Title: Outside the Magic Circle: The Autobiography of Virginia Foster Durr (A Touchstone Book)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books
Publication Date: 1987
Language: English
ISBN 10: 0671638556
ISBN 13: 9780671638559
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
Weight: 1.14 pounds

About this title

Synopsis

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

Review

This extraordinary memoir by Virginia Foster Durr....both chronicles the emancipation of a "southern lady" and probes the mind and mores of her native region with rare insight, disarming candor, and engaging wit. That Mrs. Durr is a person of keen intelligence and an astute observer of human affairs who has been at or near the center of diverse movements that shaped contemporary America and radically altered the South greatly enhances the historical significance of this work....A consummate storyteller skilled in the use of pithy vignettes, Mrs. Durr knows the people and history of the South and is acutely sensitive to the contradictions, ironies, and absurdities that have plagued the region. 'Generation after generation, ' she remarked, 'the Southern people seem to think in terms that make no sense at all.' For those interested in attempting to make sense out of the South's encounter with the twentieth century, Virginia Durr's autobiography is essential reading." --Willard B. Gatewood, University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, in "The Journal of Southern History"" "Perhaps the strongest impression one takes away from the story of Virginia Foster Durr is of her conflict--the constant skirmishing between her inherited desire to be a Southern aristocrat and her acquired devotion to the role of political activist. She is a woman whose dedication to cvil rights cannot be extricated from her allegiance to traditional class structiures. Her triumph is that despite the ambivalence, she made the commitment and chose to pay the price." --Wendy Gimbel, "The Nation" ..".No let-up in fascination, and with a gift for dramatic marrative that any novelist would envy." --"The Washington Post Book World"

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Thrift Books Global LLC
18300 Cascade Ave S, Ste 150, Seattle, WA, 98188, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

We guarantee the condition of every book as it's described on the Abebooks website. If you're dissatisfied with your purchase or if the order hasn't arrived, you're eligible for a refund within 30 days of the estimated delivery date. Please use the "Ask bookseller a question" link to contact our dedicated Customer Service team and we will be happy to assist you.

Right of cancellation

If you are a consumer you can cancel 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 CANCELLATION

Statutory Right to cancel

You have the right to cancel this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.

The cancellation 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 the last good or the last lot or piece.

To exercise the right to cancel, you must inform us, Sierra Nevada Books, 880 North Hills Blvd., Suite 503, 89506, Reno, Nevada, U.S.A., 1 253-275-2251, of your decision to cancel this contract by a clear statement (e.g. a letter sent by post, fax or e-mail). You may use the attached model cancellation form, but it is not obligatory. You can also electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". If you use this option, we will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a cancellation on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.

To meet the cancellation deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right to cancel before the cancellation period has expired.

Effects of cancellation

If you cancel 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 cancel with 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 us or Sierra Nevada Books, Sierra Nevada Books ATTN: Returns, 2337 Centerline Industrial Dr, 63146, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., 1 253-275-2251, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your cancellation 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 cancellation

The right of cancellation does not apply to:

the delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
the supply of digital content (including ebooks) 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 cancel it once delivery had started.

Model withdrawal form

(complete and return this form only if you wish to withdraw from the contract)

To: (Sierra Nevada Books, 880 North Hills Blvd., Suite 503, 89506, Reno, Nevada, U.S.A., 1 253-275-2251)

I/We (*) hereby give notice that I/We (*) withdraw from my/our (*) contract of sale of the following goods (*)/for the provision of the following goods (*)/for the provision of the following service (*),

Ordered on (*)/received on (*)

Name of consumer(s)

Address of consumer(s)

Signature of consumer(s) (only if this form is notified on paper)

Date

* Delete as appropriate.

Shipping Terms

All domestic Standard and Expedited shipments are distributed from our warehouses by OSM, then handed off to the USPS for final delivery.

2-Day Shipping is delivered by FedEx, which does not deliver to PO boxes.

International shipments are tendered to the local postal service in the destination country for final delivery – we do not use courier services for international deliveries.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	4 to 8 business days	4 to 8 business days
First item	� 0.00	� 0.00

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.