Delta Magazine July/August 2025

Delta

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OUTDOOR LIVING

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SUMMER RECIPES

Morgan Freeman‘s

SYMPHONIC BLUES EXPERIENCE

Summer Bucket List

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3 BEDROOMS STARTING AT $2400 A MONTH 662.550.0467 I LOCATED JUST OFF THE HISTORIC SQUARE IN OXFORD

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Publisher: J. Scott Coopwood Editor in Chief: Cindy Coopwood Managing Editor: Taylor Armstrong Director of Production: Pam Parker Director of Special Projects: Arlette Thompson Contributing Editors: Maude Schuyler Clay, Lea Margaret Hamilton, Jim “Fish” Michie, Brantley Snipes, Roger Stolle, Kelli Williams Website: Gregory Braggs Consultant: Samir Husni, Ph.D. Graphic Designers: Sandra Goff, Denton Reed Copy Editor: Suzanne Durfey Contributing Writers: Jim Beaugez, John C. Cox, Joey Lee, Sherry Lucas, Lizzie Powers, Brantley Snipes, Wade S. Wineman, Jr. Photography: Austin Britt, Rory Doyle, Blake Gore, Johnny Jennings, Anna Satterfield Account Executives: Joy Bateman, Melanie Dupree, Cristen Hemmins, Kristy Kitchings, Wendy Mize, Ann Nestler, Sherri Russell, Cadey True Circulation: Lyndsi Naron Accounting Manager: Holly Tharp POSTMASTER: Send all address changes to

Delta Magazine, PO Box 117, Cleveland, MS 38732

ADVERTISING: For advertising information, please call 662.843.2700 Delta Magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials or photos and in general does not return them to sender. Photography obtained for editorial usage is owned by Delta Magazine and may not be released for commercial use such as in advertisements and may not be purchased from the magazine for any reason. All editorial and advertising information is taken from sources considered to be authoritative, but the publication cannot guarantee their accuracy. Neither that information nor any opinion expressed on the pages of Delta Magazine in any way constitutes a solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities mentioned. No material in Delta Magazine may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publication. Delta Magazine is published bimonthly by Coopwood Magazines, Inc., 125 South Court St., Cleveland, MS 38732-2626. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, MS and additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Delta Magazine, PO Box 117, Cleveland, MS 38732-0117. Delta Magazine (USPS#022-954)

Delta Magazine is published six times a year by Coopwood Magazines, Inc. EDITORIAL & BUSINESS OFFICE ADDRESSES: Mailing Address: PO Box 117, Cleveland, MS 38732 Shipping Address: 125 South Court Street, Cleveland, MS 38732 E-mail: publisher@deltamagazine.com editor@deltamagazine.com

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We’ve Officially Moved!

Find us now at the Laurelwood Shopping Center: 406 S Grove Park Road, Memphis, TN 38117

Come see us and explore the new space!

406 S GROVE PARK ROAD, MEMPHIS, TN 38117 | TUES-FRI: 10-4, SAT: BY APPOINTMENT | 901.488.8504 INFO@GOETZEARTANDDESIGN.COM | GOETZEARTANDDESIGN.COM | @GOETZEARTDESIGN DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

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grammymuseums.org 800 West Sunflower Road Cleveland, MS 38732

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from the editor

DM July

JULY/AUGUST 2008

DELTA M

Cheers to the Years

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ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

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DELTA

Volume 2, JULY/AUGUSTNo. 1 2004

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DELTA MAGAZINE

e’re feeling 22 around the Delta Magazine offices— pardon the Taylor Swift reference, but I couldn’t Morgan Freeman’s resist. As we celebrate our 22nd anniversary, it’s a perfect DELTA time to reflect on the stories and faces that have graced our covers over the years—especially in our July/August issues, Clarksdale BLUES SCENE our annual birthday issue.

Last year, actor Andrew McCarthy appeared on our Julia Reed cover and shared reflections from his first journey through the Mississippi OUTDOOR ROO MS Delta. Over the years, we’ve been proud to spotlight icons like Bobbie Gentry, Robert Plant, B.B. King, Charlie Pride, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Black Keys, and film producer and Belzoni native Larry Gordon.

This year, we’re thrilled to feature the incomparable Morgan Freeman on our cover—a thirdtime appearance for the Charleston, Mississippi native. Morgan is not only an Academy Award-winning actor but a beloved figure in the Delta. We first photographed him in 2004 with his late friend and business partner, Bill Luckett, when they (along with Howard Stovall) had just opened Ground Zero Blues Club. That cover story celebrated the vibrant Clarksdale blues scene and the club’s role in capturing and preserving its spirit. Now, twenty-four years later, Clarksdale is recognized worldwide as the blues Mecca. Freeman appeared on our cover again in 2008, pictured on the railroad tracks next to Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale for a story touting his love for and investment in this unique place from which he hails.

This year’s anniversary feels especially meaningful as we celebrate both our 22nd year and Ground Zero’s 24th. The club, along with others including Red’s, Levon’s, and the Juke Joint Festival, has helped put Clarksdale on the global blues map. Just this past New Year’s Eve, CNN broadcast live from Ground Zero.

Now, Morgan is once again amplifying the Delta blues—this time on a global scale—with Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience. In collaboration with GZBC partners Eric Meier and Howard Stovall, this We had a great visit with Morgan and Linda Keena at the immersive live concert blends the gritty soul of Mississippi blues with the Ground Zero photo shoot. grandeur of symphonic orchestras. Delta artists such as Anthony “Big A” Sherrod, and others have already taken the stage in Ireland, Austria, Brazil, and back here at home in Savannah, Georgia. A U.S. tour kicks off this summer, starting in San Francisco, and will travel all over the country. Be sure to read Jim Beaugez’s excellent feature on this groundbreaking project on page 66 (and check the tour dates on their website). You just might catch the blues while on the road.

Back at home, there’s plenty to celebrate in the Delta this summer. We’ve packed this issue with festive red, white, and blue recipes—from appetizers to desserts—perfect for your July 4th menu. You’ll also find fresh, flavorful salads and a kid-friendly peanut butter snack board that’s as fun as it is delicious.

If porch living is more your speed, you’ll love our feature on outdoor spaces. We asked local architects, builders, and designers to share their best tips for creating the perfect porch or patio for Then and Now: The summer entertaining. And don’t miss our latest tablescape photo first time I met shoot, set right on my own front porch!

Morgan—with my Prefer a staycation this summer? “Our Delta Summer Bucket oldest son, Thomas, List” is your go-to guide for local adventures—from festivals to at age three, on my hidden gems worth discovering. hip—28 years ago in Here’s to a joyful, music-filled, and memory-making summer our home in Shelby. in the Mississippi Delta. DM M

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Essential MEM PHIS

Bill Luckett and Morgan Freeman of Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale.

summer recipes

Cindy Coopwood Editor in Chief @cindycoopwood | editor@deltamagazine.com 10 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

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contents JULY/AUGUST Volume 23, No. 1

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departments

42 BOOKS Reviews of new releases and ANNA SATTERFIELD

what Deltans are reading now

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44 SHOPPING Porch perfect finds for summer living

46 ART BLAKE GORE From miniature to masterpiece

52 MUSIC

WILL GRIFFITH: THE GREAT DYING Taking his alt-country, Americana music on the road

74 HOME: OUTOOR LIVING Tips & trends from builders and designers for your outdoor space

91 DIY CITRONELLA JARS Keep mosquitoes at bay—with style 98 FOOD RED, WHITE, & DELICIOUS

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features

RORY DOYLE

ANNA SATTERFIELD

Outdoor kitchens with Brantley Snipes, page 84

58 Greenwood’s Basketball Phenom Falando Jones

Recipes for July 4th Fresh roundup of summer recipes, page 106

112 HISTORY A FERRY TALE The origins of the Helena Ferry

lnstilling work ethic, confidence, and character at WerkHorse Academy

64 Summer Bucket List

Check the boxes and make memories on these long, sunny days with a Delta-style bucket list!

66 Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience Pairing gritty Delta blues with symphonies around the world 92 Set for Summer

Effortless tablescapes to inspire your next porch gathering

ON THE COVER: Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience founders—Eric Meier, Morgan Freeman, and Howard Stovall—at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale. Photo by Rory Doyle.

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in every issue 18 Letters 26 On the Road Where we’ve been, where we’re going next

30 Off the Beaten Path Roaming the real and rustic Delta

34 Hot Topics 118 Events 122 Delta Seen 128 The Final Word by John C. Cox

THE GUITAR AND A CHANGING NATION

Explore the guitar’s influence on American history, culture and politics.

The guitar is one of the most enduring icons in American history. And the story of “The Crossroads” is one of America’s most enduring myths. The musician who sells their soul on a lonely country road for fame and wealth is a

legend that is uniquely American. Crossroads also define times of immense and wrenching change.

Come experience how that change evolved at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta where myth, music and history converge.

EXHIBITION RUNS MAY 31 THRU SEPTEMBER 2025 AND IS PRESENTED BY:

! ! !""! # $%&

Over 120 Years of Combined Experience!

Welcoming our new provider, Lauren S. Mize, FNP-C

Meet our team!

Katie W. Sartin, CFNP • Shani K. Meck, M.D. Lindsey M. Turner, M.D. • Michelle Taheri, M.D. Missy J. McMinn, M.D. • Donna G. Breeland, M.D. Sharon K. Brown, CFNP

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GOOD VIBES FOR ALL .....

Discover outdoor fun, wide open spaces, and more.

FIVE THINGS TO DO IN MERIDIAN: 1. Explore the trails at Bonita Lakes.

