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Ashley Steenson on Muck Rack

Ashley Steenson

Birmingham
As seen in: Post Outlook, Newsday, History Today, Deep South Magazine, Alabama Heritage, Y'all.com
Covers:  Southern U.S. politics, ideas, and culture

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Ashley Steenson’s Biography

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I'm a PhD candidate in twentieth-century American political and cultural history at the University of Alabama, where I'm currently a History Department Dissertation Fellow (2025–2026). I received an MA in history and a graduate minor in women's studies from the University of Mississippi.

The title of my project is “Blacklisted Women: Lillian Hellman, Tallulah Bankhead, and Fredi Washington" (recipient of a New York Public Library short-term fellowship). Outside of academia, I've been published …

Ashley Steenson’s Journalist Portfolio

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Riverton: A Casualty of Change

Riverton: A Casualty of Change

Drafted in 1933 and first explained in a message to Congress by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Tennesse…

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The Art of Dionicio Rodríguez in Birmingham's Elmwood Cemetery

The Art of Dionicio Rodríguez in Birmingham's Elmwood Cemetery

Mexican artist Dionicio Rodríguez constructed a tree with a mushroom roof, a bridge with a Chinese lantern, a…

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To Understand Trump's Appeal, Look to Alabama History

To Understand Trump's Appeal, Look to Alabama History

The transformation of Alabama politics in the 1960s and 1970s reflected the rise of a new version of Republic…

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Mt. Nebo Cemetery and Issac Nettles's Death Mask Gravestones

Mt. Nebo Cemetery and Issac Nettles's Death Mask Gravestones

The handmade death mask gravestones designed by inventor Isaac “Ike” Nettles at Mt. Nebo Cemetery remain shro…

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The Politics of Tallulah Bankhead

The Politics of Tallulah Bankhead

American actress Tallulah Bankhead experienced a resurgence in popular culture after the release of Ryan Murp…

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Buddha, Bird City & Jungle Gardens

Buddha, Bird City & Jungle Gardens

Visit the magical land of the father of conservation in the South. by Ashley Steenson In 1920, a New York Tim…

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Articles

Buddha, Bird City & Jungle Gardens

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By Ashley Steenson
| Deep South Magazine Verified
Visit the magical land of the father of conservation in the South. by Ashley Steenson In 1920, a New York Times journalist called scientist, businessman, writer, explorer and Tabasco heir E.A. McIlhenny the “father of conservation in the South.” McIlhenny founded two wildlife refuges in Louisiana, including his own Jungle Gardens.
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Water Valley, Mississippi, and the Legend of Casey Jones

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By Ashley Steenson
| Deep South Magazine Verified
By Ashley Steenson Over the past decade, the small town of Water Valley, Mississippi, has been recommended by publications like Garden & Gun, Southern Living and The New York Times. A half hour’s drive from the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Water Valley is home to well-loved small businesses like B.T.C. Old-Fashioned Grocery and Violet Valley Books.
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The Delta Mansion That Inspired Tennessee Williams

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By Ashley Steenson
| Deep South Magazine Verified
A history of the J.W. Cutrer House in Clarksdale, Mississippi. by Ashley Steenson For the 1951 film directed by Elia Kazan, Southern playwright Tennessee Williams was forced to add a happy ending to his 1947 play “A Streetcar Named Desire.” As the Hays Code mandated self-censorship of films through the 1960s, Williams was accustomed to the censorship of his plays, which often depicted characters who were seen as morally corrupt at the time.
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