Reviewed by: Grace Howard
Sean of the South on Birmingham, his chosen family + his latest novel
Reading time: 6 minutes
You may have heard of “Sean of the South,” a Birmingham-based, Southern-fried musician, storyteller, podcaster and unintentional social media star who’s amassed nearly 300,000 devoted followers across the globe.
But if you ask him—and by him we mean Sean Dietrich, the man behind the handle—he’ll tell you:
“I’m an author, a multi-instrumentalist, a biscuit connoisseur…and a fool.”
Sean Dietrich, aka Sean of the South
As this “fool” is getting ready to hit the road to promote his 18th published book, “Over Yonder,” we sat a spell on his Avondale front porch, talking about mutual friends that have become family—Birmingham is a delightfully small town, it keeps reminding me—what inspired his work and where you can find him when he’s off the road and off the porch.
Why Birmingham feels like home
When Sean’s not touring around the country, reading essays and excerpts from his written words, he’s finding modern wisdom in the old songs he performs, inspirations in new written work and, he says, still figuring out who he is. And falling more in love with his adopted hometown of Birmingham.
Four years ago, Sean and his wife Jamie made a big decision: They packed up their belongings and moved to Birmingham.
“We had friends and family here we had been coming to visit for a long time. And with each trip, we decided that we’d really like to live here.
It’s been the best part of my life. Birmingham feels like a small town, unlike any of the other big cities that I’ve visited. It’s those 99 neighborhoods that join together, and each neighborhood is individual, and everybody knows everybody at the grocery store.
It feels like a big small town, and I just love that.”
Sean Dietrich, aka Sean of the South
Readers will find nods to Birmingham in his latest novel, but it’s the South as its own entity that plays a heavier hand in setting the scene for Sean’s written and musical work. As he says, “it’s where I am and what I know.”
“But, more importantly, it’s a culture that’s being threatened by modernization, and I feel it’s important to preserve the folkways of our ancestors—and when I say ancestors, I don’t mean distant kin that we can’t remember, like in a photograph.
I mean the people who raised us, the people who are still in our lives and those who came from another era with traditions that it’s our turn to pass on.
So through writing, I try to make a positive commentary on those things, but also encourage others to embrace them, propagate the traditions and share them with others—not just Southerners, with everybody.”
Sean Dietrich, aka Sean of the South
The journey to “Over Yonder”
Now, about that new book…”Over Yonder” might, on first glance, fall into that beloved category of “Southern-Gothic road trip for redemption,” but there’s humor and heart woven throughout. Moments where Sean taps into his own complicated past to find the light. At the center is family, or at least how Sean defines it.
“My book primarily deals with ‘found’ family, which is a concept I love. I love the idea that not everybody who’s biologically related to you is necessarily your deepest family connection, but the people that you find along the way, your friends, become this chosen family.
Everybody in my life who I’ve found along the way has ended up filling the void of a human connection, even more so than family.
And so, my book—all my books, really—but this book in particular, focuses on found family, and I wanted to write a love letter to that.”
Sean Dietrich, aka Sean of the South
But lest you forget why Sean has found so much connection with strangers via the internet, he’s really funny, too.
“My attempt at telling any story that could be hard to tell is to tell it with humor so that people can take that attitude into their own daily life. And when they’re going through anything, good or bad, that they can find the humor in it. Because if you can’t laugh, you might as well be dead.
Truly in my life and in my writing, I try to bring warmth but also a light sense of humor to everything that we go through, and that I go through. Otherwise, what are we doing?”
Sean Dietrich, aka Sean of the South
Where will the road lead Sean next?
Sean has a busy few months ahead. As soon as he was done chatting with us, he was packing up to head out and share his stories and excerpts from his new book. His next Birmingham appearance isn’t for a bit (see below), but here’s where you can find him “Over Yonder” around the state in the meantime:
- Greenville, Ala: Thursday, October 9 at the Ritz Theatre | More info
- Alexander City, Ala: Friday, October 10 at the Betty Carol Graham Technology Center with Three on a String | More info
- Fort Payne, Ala: Saturday, November 15 at the Fort Payne Opera House | More info
- Enterprise, Ala: Friday, December 5 at Jimmy H. Baker Center for the Arts | More info
- Opelika, Ala: Sunday, December 7, details TBD | More info
- Columbiana, AL: Sunday, December 14, SOLD OUT | More info
- Birmingham, AL: Tuesday, December 16 at the Virginia Samford Theatre | More info
When Sean gets back from this journey, you’ll likely find him in the same place you’d find Woody, the main character in “Over Yonder”—a brewery.
“If Woody Barker were in Birmingham, he would probably be at a brewery, which is why I moved to Avondale…because I can’t step out of my front door without falling into a brewery. Which is wonderful.”
When I asked Sean if he had a favorite spot for suds, he elected to plead the fifth.
“Someone might shoot me. I like them all, and I’ve never met a beer I don’t like!”
Sean Dietrich, aka Sean of the South
Find Sean of the South on his website, his Instagram and his books wherever your favorite authors’ work is sold (here are a few local shops we’re partial to).
