 30 days of the expected delivery date. Cygnus (WA) Pty Ltd as trustee for the Barclay Family Trust trading as Barclay Books. 151 Avon Tce, York WA 6302 AUSTRALIA info@barclaybooks.com.au 08 9411665 ABN 35 274 897 226 Clayton Smith DIRECTOR
Right of withdrawal
If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.
Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Barclay Books, York, Western Australia, Australia, +61 08 96411665, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to:
- The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
- The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.
Shipping terms
Orders are usually shipped with 3 business days of order. Books will all be securely packaged for shipping.