2. Soak up the sun and enjoy a day on the water.

Follow The Music

3. Cool off and make a splash at the scenic Dunn’s Falls.

4. Watch the sun go down and rise to the rhythm of nature.

5. Feel the beat at an unforgettable outdoor concert.

VisitMeridian.com

LETTERS MAY/JUNE 2025

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Red Panther Brewing Co. Clarksdale’s new brew hub

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Obsessed with Olives

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RECIPES TO MAKE RIGHT NOW

Vicksburg at 200

Celebrating the Key City’s Bicentennial

Farmers’ Market Roundup Shade Garden Tips

from Jessica Milam

Join us in celebrating 22 YEARS of stories rooted in cotton fields, catfish tales, and the Mississippi mud, music, and magic of the Delta.

Get a year subscription FOR JUST $

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(REGULAR $28)

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My wife and I grew up in Clarksdale, Mississippi, but we live in New Orleans.

We try to stay in touch with our roots in the Mississippi Delta, and Delta Magazine helps bring the best of the Delta into our home.

Delta Magazine also is inspirational.

Recently, several of our Louisiana friends “called the question” and insisted I arrange a trip to the Delta. I began by scheduling the trip around the 2025 Juke Joint Festival. As I was developing our itinerary late last year, our copy of Delta Magazine arrived. As I devoured the edition, editor Cindy Coopwood’s letter in which she shared her ideas for entertaining visitors to the Delta caught my attention. Some of the ideas were on my list, but others intrigued and inspired me. So, I picked up the phone and gave her a call—to which she promptly responded and, as they say, the rest is history.

With the dust having settled on our trip to the Delta, I thought I would share some of the high points with your readers.

The recommendation to contact and work with Scott Barretta was masterful.

Scott joined us for our all-day romp around the Delta. We began our day at the B.B. King Museum and having him with us was, as we say in Louisiana, lagniappe. His insight to the exhibits was amazing—especially the parts he wrote or curated. We then traveled to the Grammy Museum in Cleveland. We could have spent the whole day there, but Scott helped guide us through to take in some of the amazing exhibits.

After grabbing sandwiches in Cleveland, we made the quick trip to Dockery Farms.

We enjoyed our lunch there while Bill Lester provided a memorable lecture about Dockery Farms and Charlie Patton and farming and the blues. Another highlight and fantastic recommendation.

We set up base camp at the The Alluvian in Greenwood, and really appreciate all the help from Ashley Farmer, executive director

of the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau, who was the quintessential host while we were there. We dined at Giardina’s Restaurant in The Alluvian, which has a very nice menu with private dining booths that reminded us of some fine restaurants in New Orleans. We were also particularly impressed with Fan and Johnny’s—the food, venue, and service were all first class. We especially enjoyed visiting with Chef Taylor Bowen-Ricketts and listening to some great stories and talking about food!

We topped off the weekend adventure at the Juke Joint Festival. It is quite an event!

We enjoyed some cold brews and hot blues at Red Panther Brewing Co., which is a must-see venue in Clarksdale.

Thanks to these tips and suggestions, we were introduced to great people, great venues, great food, and great music. It was a memorable trip. Thank you, Delta Magazine!

William M. Backstrom, Jr. New Orleans, Louisiana

Back in 2016, I was just a girl with a table full of handmade organic body products, herbs, and teas at Livingston Farmers Market, dreaming big under a tent in the Mississippi heat. That same year, I made it into Madison Hometown Magazine and I remember saying then—one day, I want to be in the Delta Magazine. That was my personal milestone. My gold standard.

Now, nine years later—here I am.

Looking back, the journey feels like a blur of long days, late nights, hard lessons, and beautiful moments. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth every second.

Thank you, Delta Magazine, for featuring me. As a girl from the Delta, this is the dream. I’m so incredibly humbled and beyond grateful. This one’s for every farmers’ market vendor with a vision and a whole lotta grit. Keep going.

Caroline Warner Ridgeland, Mississippi

Y’all Said SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS @deltamagazine

We Asked...

Many Southerners love to salt their watermelon slices…What’s your favorite quirky Southern food combo?

Peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich— what I eat when I’m hungry but have no appetite. – Waid Prather Salt always. – Lucia Madey Eating potato salad in the same bowl with gumbo and rice. – Phillip Rhoads I put peanuts in my Coke. – Leighton Miller Chow chow on greens! – Marilyn Cox Cornbread and onions in my buttermilk!

– Paul Parker Yes! Always, salt on watermelon (and cantaloupe, apples, oranges, lemons—love it!)

No peanuts in Cokes. My daddy ate cornbread crumbled in buttermilk. Ate it out of a glass with a spoon like he was eating a bowl of cereal. Never could get into that.

– Dean Brantley Cheddar cheese to nibble on with waffles or pancakes. – Ellington Massey Fried corn, and salt and pepper on cantaloupe.

– @jlsleep

SEND COMMENTS AND LETTERS TO: editor@deltamagazine.com or Delta Magazine PO Box 117 Cleveland, MS 38732 DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

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WE’RE HERE FOR ALL YOUR HUNTING, FISHING, AND OUTDOOR NEEDS!

Visit our indoor gun and archery ranges!

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VISIT

TATE COUNTY

this summer!

SHOP. Dine. Splash.

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Hunting for History

PHOTO BY ANNA REGINELLI

The first inhabitants of the Mississippi Delta built their homes on the region’s highest ground—locations that would later draw early settlers in the 1870s to homestead on those very same sites. Today, these elevated areas reveal a rich layering of cultural history from prehistoric times to the 18th century. Among the artifacts discovered—alongside arrowheads and pottery shards—marbles have become a prized discovery for relic hunters. Once a common pastime for both children and adults, these marbles were crafted from glass, pottery, and even stone, with the oldest examples dating back centuries. Their presence offers a playful yet poignant glimpse into the lives of those who once called the Delta home.DM

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ON THE ROAD

where we’ve been, where to go next

Don’t be fooled by this mounted crop-duster at Box Airfield in the town of Sunflower. – GAVIN BIRD

Stan Street’s must-stop in Clarksdale for great music, art, and a cold beer! – DELTA MAGAZINE

PHOTO OPS

The amazing new mural by Andrea Kostyal is three to four stories tall and features many of the city’s iconic buildings, as well as the famous Mississippi River bridges. – MARTY KITTRELL Instagram users, follow @deltamagazine

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The Martin and Sue King Railroad Museum in Cleveland is summer ready. – DELTA MAGAZINE

The late speaker of the Mississippi House, Buddie Newman, collected railroad equipment and rail cars, which remain on the old tracks in his native Issaquena County. – MARTY KITTRELL

Patriot grain bin near Tiptonville, Tennessee. – LARRY HENDERSON

& FUNKY STOPS Sunset on a beautiful Delta bayou on farmland near Doddsville in Sunflower County. – MECHELLE GENTRY WILSON

Ghost sign from days gone by spotted in Holcomb. – CYNTHIA RAFLER Gorgeous bluff along the Buffalo River in Arkansas. – HART HENSON Facebook users, follow @deltamagazine

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OFF THE BEATEN PATH roaming the real and rustic Delta

HOMETOWN RESTAURANT A taste of home in Inverness

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HE HOMETOWN RESTAURANT IN INVERNESS IS MORE THAN JUST A PLACE TO EAT—it’s a place

where the community gathers, conversations flow, and the food speaks for itself.

“We cater to everybody,” says manager Krissy Morganti. “Whether you’re in the mood for a sandwich or steak, we’ve got something for you.”

Opened in the early 1990s by Mark Gary, a longtime crop-dusting pilot who wanted to create a welcoming space for everyone. Now, at 78, he still runs the restaurant with the same hands-on approach that made it a Delta favorite.

Hometown Restaurant certainly lives up to its name. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows each other—or soon will. “It’s really a local hangout,” says Krissy. “We get regulars from Inverness and people from surrounding communities, too. And once people come in, they usually come back.”

The menu is broad enough to satisfy any craving.

During the week, the items of choice are more casual, mostly their sandwiches. On weekends, the most popular items are their steaks. The ribeye is one of the favorite dishes, and for good reason.

But probably the star of the menu is the grilled chicken with “the works”—two chicken breasts piled high with onions, peppers, cheese, and bacon. “That one’s my favorite,” Krissy added.

Seafood lovers rave about the fried shrimp, which she says is “probably the best around.” And if you’re looking for something truly unique, try one of Marks original creations—like his “redneck spaghetti,” a bold, anything-goes pasta dish full of flavor, or his signature roast, made with a recipe he keeps a closely guarded secret.

The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m., offering good food, fair prices, and friendly service every night.

“It’s not just about the meal,” says Krissy. “It’s the atmosphere and the people. There’s just something special about this place.”

704 East Grand Avenue, Inverness 662.265.5753 Facebook: Hometown Restaurant

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Located in the tiny Delta hamlet of Inverness, Hometown Restaurant is known to have some of best steaks and seafood in the region.

LEE’S HEAVENLY BARBEQUE Feeding the Body—and the Soul

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Lee’s Heavenly Barbecue offers tender ribs, smoked rib tips and rich, soul food dishes like macaroni and hand-sliced sweet potatoes.

HEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE DOORS OF LEE’S HEAVENLY BARBEQUE IN EDWARDS, you’ll feel

like you’ve come home. A cozy, family-oriented restaurant that’s been serving up soul food for a decade, Lee’s is more than a place to eat—it’s a cornerstone of the community.

Founded by Renita Myles-Lee and her husband after relocating from Chicago, the restaurant was born out of a desire to meet a need. “We saw there weren’t many healthy food options here,” says MylesLee. “We started street vending to test the waters, and once we saw how much the community responded, we opened the restaurant.”

That was ten years ago. Since then, Lee’s Heavenly Barbeque has become a hometown favorite known for fall-off-the-bone ribs, smoked rib tips, and rich, soulful options like macaroni and handsliced sweet potatoes.

