Welcome to South By Southeast: A Gamecock History Newsletter!

Welcome, friends, and thanks for stopping by South By Southeast. My name is Alan Piercy. I’m a Columbia, South Carolina native, and have lived in Raleigh, North Carolina since 2010. Like a lot of people who move away from home, the experience has deepened my appreciation of where I came from, and helped me see it through a different lens.

Like many native Southerners, I have always been drawn to history. It was inescapable growing up in the Palmetto State, to which my fellow Sandlappers can readily attest. (By the way, who among us of a certain age can still recite the words to “We Are Good Sandlappers”? Most of us, I’d guess.)

We are proud of our history, and simultaneously appalled by the darkest parts of it, but always fascinated by it and drawn to it. I majored in history at Carolina more years ago than I care to count. My interest in history generally, and that of my native state in particular, has only deepened over time.

This newsletter, and my book, A Gamecock Odyssey: University of South Carolina Sports in the Independent Era, have been a creative catharsis outside of my 9-to-5 job in the corporate world, and a fun way to combine my deep love of history and Gamecock athletics. I’m thrilled to be able to share them with you here.

What to expect

You have enough to worry about - a fragile economy, ongoing political instability, a bourgeoning climate crisis, and those all-important SEC standings. Don’t add the concern of missing updates to this newsletter to the list!

Every new edition of South by Southeast goes directly to your inbox. You’ll have access to the archives as well.

Many Substack newsletters have both free and paid versions, and rightfully so - there is some awesome content out there, and paid subscriptions help support great writing. That said, South by Southeast will remain free to access and read for the foreseeable future.

So, if you like what you see here, and know of others who would as well, please spread the word and share a link! Your readership is always valued and appreciated.

Thanks again, friends, and “Forever To Thee!”