After reading "A Good Man Is Hard To Find" yesterday, I can't deny that O'Connor was an amazing writer. The issue of race is impossible to ignore though, so I'm keen to read further. I'd like to see how much of the racist sentiment in her work is her own, and how much is a reflection of what she saw around her. The introduction to this book, by Robert Fitzgerald, hints at the issue. It wouldn't be a credible discussion of Flannery O'Connor if it didn't. I'd like to believe that she was highlighting the racist attitudes of the time and place in order to effect change, but I suspect the answer lies somewhere in between the two extremes. For the time being, I'll continue to read the odd story and see if I can get closer to the truth.