Each dish is rooted in family tradition, using secret recipes passed down from family members through the years. “We tap into our ancestors with every meal,” she says. “And it’s all made with love.”

Customers rave not only about the flavorful brisket and daily specials like Cajun seafood pasta but also about how welcome they feel.

“Our personality brings them back,” says Monike Myles, Renita’s daughter and the restaurant’s marketing director. “We’re in business to be a blessing.”

And the blessing goes far beyond the table. Over the years, Lee’s Heavenly Barbeque has given away more than 3,500 school supply-filled backpacks, provided toys and food to families during the pandemic, honored area elderly residents with meals and celebrations, and even fed tornado victims and rescue workers in Rolling Fork. The family also runs a senior meals-on-wheels program and plans to start a nonprofit to support youth in the community.

Recently ranked 3rd in The Clarion-Ledger’s list of top restaurants outside Jackson, the small eatery continues to grow its impact. As Renita puts it, “We wanted to be the seed planter to bring something back and encourage others to invest in the community.”

Lee’s Heavenly Barbeque is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.—but its influence lingers far beyond closing time.

114 South Main Street, Edwards; 773.351.1069 Facebook: Lee’s Heavenly Barbecue DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

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We’re feeling 22!

JULY/AUGUST 2025

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OUTDOOR LIVING

Join us in celebrating 22 years of stories rooted in cotton fields, catfish tales, and the Mississippi mud, music, and magic of the Delta.

RECIPES 14 SUMMER

Morgan Freeman‘s

SYMPHONIC BLUES EXPERIENCE

Summer Bucket List

Get a year subscription FOR JUST $22 (REGULAR $28) deltamagazine.com

DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

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HOT TOPICS JABEAUX’S CRAWFISH Serving up a spicy Delta favorite Before Jabeaux’s Crawfish became a go-to weekend stop in Clarksdale, Austin Britt was known for his backyard boils of unbeatable crawfish. Now, with a food trailer parked next to Red Panther Brewing Co., Britt has turned his passion into a family-run business that’s spicing up the local food scene.

“I’ve been cooking crawfish for family, friends, and church groups for about ten years,” he says. “I learned by watching my dad—he always did big boils growing up, and I picked it up from him.” Over the past decade, Britt has racked up three championship wins in local crawfish competitions, and he’s only entered three.

At Jabeaux’s, the focus is on flavor—not just heat.

“We don’t call ours spicy—we call them wellseasoned,” says Britt. “There are layers to what we do. We work hard to get the flavor inside the crawfish, not just on the outside.” His top-secret boiling techniques result in a bold, memorable taste that keeps customers coming back every weekend.

And customers come from all over. “That’s one of the best parts,” says Britt. “We get support from the whole community— people from all walks of life. And being next to Red Panther Brewing Co. doesn’t hurt. Beer and crawfish just go together.”

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Today, Jabeaux’s offers crawfish and the traditional corn, potatoes, and sausage. But in the future, Britt hopes to add more menu items, including shrimp, boil bags, and crab legs. “But right now, we’re focusing on our operation and being as consistent as possible,” Britt explained.

“That’s one thing with us—our crawfish are consistent every week.”

Jabeaux’s is open Fridays and Saturdays at 4 p.m., serving until the mudbugs are gone. They’ll also have occasional pop-ups on Wednesdays and Sundays, so you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled!

Unfortunately, the crawfish season will be over soon, but you can expect to see them again as soon as they’re back. Britt says it will probably be in late February or early March.

662.313.4547; Facebook: Jabeaux’s Crawfish; Instagram: @jabeauxs

AMERICA AT THE CROSSROADS New exhibit at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta Who doesn’t love a guitar? From B.B. King’s soulful blues riffs to the searing licks of an Eddie Van Halen solo, the guitar is the lead instrument in the soundtrack of our lives.

This summer, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta invites you to explore that soundtrack in a whole new way with America at the Crossroads: The Guitar and a Changing Nation, a traveling exhibit from the National Guitar Museum.

Running through September 5, this exhibit features more than forty iconic guitars—including those once strummed by legends like B.B. King, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Eddie Van Halen—accompanied by multimedia displays that trace American history through the lens of the instrument.

“It’s essentially American history told through the guitar,” says Lisa Cookston, executive director of the Museum. “Before it was mass-produced, music was really just for the elite. But the guitar changed that—it democratized music. It gave rural and working-class people a voice. It became the sound of protest, the sound of immigrants, the soundtrack of America.”

Located in Greenwood, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta houses

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everything from Civil War artifacts and Choctaw history to a life-size mastodon and more than 200 original works of art.

Hosting this nationally recognized exhibit, says Cookston, was sparked by a local banker who challenged her to bring the show to the Delta after seeing it in Meridian. After securing community support and funding, she made it happen.

Visitors can expect more than guitars—videos, photos, and interactive elements bring the instruments and their stories to life. A special curriculum makes the exhibit a great fit for school groups, and thanks to Greenwood Utilities and Delta Electric, admission is free for children eighteen and under.

To give the exhibit a local flavor, the Museum is also working to display guitars and other memorabilia from Delta musicians and collectors. “We want to put our own Delta spin on it,” says Cookston. “After all, American music started right here.”

Whether you’re a die-hard music fan or just love a good story, this is a summer experience not to miss.

662.453.0925; museumofthemississippidelta.com Facebook: Museum of the Mississippi Delta; Instagram: @museumofmsdelta

FELICIA SUZANNE’S 2.0 Iconic Memphis restaurant reimagined in new location After twenty successful years in its original location, beloved Memphis restaurant Felicia Suzanne’s has a new home in the South Main neighborhood. Executive chef and owner Felicia Suzanne Willett-Schuchardt brings a rich culinary legacy to vibrant South Main with the relocation of her acclaimed restaurant, which combines the warmth and familiarity of its storied past with a fresh, invigorating vision. The new design calls back to the style of New Orleans and Southern Creole cuisine that Willett-Schuchardt, a former protégé of Emeril Lagasse, has built her career on.

“It is definitely a new chapter for us after twenty years. This neighborhood feels like home for us, and we wanted the restaurant to reflect that—something timeless but full of life,” says Felicia Suzanne Willet-Schuchardt, executive chef and owner of Felicia Suzanne’s. But although the digs are new, her world-class menu continues to honor the region’s culinary heritage while embracing bold, creative flavors.

“This project was more than designing a beautiful restaurant— it was about honoring Felicia’s story and creating a space that invites people to experience it in a new way,” says Natalie Lieberman, owner, principal, and creative consultant at Collect + Curate Studio, who handled the project. From South Main Street, guests are welcomed into a draped vestibule and greeted at a host stand crafted from handmade tile and stone. The bar area, designed to feel like a welcoming home island, faces a modern book-matched viola Carrara marble, brass shelving, plush round

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booths, and rich millwork. The main dining room exudes glamour with oak coffered ceilings and vintage-inspired brass pendant lights while sliding oak doors with seeded glass panes allow for private dining flexibility. On the west side of the restaurant, the Best Kept Secret (BKS) Lounge and Patio offers a secluded, moody hideaway with draped archways and velvet banquettes that create a cozy ambiance. The lounge area is complemented by a private outdoor patio featuring French-inspired furniture, gas firepits, and an atmosphere that feels like a secret garden.

More than ever, in its new location, Felicia Suzanne’s offers more than a restaurant—it’s a tribute to sustainable cuisine, family traditions, and the vibrant flavors of the South.

901.623.7883; feliciasuzanne.com Facebook: Felicia Suzanne’s Restaurant; Instagram: @feliciasuzannes

ROUNDABOUT OXFORD Enjoy nature, entertainment, and fellowship at North Mississippi’s newest water resort Located three miles west of Oxford, Roundabout Oxford—North Mississippi’s newest waterpark resort— was a dream project for founders and Oxonians Drs. Alison and Andrew Ross and Cris and Jay Hughes. The families shared a love for RVing and recognized the demand for a luxury RV and water resort in North Mississippi, where none existed—until now. With 150 paved RV sites, as well as twenty cottages, it is quickly becoming a premier destination for RV families and guests in search of summer fun.

Make that reworded sentence “The water park’s two-and-a-half acres include a water slide, family pool, and hot tub, offering family fun for all ages. The littlest ones will love playing in the kiddie pool, equipped with a giant playground, buckets, slides, and water cannons, all in a safe six-inch depth.

And the adults can enjoy a quiet moment at the adults-only pool and hot tub area, complete with a sun shelf, loungers, and a swimup bar.

4

Everyone will enjoy floating in the 912-foot lazy Swayze River—named after the legendary Ole Miss Coach Swayze—while stopping occasionally at the Hoka Hut swim-up bar for frozen concoctions.

The arcade room and Grand Lodge community spaces are ready to welcome you when it’s time to dry off, and for those interested in something a little more sporty, there’s also pickleball, basketball, and mini golf. Additional offerings include electric bike and golf cart rentals, walking trails, a yoga deck, and group bonfire areas.

Whether for a quick vacation or a football weekend, Roundabout’s got you covered with spacious RV hookups that provide ample room to spread out and enjoy the surroundings and cottages that sleep up to six. Every overnight stay includes access to all resort amenities.

662.371.0496; roundaboutoxford.com; Facebook: Roundabout Oxford RV & Water Resort; Instagram: @roundaboutoxfordrv

DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

| 35

Shop Charming Clarksdale

36 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

Join us in celebrating 22 YEARS of stories rooted in cotton fields, catfish tales, and the Mississippi mud, music, and magic of the Delta.

Congratulations on 22 Years, Delta magazine!

From all of us at WADE, Inc.

