These regionalist tales were written by women both famous and forgotten; they told stories about rural or otherwise isolated places; they often centered poor, disabled, or queer characters; and they frequently attempted to model beneficial relationships with land and community.

Many scholars see American literary regionalism as a short-lived movement. They say it lasted from the late 19th century until 1901, or maybe 1910. But the film adaptations produced from 1910-1961—a continuous half-century—demonstrate that the movement in fact spanned multiple mediums and continued to be marketed to national audiences well into the mid-20th century. As the film industry grew, regional stories transitioned from magazine pages to movie screens.