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DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

| 39

Building a stronger grid And a brighter future These are exciting days in Mississippi. New industries and new jobs are moving to our state along with record investments.

Entergy is already hard at work to stay ahead of increasing power demands in our growing communities.

We’re not only adding more power generation, but diversifying our energy sources with cleaner and more efficient power generation. This diversified mix will help ensure long-term affordability and reliability for all of our customers.

Scaling up the grid also gives us the opportunity to upgrade infrastructure and technology throughout our system – ensuring a stronger and brighter future for Mississippi. Learn more at entergy.com/brightfuturems.

A message from Entergy Mississippi, LLC ©2025 Entergy Services, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

40 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

More than dirt.

More than dreams.

Imanol Moreno didn’t just want to move dirt—he wanted to build something of his own. With a little savings, a lot of drive, and support from Planters Bank, he turned a childhood love of machinery into a respected business.

We believed in his vision, helped him build credit, and stood by him through each new chapter—from the first excavator to his first home.

At Planters Bank, we don’t just offer financial services. We invest in people.

Learn more at Planters-Bank.com.

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Unique awards Grilled burgers/hotdogs/cold drinks on the Yazoo River Team entries/discounts available for 5k Walk / 10K Run

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3 0 0 OA K S.CO M DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

| 41

BOOKS Mark Twain by Ron Chernow (Penguin Random House) Ron Chernow is the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of Alexander Hamilton, and his newest biography, Mark Twain, delights in America’s first literary hero. Though many will know certain details of his life, the entire picture is more adventurous than any of the legendary author’s novels.

Chernow brings his magnetic, insightful narrative skills to the life of the man born Samuel Clemens, who, from leaving Missouri to pilot riverboats, to San Francisco, where he began his brash life as the humorous Mark Twain, to settling in Hartford to write the most famous works in America’s history, to bad business decisions which landed his family in Europe, lived a tall-tale life of joy and fame and unfathomable suffering. (Liza Jones)

Buzzworthy Comments

Ron Chernow

Lay Your Armor Down by Michael Farris Smith (Little, Brown and Company) An old woman, riddled with dementia, walks off into the woods in the middle of the night.

A light in the wood draws her to a campfire with two strange, dangerous men, one young and one old, who are there plotting a crime of as-yetindeterminate purpose. The two men have a job to do. They are hunting something precious but have only been told: you’ll know it when you see it.

When they arrive at the place, an abandoned church cellar in the burned-out countryside, they find an answer they never could have predicted. Now, the job feels dubious, one that’ll surely bring them to ruin. Yet if they’re to go against orders, no step can be undone, and nothing can be taken back.

In spare, imagistic prose, Lay Your Armor Down reduces the epic to its most elemental. It charts the course of several broken people, all outrunning danger’s dark fingers and all brought together for one last chance at redemption.

Michael Farris Smith

(DM Staff)

Hollywood Madonna: Loretta Young by Benard F. Dick (University Press of Mississippi) Loretta Young (1913–2000) was an Academy Award–winning actress known for devout Catholicism and her performances in The Farmer’s Daughter, The Bishop’s Wife, and Come to the Stable, and for her long-running and tremendously popular television series. But that was not the whole story.

Hollywood Madonna explores the full saga of Loretta Young’s professional and personal life. She made her film debut at age four, became a star at fifteen, and many awards and accolades later, made her final television movie at age seventy-six. This biography withholds none of the details of her affair with Clark Gable and the daughter that powerful love produced. Bernard F. Dick places Young’s affair in the proper context of the time and the choices available to women in 1935, especially a noted Catholic like Young, whose career would have been in ruins if the public knew of her tryst. With the birth of a daughter, who would have been branded a love child, Loretta Young reached the crossroads of disclosure and deception, choosing the latter path. That choice resulted in an illustrious Benard F. Dick career for her and a tortured childhood for her daughter. (DM Staff )

We asked Facebook friends and the Delta Magazine fan page group members to share with us which authors are on their ‘auto-read’ list? o Rocky Vaughn, retired Cleveland, Mississippi

Jack Carr, Brad Taylor and Brad Thor o Mary Lou Heaney, retired Ridgeland, Mississippi

Carolyn Hains o Susan McDonald, fitness trainer Nashville, Tennessee

M.C. Beaton, Cynthia Riggs, Kurt Vonnegut and Michael Chabon o Mike Lucas, retired Parkersburg, West Virginia

Wright Thompson o Susan Huff, utilization review nurse Lexa, Arkansas

Greg Iles o Connie Lancaster, ministry assistant Arcola, Mississippi

Jana Deleon, Carolyn Haines, Terri Blackstock, Collen Hoover and Jan Karon

For the Record Books Delta Magazine fans are currently reading o Cindy Williamson Theo of Golden

by Allen Levi

o Rebecca Kellner Uncharted

by Chris Whipple

o Julianne Bailey Christmas With the Queen

by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

o Anne Martin Vetrano The Wedding People

by Alison Espach 42 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

o Frances Turnage The Personal Memoirs of US Grant o Leigh Harris The God of the Woods

by Liz Moore

o Joan Morgan The Gwendy Trilogy

by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar

o Julianne Bailey The Fate of the Day

by Rick Atkinson

o Leslie Smith Shellman Heartburn

by Nora Ephron

o Sandra Perry The Heavan and Earth Grocery Store

by James McBride

o John Duease Deer Creek Dive

by Beverly Lowry

o Deborah Garrard McLeod Demon Copperhead

by Barbara Kingsolver

Choctaw Traditions: Stories of the Life and Customs of the Mississippi Choctaw

by Tom Mould, Eddie Johnson, and Jay Wesley (University Press of Mississippi) There are thousands of books that record the oral traditions of Native peoples, documenting their myths, legends, folktales, and tribal histories. Yet, there are almost none that pay the same attention to the oral traditions that make up the other 95 percent of Native American storytelling: the personal, familial, humble stories that convey the depth of cultural knowledge, traditional practices, and lived experience of Native peoples today.

Choctaw Traditions: Stories of the Life and Customs of the Mississippi Choctaw draws on over 1,400 stories from interviews with over one hundred tribal members, past and present, from all of the nine Choctaw communities in Mississippi and Tennessee. This breadth creates a collection of stories capturing the rich detail and complexity of Choctaw customary life. Archival stories offer a glimpse into the past, but the vast majority of the stories were recorded over the past three decades, a collaboration between Choctaw youth, Choctaw elders, Choctaw leaders, and a folklorist. (DM Staff ) Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson (Harper Collins) Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here, has written another wonderfully humorous yet sweet novel about the family dysfunction in Run for the Hills.

Mad is running an organic farm with her mother in rural Tennessee when a man named Rube shows up to tell her he is her half-brother and they share a father who also left him and his mother behind in Boston years before he left her and her mother. He also explains they have two other half-siblings in Oklahoma and Utah. He proposes they find the siblings and then find their father in California to confront him.

What follows is a road trip unlike any other, with the siblings comparing their versions of the same man who impacted their lives in both positive and negative ways, nevertheless forming who they are in the present. Filled with hope, this novel is a fun, poignant read.

(Liza Jones)

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark (Sourcebook Landmark) For those of us who need a psychological thriller to complete the summer, try Julie Clark’s latest novel, The Ghostwriter.

In 1975, Olivia’s father, Vincent, is accused of murdering his two siblings despite his airtight alibi. As the outsider middle child who discovered the bodies, he is forever changed by the trauma and is forever suspected of the murders. He ultimately becomes a horror author and ends up alienating his family, including Olivia, who eventually becomes a writer like her father but changes her name to disassociate from him. To maintain privacy, she becomes a ghostwriter, and in financial desperation, she must work on her father’s final project, a tell-all of what truly happened in 1975.

When Olivia decides to face the truth head-on, what follows is a puzzle of fact and fiction, a carefully layered treasure hunt, and a satisfying slow burn mystery. (Liza Jones) DM

662-378-3141 mbrooks@wceams.com DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

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SHOPPING

Porch Perfect

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3. Cordless Tabletop Lamps

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Homebody, Oxford Instagram: @homebodyoxford, Facebook: Homebody Oxford homebodyoxford.com, 662.380.5683

8. Geometric Indoor/Outdoor Rug

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10. Etta B Butterfly Tray

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11. Wax Candle

Sassy Magnolias, Greenville Instagram: @sassymagnolias, Facebook: Sassy Magnolias 662.335.0180

12. White Rattan Lamp & Octagonal Rattan Table in Blue Worlds Apart, Memphis Instagram: @woldsapartmemphis, Facebook: Worlds Apart worlds-away.com, 901.742.3304

13. Wicker Serving Bar Set

82 Outlet Store, Indianola Instagram: @82outletstore, Facebook: 82 Outlet Store 662.887.9064

44 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

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Perfect for your lake house or cabin porch!

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Love this wicker set spotted at 82 Outlet Store in Indianola! Don’t forget to check out local outlet and resale shops for fantastic finds.

DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

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ART

Small

Wonders With a steady hand and a boundless imagination, miniaturist Blake Gore transforms everyday items into incredibly detailed masterpieces

BY SHERRY LUCAS • PHOTOS COURTESY OF BLAKE GORE

46 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

A straw wrapper becomes a whimsical canvas for miniaturist Blake Gore.

he Monopoly board spread out on the dinner table, but amassing property and collecting higher rents were not really top of mind for Blake Gore on this visit with Atlanta friends.

T

He thought more about downsizing. The drawing prompt he spotted earlier on Twitter—a challenge to complete a oneinch-square drawing daily for a month—teased him into action.

“It just sounded fun,” he says, “and something to do over breakfast before heading to work.” Or maybe something to do while awaiting your turn at Monopoly.

He asked for a pencil, his friend gave him a mechanical one, and he got to work drawing the little Monopoly man tinier than he appears on any Community Chest card. It annoyed his wife a bit, this doodling while they were supposed to be catching up with pals, “But, when I got done, everybody was like, ‘Wow! Did you just do that?’”

That was 2017, and folks are still saying ‘Wow!” in person and on his Instagram feed, @blakegore. Miniature art became his passion, then his side hustle, and since 2020, one might say it has monopolized his professional life.

“I call it a product of midlife curiosity,” he quipped. Oxford’s 2018 Double Decker Arts Festival was his first festival, and he returns every year, now fitting it into a circuit of festivals, shows, and art fairs across the country.

A seventh-generation Mississippian,

Tiny art versions of big draws, such as Taylor Grocery and Square Books, are hits at festivals.

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A tea bag tag ode to Van Gogh

A rumination on inflation: C-note on a matchstick

A peacock on a ginkgo leaf

Gore grew up in Houston, Mississippi, graduated from Tupelo High School, and met his wife, Lori Atchley of Rolling Fork, at Ole Miss. Undergraduate and graduate degrees there led in the direction of academia, and he worked in universities around the South before devoting full time to his miniature art. He now lives with his wife and four children in Christiansburg, Virginia.

“From the very first one, I was pretty fascinated by the process,” Gore says of the miniature drawings. “I really liked how it drew me in—in a way that not a lot of things do,” The tiny, detailed artwork requires one hundred percent of his concentration. “It’s a weird mix of relaxation and stress. On the one hand, you know you’ve got to be

really precise, and you’re trying not to make a mistake. But on the other hand, you’re so focused that you’re not thinking of anything else, which is actually pretty relaxing. You can kind of get lost in it.”

Viewers, too, can get irresistibly pulled into an exquisite, super small view of Taylor Grocery, an autumn tree, a cityscape, a bird in a Baroque frame, or a decanter and glass of bourbon that, actual size-wise, would hardly add up to a sip in 3-D real life. There are odes to classics, as in his tiny studies of Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Degas masterpieces. And there are cheeky turns like the minuscule eye chart that is a fan favorite at shows or (in a tiny version of a tiny version) a bonsai.

Delta themes crop up in cotton fields, blues art, and more. See the range on his

website, blakegore.com—and zoom in to admire the details. “A good portion of my art could probably fit in a quarter.”

How tiny can he take it? “The smallest thing that I’ve ever done is a one-hundreddollar bill that was about half the size of my pinky nail,” he says. It sold for a lot more than face value. While a Gore original has sold as high as $4,000, his prints are a breezy twenty-five dollars.

He also does plenty of commission work. A favorite was one he did for an older gentleman who wanted to recapture his childhood Delta home in Crenshaw, Mississippi. “The challenge was that the home had burned down years ago, and he only possessed a couple of pictures containing only partial views.” Insights from the man’s memory filled the gaps, and Gore created a faithful miniature rendering. Beloved pets are common commissions, but he’s been tapped, too, to draw everything from the new business school building at the University of Texas to a private yacht in Spain. “I never know what’s next.”

His drawn-to-scale art pairing a penny and a four-leaf clover—a riff on lyrics in Chris Stapleton’s song “Starting Over,” commissioned by a collector for a friend— wound up getting shared by the singer on Instagram. “That was kind of fun.”

Gore has turned to offbeat canvases, too, drawing on tea bag tags, leaves, acorns, and matchsticks. His straw wrapper sketch of A Perch of Birds by Hector Giacomelli—check out the video on his Instagram feed—is just one of many small feats that got a big reaction from followers.

Gore doesn’t wear glasses or use a

The frame’s ornate intricacy in “Baroque Melody” was eye-opening even for Blake Gore. “If it’s this difficult to draw, how in the world do you do this in three dimensions?”

48 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

magnifier for his miniature art. “I take it day to day. It’s hanging in there,” Gore, now in his 40s, says of his eyesight. “I’m at that age it could change any day now, but so far, so good. I have talked to my dentist about the (eye) loops that he wears. He’s a big fan of my work, so he’s definitely helped me out thinking about backup plans.” Gore tells people he’s a professional squinter but doesn’t have to do it often.

Distance vision is another story. “If you’re in the car with me, you better hope I have my glasses on.”

The artist now chuckles to recall the twist-mechanism mechanical pencil he used for his first stab at miniature art.

“Now, looking back at that, I’m like, ‘Wow, that thing was huge!’. . . Since then, I’ve done the deep dive on finding the tiniest nib pins I can find on the planet, and they’re so precise.”

His favorite is the Sakura Pigma Micron 003 with a 0.15 mm pen nib.

Gore uses ink as much as possible,

Blake Gore’s meticulously crafted Bookbound Miniatures fuse literature and fine art in a twofold celebration of storytelling, with hand-drawn miniatures embedded in a book’s spine or carved into its cover.

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Blake Gore and his son, Caleb, were in Rolling Fork in December to help with rebuilding after the tornado.

preferring its boldness and commitment.

“I’m kind of a punishing perfectionist.

Once the ink’s there, it’s there. And at some point, you have to stop, or it’s going to be a black square.”

He finds the one-inch-square size liberating, not limiting. “It frees me up to feel like I’ve got a specific challenge, and it’s not just so wide open,” he says. “That restraint becomes a prompt for a lot of creativity and problem-solving.

“One of my favorite things to do, and I would say most artists strive for this, is to challenge the way people see things.”

Especially things they might disregard, not even notice, or, in some cases, devalue.

“Most of the time, that’s small things, and it’s everyday objects.”

Gore says that transforming them and creating something that demands attention may help open eyes to other things, from physical objects to relationships, that deserve more value recognition.

Sometimes, it just needs a closer look.

DM For more information visit blakegore.com; Facebook: Blake Gore Miniature Art; Instagram: @blakegore 50 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

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MUSIC

The Sound of Survival Will Griffith plows the fertile ground of a life on the road in The Great Dying

BRUCE NEWMAN

BY JIM BEAUGEZ

52 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

JOSH MCCOY

ROUGHLY 252 MILLION YEARS AGO, the world as it existed for prehistoric fauna abruptly ended.

Griffith’s Delta roots began in Boyle, Mississippi, but they spread wide across a cultural cross-section of music, family, and southern grit. His mother’s side worked the land as farmers who also dealt in dirt and gravel, while his father, Nicky

Griffith, was a member of Joe Frank and the Knights, a beloved rock band in the 1950s and 1960s.

Music was never scarce in the Griffith household. His mother, Anita, painted and loved R&B artists like Aretha

JOSH MCCOY

Known as the Permian-Triassic extinction event and nicknamed the “great dying,” this cataclysmic reboot wiped out ninety percent of marine life and seventy percent of land animals. In addition to resetting the balance of life on Earth, it also laid the groundwork for the diversity of life today. It’s a heavy name for a band, but for Oxford musician Will Griffith, it fits.

“I like the way it sounds,” says Griffith, who’s spent a lifetime wandering back roads collecting stories from the Delta to the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. “It sounds morose and morbid, but actually, without it, we wouldn’t be here, you know?

Everything moves forward all the time, and new things are born.”

That tension between death and rebirth, as well as desolation and beauty, runs like a backbone through the music Griffith makes as The Great Dying. Imbued in the traditions of Americana music—a catch-all for the Venn diagram where country, blues, and rock and roll overlap—and informed by the storytelling of singer-songwriters like John Prine and Jason Isbell, Griffith is part of a new vanguard of old souls singing truths as ancient as time.

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LILY WANN

Left to right: Kell Kellum, Max Hipp, Shane Prewitt, Griffith, Jamie Geoghegan, Jamison Hollister and Horrace Willis taken at Proud Larry’s after rehearsing for Griffith's Double Decker Festival performance.

Franklin, Tina Turner, and the muscular soul of Stax Records, while his father spun records by Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and The Animals. His grandmother, meanwhile, introduced him to Hank Williams and the Righteous Brothers but also entertained the young musical omnivore’s tastes by buying 54 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

him the Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne cassettes he wanted.

Griffith spent a lot of time in the wideopen spaces of the Delta, absorbing that seemingly contradictory mix of tender country ballads beside explosive punk and bombastic metal.

“I was alone a lot,” he says, “pretty much left to my imagination for most of my childhood.” Music filled in the blanks, but so did skateboarding, which became a compass pointing beyond Mississippi’s borders. He learned about skateboarding and punk rock from underground magazines and kids in nearby Cleveland and identified with the outsider perspective those interests engender.

“Skateboarding magazines meant everything,” he says. “That was my source for everything outside of what I knew, from music to the clothes I was wearing. I lived for skateboarding for 20-something years.”

But as his interests evolved in his late teens, his musical tastes turned toward the strain of country rock that spoke in hard truths and minor chords loosely tagged as “no depression,” taken from the name of Uncle Tupelo’s 1990 debut album (itself a nod to the Carter Family song of the same name), or alt-country. Song-oriented artists like Whiskeytown, Lucinda Williams, and The Jayhawks lit a fire under his creativity.

“My friends Hank Panton and Bo

JOSH MCCOY JOSH MCCOY

Griffith performs at the 2025 Double Decker Festival in Oxford.

Powell were always ahead of everybody— they just always knew what was good,” he says. “I quit listening to everything else and got into the singer-songwriter stuff.

That’s when I started playing the guitar all the time and started singing more, coming up with melodies.”

Griffith cut his teeth playing house parties and halls around Cleveland, Mississippi, first in a punk band, then as a bassist in a jam band with older players.

“I was the youngest by about ten years,” he recalls. By 21, he was standing front and center, acoustic guitar in hand, sharing stages with other singersongwriters in smoky bars across the Delta.

He formed his first real band, Disposable Faces, and continued building a catalog of his own songs. The band played bars around the region and earned a following in Mississippi college towns like Starkville and Oxford. “We did really, really well,” he says. “But I wanted more.”

Griffith hit the road on his own, spending time working in restaurants in Colorado. (These days, he works behind the bar at Proud Larry’s when he’s not on

the road.) At age thirty, he landed in Nashville and eventually made his way to Oxford, where his creative life finally blossomed.

“I’ve always liked Oxford,” he says. “It’s close to the Delta, and it’s central to everywhere I can tour. I can get to so many places in the Southeast.” More importantly, it welcomed him into a thriving creative community. He found kindred spirits in musicians like Kell Kellum and Matt Patton of Drive-By Truckers, who also owns the Dial Back Sound recording studio in Water Valley, and appeared in the video clip for “City Watched Me Burn,” a 2021 tune by his friend and Oxford songwriter Anne Freeman.

After recording his debut album as The Great Dying, the 2018 long-player Bloody Noses & Roses, Griffith began touring outside Mississippi with assists from Craig Pratt, Kellum, musician-writers Max Hipp and Tyler Keith, and other Oxfordarea musicians. His affiliation with the Truckers helped him gain fans around the country and set up his latest release, 2024’s A Constant Goodbye, which features appearances by Patton and his bandmate Jay Gonzalez.

Griffith’s songs pull from the fields and gravel roads of his teenage years, where he spent afternoons driving with no destination other than absorbing the music that jumped from his speakers.

“I grew up riding in the country, either by myself or with friends,” he says. “And that’s all we did—ride gravel roads all day long.”

For all its natural beauty and cultural weight, the Delta inspired him but

couldn’t hold him forever. Griffith came of age during a time when old-guard blues masters like Willie Foster and “Cadillac” John Nolden still roamed the region’s juke joints. He worked at the Airport Grocery in Cleveland, brushing shoulders with the last generation of Delta legends. He played Po’ Monkey’s, the storied club near Merigold, more than once and acted in a film shot there by Ben Powell, who has also directed a couple of his music videos.

You can hear all that history in his voice, a clarion-clear drawl with phrasing and melodies at times reminiscent of R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe. There’s a throughline of heartbreak and hardscrabble truth, but also something elemental, like he’s channeling the sediment beneath the surface.

To date, Griffith has logged more than 300 shows across forty states and Canada—sometimes solo, sometimes with his friends as sidemen. He’s gearing up for another summer run that’ll take him through Nashville, Chicago, and many towns between.

But he’s not chasing anything flashy.

What drives Griffith isn’t fame or fortune—it’s the same pull that led him down gravel roads as a teenager with nothing but a stereo and a tank of gas. It’s about movement, survival, connection, and moving forward so new things can be born. And without a doubt, the Delta is still the foundation of his music.

“I write so much about it,” he says. “All the landscapes, the river, the openness, and the solitude.

There’s a lot of freedom in the Delta.”

DM DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

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56 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

• MSGIFTS.COM • 1.800.467.7763 • 300 HOWARD STREET IN DOWNTOWN GREENWOOD, MS 38930 • DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

| 57

A Light in South

GREENWOOD

Falando Jones and WerkHorse Academy

BY LIZZIE POWERS • PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHNNY JENNINGS

58 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

Laying up over a defender senior year at Mississippi Valley State University in 2011.

N

OT FAR FROM THE LOCATION WHERE HISTORIC LUSCO’S RESTAURANT OPERATED FOR DECADES IN GREENWOOD, a quiet revolution in basketball is unfolding. In the blazing heat of Mississippi Delta summers, basketballs bounce, and sneakers squeak at WerkHorse Academy—a modest but highenergy gym founded by professional overseas player Falando Jones. A new generation is learning not just the game of basketball but an elite level of confidence that will endure beyond high school sports.

Falando Cortez-Jones stands six feet four inches and looks every bit a professional athlete. A graduate of Greenwood High School, Jones went on to play two years at Mississippi Delta Community College and two more at Mississippi Valley State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education. This is the story of a man whose athleticism is only topped by his work ethic and whose work ethic is only surpassed by his character. When you possess those three, it’s hard to lose.

Of course, it does help when basketball DNA is flowing through your veins. His cousin Vincent Jones, a seven-foot-tall center, played at Jackson State and then abroad. “Every summer when he came home, we always had fun,” Falando Jones remembers. “He told me stories about it. He kind of gave me the

Jones gearing up for a Werkhorse session at his gym on Carrollton Avenue.

FALANDO JONES Career Highlights 12 Seasons as a Professional Basketball Player • 2 × League MVP • 4 × Scoring Title Winner • 4 × Championship Appearances • 2 × Champion • CAREER MILESTONES: • Indonesia Year 2: 2nd Leading Scorer in the League • Indonesia Year 4: League’s Top Scorer with 27 PPG • PALESTINE LEAGUE: • Led the League in Scoring with 45 PPG • Named League MVP • Championship Winner • Averaged 52 PPG in the Finals

DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

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Pillow Academy students Emma Greco, Maycee Jones, Miley McIntyre, and Abby Kate Johnson during a WerkHorse session.

floor. Sometimes, I see stuff they may not see—and it works. So, game—everything that goes on overseas—the business, the we keep going to it.” agents. So, I was two steps ahead when I was in college with the His ability to adapt and thrive in unfamiliar places has become international thing.” his trademark. “I’ve always tried to live in the As a young child, Jones recalls making moment wherever I’m at,” Jones says of his everything in the house a hoop. Eventually, time overseas. “When I leave America, I know his father, Tyrone Banks, bought him a real what I’m getting myself into. I don’t go over goal. “Every day we’d play,” he recalls. “It took there with high expectations because that’s me twelve years to finally beat him one-onyour first fault—when you get on the plane one.” When asked how his character thinking you’re about to have the same developed, Jones didn’t hesitate to say, “That resources, the same electricity. Some places came from Tyrone Banks. He always told were challenging—Palestine was me—your character is going to take you challenging—but I tried my best to at least farther than your talent will ever take you. learn something. I become a local—I get in That stuck with me.” their shoes, their clothes, their mindset and That foresight paid off—but not without see how they live and what they go through. a trial. As he was preparing to turn pro, Jones And that’s how I’ve lasted twelve years.” tore his ACL. Surgery came on Valentine’s Abroad or back at home, his grind never Day 2013. Miraculously, he was back on the stops. A typical summer day at home in court by May, a testament to the relentless Greenwood begins with a 5 a.m. workout rehab he undertook. “The hard work paid off,” Jones says. That fall, he signed with Back home in Greenwood at WerkHorse followed by making five hundred baskets.

Porvoon Tarmo in Helsinki, Finland, where with his most prized trophy, a scoring Asked when this level of dedication began, he title in the prestigious BAL league, which he averaged 17.9 points per game. is sponsored by the NBA and comprised replied, “Probably after my first year overseas.

I had twenty-five points fresh off the plane— Since then, he’s played in Indonesia, of former NBA players.

I was like two hours off the plane—I had Nigeria, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, and twenty-five points, but I had been putting in so much work. So Egypt, carving out a twelve-year career. that was where that came from.”

On Jones’s player profile, he is a scorer. “Some teams don’t need That same intensity now fuels his mission at WerkHorse that—they need a point guard or rebounding, but some teams Academy. After watching local high school games, Jones saw a just need a scorer, and that’s my job,” he explains. “I’m the scorer.” gap—and an opportunity. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” he But teams get more than just points. They get leadership, “When admits. “We are far behind. We are still far behind.” He wondered teams give me that chance, they’re also getting a coach on the 60 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

Jones holding his own in Paris, France at Quai 54, the biggest streetball tournament in the world, sponsored by Michael Jordan in 2023.

what would happen if local kids trained the way he did. So, he started with just one—Miya Brown—whose game transformed after just two weeks. Since then, Jones has trained some four hundred kids, including Arother Ratliff, who is in his second year overseas.

So, what’s the secret?

“Confidence,” Jones says. “I just give them confidence. Just let them know they can do it. Like that’s my thing. When they see that I believe in them—even when they don’t believe in themselves—or when I tell them to do something and they be like ‘WHAT? Are you serious???’ And I’m like, ‘Yes. I want you to do exactly what I just did.’ And they do it. The confidence just immediately rises. Once I can get them to have confidence—I got them then. Now we can work.”

Gary Dyksterhouse, a parent of two WerkHorse kids and former college coach who once tried to recruit seventeen-year-old Jones, puts it this way: “Falando is a cherished friend, and the confidence he instills in his pupils is his most valued skill. He is a non-stop encourager, and I love that about him.”

This author got to witness it firsthand. After a few sessions with Jones, my son began sinking mid-range jumpers with new precision. When I asked where he learned that, he replied simply, “Falando taught me that.” When I told him I was writing this article, he grinned: “He’s the ultimate hype man.”

Visit WerkHorse Academy, and you might spot a tall, elegant woman clapping constantly and shouting encouragement to children she’s just met. That’s Shelia Boston-Jones, Jones’s mother—and in that moment, it all clicks. Confidence, motivation, belief—it runs in the family. “He loves kids,” Sheila says proudly. “He loves to give back to the community. He wishes he could do more. I told him to pray about it. He’s a praying DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

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“Locked in” in Cairo Egypt in 2023 where he was the MVP of the City Oilers.

young man. He respects everybody, from the kids to the adults.

With his gym, I think he would do more—I think he would be mentoring—especially in South Greenwood with these young kids. I think if he had more, he could do more.”

As we wrapped up our conversation on Carrollton Avenue, I heard the passion in his voice—his desire to bring lasting change to his hometown, “It’s hard coming from here to stay focused,” he says. “It’s just so easy to lose focus here because we have nothing to see. We don’t have anything to motivate us. So that’s my thing—to try to just motivate someone.

And at least I can tell you. I can’t show you, but I can tell you what you can have.”

Two framed jerseys hang in Sheila The world may know Boston Jones’ home, commemorating him as a scorer, but back her son’s standout season in home in the Mississippi Indonesia, where he earned MVP Delta, he’s much more. honors with the Flying Wheel.

Falando Jones imparts work ethic, instills confidence, and models character—skills that will endure far beyond the last buzzer.

When not playing overseas, Jones resides in Greenwood with his spouse, Kimberly Byas, and four children—Maycee, Landyn, Ember, and Corland Jones—all of whom are active in local sports.

The legacy is already in motion. DM 62 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

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De lta

SUMMER BUCKET LIST

Make the most of summer—whether catching fireflies, canoeing on the river, visiting a museum, or exploring Sky Lake. Every item is a chance to soak up the soul of the Delta—one memory at a time!

Catch Fireflies

❏ Grab the best farm-to-table produce and listen to local music at the ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

Peach Ice Cream

❏ ❏

Delta Dairy

Sky Lake 64 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

Cleveland Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings Take visitors to enjoy a mimosa, lunch—and the amazing cobbler— at The Gallery Restaurant in Merigold Go see the Taylor Swift exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum before it closes in August Indulge in the OG chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich from Delta Dairy in Cleveland Have rooftop cocktails and enjoy the view at Bar Fontaine at the Cotton House in Cleveland Grab friends and go to The Levee Commissary in Tunica for Thursday night trivia Grab a beer with friends at Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co. in Helena or Red Panther Brewing Co. in Clarksdale Check out the new guitar exhibit at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta in Greenwood Enjoy a day on the water and dinner at Kathryn’s on Moon Lake in Dundee Have a girls’ spa day at The Alluvian in Greenwood Grab a burger at Chuck’s Dairy Bar in Hollandale Spend a day at the new Roundabout Oxford RV & Water Resort Take an art class at Delta Arts Alliance in Cleveland Have a cocktail at the new speakeasy at The Thompson House Inn in Leland Take in the blues at Ground Zero Blues Club, Red’s, or Levon’s in Clarksdale

Tanglefoot Trail

Ramon’s

Thompson House Inn

B.B. King Museum

❏ Take the Amtrak from Marks to New Orleans ❏ Tour the B.B. King Museum in Indianola ❏ Go canoeing with Quapaw Canoe Company in Clarksdale ❏ Make homemade peach ice cream ❏ Tour Faulkner’s home and grounds at Rowan Oak in Oxford ❏ Eat an iconic steak at Doe’s in Greenville ❏ Ride bikes on the Tanglefoot Trail in Pontotoc ❏ Enjoy authentic Italian dishes at Ramon’s in Clarksdale ❏ Eat hot tamales from a local Delta stand ❏ See the oldest trees in Mississippi at Sky Lake in Belzoni ❏ Spend the day at the Memphis Zoo ❏ Tour Safari Wild Animal Park in Como ❏ Visit Graceland in Memphis ❏ Follow the Mississippi Blues Trail markers through the region ❏ Catch fireflies in mason jars ❏ Picnic on a Mississippi River sandbar ❏ Visit Elvis Presley’s birthplace in Tupelo ❏ Make pickles with your grandmama ❏ Go crappie fishing at Grenada Lake ❏ Visit the Tunica RiverPark & Museum

Grenada Lake

Amtrak in Marks

📷 Upload your summer bucket list photos to editor@deltamagazine.com Quapaw Canoe Company

Delta Tamales

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SITTIN’ ON TOP of the World

Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience is taking the sound and musicians of the Mississippi Delta to concert halls around the world.

BY JIM BEAUGEZ • PHOTOS COURTESY OF SCALARIA

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THE STEPS LEADING INTO CLARKSDALE’S GROUND ZERO BLUES CLUB, cheekily given the postal address “0 Blues Alley,” are the entryway to the living heartbeat of blues music for aficionados and tourists who visit the Mississippi Delta.

Inside the former cotton warehouse, where the products of sharecroppers’ toil once awaited shipment to far-flung locales on the Illinois Central railroad, local bluesmen like Anthony “Big A” Sherrod and James “Super Chikan” Johnson perform the blues—music conceived to acknowledge and then forget the hardscrabble realities of plantation life.

Blues music, in its purest form, has little to do with orchestral or symphonic instruments or arrangements. It came up from field hollers and broke loose in juke joints before riding the rails to destinations like St. Louis and Chicago, not from the gilded decor of a concert hall.

But now the blues is set to make its way into hallowed performance theaters

internationally, where the music of the Delta will take on a new shape, surrounded not by the low ceilings and neon lights of juke joints but by strings, brass, and a famous narrator whose voice carries the gravity of the past.

Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience, a new touring ensemble, reframes the music that shaped rock, soul,

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With the picturesque Alps as a backdrop, blues musicians Anthony “Big A” Sherrod and Jax Nassar of Clarksdale perform with the Salzburg Symphony in Salzburg, Austria.

and hip-hop in the language of symphonies modern genres like rock and roll, R&B, and “We are blessed to have Morgan's and cinematic storytelling. The project, hip-hop, this interpretation of the blues cinematic narration, which provides a which pairs orchestrated versions of Delta doesn’t rely on nostalgia. Opener Robert powerful bridge between the songs and blues with narration from the Academy Johnson’s “Cross Road Blues” sets the tone eras," says Eric Meier, a partner in Ground Award-winning actor, is traveling Zero and a producer of the to more than 20 cities for its project. “This is so much more At the heart of the show is the idea of than a concert. It's a visual feast inaugural season in an effort to carry the legacy of the Delta far migration—not just the physical journey married with some of the best beyond the state line. on the planet, and of Black Americans moving northward, music “It exposes the music to the result exceeds what we but the movement of the blues itself audiences that can't get to ever imagined.” through generations and genres.”

Clarksdale,” says Freeman, also a The show’s arc follows the founding co-owner of Ground music’s own migration from Zero, whose connection to the blues has with one of the genre’s most mythologized Delta fields to Chicago clubs and from made him the voice of the Delta and its figures, while Freeman’s narration connects acoustic slide to electric howl to gospel to cultural traditions. “But the other piece of the songs, adding context, memory, and a present day. The setlist, as Meier explains it, it is the way we've crafted this program. It sense of continuity. Video projections tell moves through periods highlighting the shows the influence of this music over the part of the story, too, landing somewhere long-lasting impact of this genre last hundred years.” between a documentary and a concert, throughout modern-day music. It also But just as the blues evolved into stitched together in real time. includes original songs by Clarksdale’s own

“

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ERIC MEIER

Sherrod, who fronts the group and travels with the tour, joining local symphony orchestras at each stop—all the way from Central Park in New York City to concert halls in San Francisco, Chicago, Kansas City, Nashville, and Portland, Oregon.

“We’ve got about fifteen different blues artists over the course of the next two years,” says Meier. “Big A will be leading this off, but the goal is to really utilize a lot of talent from the Delta.”

While the concept of pairing blues music with orchestral arrangements had been explored decades ago, this is the first largescale project to put the blues at the center of the symphonic stage while also telling its story and cultural impact. That distinction matters to Howard Stovall, who co-founded Ground Zero alongside Freeman and the late Bill Luckett in 2001, and whose family

Sherrod performing with Savannah’s Philharmonic at the Phil the Park performance at Forsyth Park.

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RORY DOYLE

just brings a much richer experience,” Meier says. “I would contend that these performances are more immersive. You have the emotion of the blues and the richness of the symphony, which to me is a very unique combination.”

At the heart of the show is the idea of migration—not just the physical journey of Black Americans moving northward, but the movement of the blues itself through generations and genres. “This is kind of like a great American story that probably never should have happened,” Meier says, “if it wasn’t for the workforce migration, if it wasn’t for the British rockers starting out as blues cover bands, if it wasn’t for the breadth of R&B.” Stovall sees the tour as a way to fulfill a goal that’s long been out of reach: exporting the soul of Clarksdale without losing its center. “We’ve always wrestled with how to Howard Stovall, Morgan Freeman, and Eric Meier, partners in both Ground Zero Blues Club and the Morgan Freeman Blues Experience, at the bar at the iconic club in Clarksdale. expand Ground Zero’s mission outside of Clarksdale, and we’ve come to the once owned the Clarksdale building where began more than two decades ago in conclusion that it’s very hard to do that with the club opened its doors.

Clarksdale. Ground Zero Blues Club, a club,” he says. “But this project gave that “I think it’s certainly the first time that which he helped open in 2001, gave a vision legs. We can take not only the story it’s been done in a way that tells the story of professional stage to local musicians who of Clarksdale, but really a very broad blues the blues while blending the two genres,” might otherwise have been passed over or story, and put it in front of an audience— Stovall says. “Eric had a vision that we forgotten. It became a reliable stop for especially a symphonic audience—that may started working on, and this thing has, over tourists and blues pilgrims and also a steady not know that narrative at all.” a year and a half, two years, really evolved paycheck for regional players.

The orchestras, for their part, have been into this major narrative art quite receptive. Many are project.” looking to attract younger and The concert tour has its origin more diverse audiences, and in performances they piloted in the blues, grounded in struggle Savannah, Georgia, as well as and expression, offers a way in. overseas in the Austrian city of “Symphonies are looking to Salzburg, in Dublin, Ireland, and reach new audiences,” Meier in Salvador, Brazil, between 2022 says. “And the blues and this and 2024. But its home remains performance provides that firmly in the Mississippi Delta. It vehicle.” was built with local artists in mind, Still, there’s no pretense that and a portion of the proceeds from this version of the blues the tour benefits the Ground Zero replaces the real thing. And it’s Arts Foundation, a nonprofit that not trying to. It’s simply an aims to support musicians from extension, another way to tell the region through education and Freeman addresses the crowd of blues and symphony enthusiasts at a the story, to show where the performance at University College in Dublin, Ireland, last year. business resources. music and culture came from “It’s a new organization that’s and where it’s still going. To paraphrase going to raise money to support local “I didn’t really appreciate [the blues’ Freeman, it’s about celebrating those who artists,” Meier says. “But they’ve got to be reach] when I got involved with the club,” turned hardship into something powerful artists that are from the Delta, as opposed Freeman says. “But then when you really and who sang out loud when the world to visiting musicians.” Stax Music Academy look from a historical context or even tried to keep them quiet. in Memphis has also joined the effort, modern-day listening, you realize how it’s “It’s the kind of cultural experience you contributing both recorded vocals and live integrated into really all forms of music.” can’t find elsewhere,” Meier says. “And that’s student performances to the concerts.

The production aims to mirror that the beauty of the Delta. Unabashedly For Freeman, who has long served as an integration, layering the intimate grooves of authentic.” DM unofficial ambassador for Mississippi’s blues a rhythm section with the broader sweep of Learn more at symphonicblues.com. culture, the project builds on the work he fifty to seventy-five orchestral musicians. “It 70 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

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DAVID LUSK GALLERY Memphis | Nashville fine contemporary art

CATHERINE ERB Cloud 415 mixed media photo encaustic on panel, 36 x 48”, 2024

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OUTSIDE In Style

Inspired ideas from top builders and designers for creating stylish, functional outdoor spaces—think breezy porches, welcoming patios, and open-air kitchens 74 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

Architect Frances Zook designed a new mid-century modern pool house for all seasons to complement an original 1950s home and new pool.

A

DAVID CHRISTENSEN PHOTOGRAPHY

s warmer days beckon us outside, porches and patios take center stage as extensions of the home— welcoming spots for morning coffee, sunset cocktails, and everything in between. In this roundup, we’ve gathered the latest outdoor living trends and expert-approved tips from some of our favorite builders, architects, and interior designers. From smart layout ideas to finishes that withstand the Southern sun, these creative voices share how they’re blurring the lines between indoors and out—proving that comfort, function, and style don’t stop at the back door.

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ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF BETSEY MOSBY

BETSEY MOSBY, INTERIOR DESIGNER What’s your philosophy for outdoor spaces?

My goal is always to make outdoor spaces feel like an extension of the home. On screened porches (at right) details such as adding lamps, rugs, throw pillows, blankets, etc. visually create a really great connection between outside and in, and will make these spaces more comfortable for everyday life.

“Have music playing and outdoor candles lit, to make the transition from indoors to out seamless.”

Betsey Mosby, Betsey Mosby Interior Design, betseymosby.com The Finery, Jackson; thefineryjackson.com

Of course—no outdoor space is complete without well-maintained plants and flowers. I particularly love having potted boxwoods and lemon cypress trees included on my patios to make the spaces feel decorated and complete. Any potted citrus tree is a big plus, too, and doubles by providing fruit for your family all summer.

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For fully exposed porches, I try to be more minimal with decorative items given their exposure to elements, but still use solid pops of color in bleachable pillows. Plus, I love a cabana stripe in any color—and accenting with fun, fringed umbrellas to give life and interest.

Betsey’s Outdoor Living TIPS • I always love an outdoor candle—which makes the space smell amazing but also helps with bugs, which are particularly bad in Mississippi if you live in the Delta or near the water!

• Even if it's a small gathering, setting up a bar area for drinks makes self-serve drinks easy for you and your guests and helps create flow—bonus points for a bartender if it’s a larger gathering!

• Admittedly, I'm not a great cook, but I love to host! Given that, outdoor entertaining can sometimes be even easier than indoor—as you can easily grill and pick up sides, and it feels more casual.

• I think in our climate—adding ceiling heaters when you can, and definitely ceiling fans— increases the livability of those spaces and makes them usable almost year round here in Mississippi!

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MARY CLAIR CUMBAA, INTERIOR DESIGNER What’s your best advice for outdoor spaces?

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARY CLAIR CUMBAA

One piece of advice I always give is to invest in quality outdoor furnishings. A lot of my clients complain about how expensive outdoor furniture is and are often shocked at the price. But it's so worth it because it's made to withstand the test of time and hold up through all kinds of weather and outdoor elements! Most outdoor furniture companies have to go through a certification process to prove they are suitable for extreme sunlight and water exposure—think cruise ships!

Sometimes, I don't think the average consumer understands what goes into the creation of outdoor furniture and fabrics, which is why the price is so high.

What’s a favorite new accessory? “I’m really loving the new cordless lamps that a lot of people are using now! They are great for small tables and spaces and can be moved around outdoors!

They are just very versatile—I’ve seen restaurants use them for outdoor spaces and clients, too, in their outdoor living spaces.

I love the white or gold for outdoors!”

Mary Clair Cumbaa, Cumbaa Design Company, cumbaadesignco.com The Olive Tree, Starkville; theolivetreestarkville.com

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The breezy screened porch, anchored with polished concrete floors, is perfectly appointed with a rug, a swing, a huge table for snacks and games, and comfortable seating.

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The seamless blend of rustic charm and thoughtful design is evident throughout this renovated barn. The essence of easy outdoor living is captured in this space, with its symmetrical layout and Adirondack chairs that are equally inviting and durable. Softened with cushions made of performance fabric, they are made to withstand the elements. Arranged around a central stone fire pit, which serves as a planter in warmer months, this space offers a perfect balance of comfort and style—and is functional year-round.

The striking red-framed door and matching circular mirror add a modern pop of color against the natural wood siding, creating an eyecatching focal point.

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The contrast of modern red trim work continues throughout this barn renovation and adds an unexpected accent against the rustic siding. Ample seating provides a perfect spot to curl up, read a book, or enjoy evening cocktails.

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FRANCES ZOOK, ARCHITECT What are the non-negotiables for a comfortable patio or screened porch? I think it’s important to make it feel like another room of the house, even though it is outdoors.

Do you have any particular preferences or advice about outdoor lighting? My main advice, always, is if using can lights, definitely use dimmers. It makes such a difference!

Should the space relate to the colors or decor inside? It’s not necessary, but it should blend.

Do you ever include vintage furniture? Yes. I love vintage furniture! My sister-in-law and I both used our grandparents’ rattan chairs and tables on our porches and tied them in with something new.

Do you have a particularly favorite outdoor piece, such as a bar cart? A custom table made by a friend in New Orleans.

An attached modern pool and grill porch for all seasons to complement an in-town home.

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PHOTOS: DAVID CHRISTENSEN PHOTOGRAPHY

TIPS AND ADVICE FOR OUTDOOR DESIGN

Frances Zook, Frances Zook Architect, franceszook.com

A screened porch in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains for a new family home overlooking a lake.

EMILY FOLLOWILL PHOTOGRAPHY

This unique property is an old airplane hanger Zook renovated to be a hunting cabin—with a modern porch addition that mimics airplane wings.

An attached Tudor-style porch for all seasons, especially sports watching at this in-town home.

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BRANTLEY SNIPES, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

FROM BACKYARD TO GOURMET Outdoor Kitchens Designed to Wow

BY BRANTLEY SNIPES

here are two things that almost all of us from the Delta love: being outdoors and enjoying great meals.

Over the past few years, I’ve seen these two great loves merge with the incorporation of outdoor kitchens and living spaces in many Delta landscapes. Outdoor kitchen spaces can bring us together and create truly memorable dining and living experiences—those that we in the Delta do so well.

The best part of designing outdoor kitchens is the selection of the appliances and cooking tools that are available to us. Gone are the days of a charcoal grill set out on a patio. Today, we have every type of grill—pellet, smoker, charcoal, gas, and everyone’s latest favorite, the Blackstone. Along with these are so many complementary appliances, from deep fryers and warming drawers to everything you need to keep cool, like your ice makers and even kegerators. I’ve even worked on a design that incorporates a gaucho grill, an Argentinean open-fire grill. So, where to begin?

As with the start of any design project, it’s important to understand your goals first.

What am I trying to achieve with our outdoor kitchen? A covered area to cook kabobs on a weeknight? Maybe you want all of your grills in one location with a shared counter? Do you want your family outside with you, enjoying the game on a crisp Saturday in the fall? Living where we live with masses of mosquitoes, is a screened-in

T

option best for you? A well-thought-out design can lead to a much more enjoyable— and enjoyed—outdoor cooking space.

Next up, where will your outdoor kitchen serve the best purpose? Keep in mind that a poorly placed kitchen is an unused kitchen.

The best outdoor kitchens can connect different spaces and tie the landscape together for a cohesive plan. Outdoor kitchens should be close enough to your house for ease of access but far enough away to make them necessary.

The proximity to the house also indicates the types of appliances needed. If you’re more than a few steps from your interior kitchen, you’ll need to incorporate a sink. How about the refrigerator? Can you grab something from your inside fridge without much fuss?

Regarding appliances, the farther your outdoor kitchen is from your indoor kitchen, the more you may need.

Then, how do you like to cook? Our loyalty to a specific grill type runs deep— most clients know exactly what type of grill(s) they want to incorporate into an outdoor kitchen setup and let’s be honest, there is usually more than one type of grill.

So tell me what you have and/or want, and we can design around your preferences. Not to forget—grills are messy and create smoke, lots of smoke. To combat these issues, I’d recommend a ventilation system (of course!) and concrete or stone countertops that can be easily hosed off or

cleaned without messy grout lines (which hold pollen for months).

While outdoor kitchens are small, they involve somewhat complex construction and engineering. Your existing water and sewer lines, gas lines, and electrical requirements all must be incorporated into the plan—and incorporated sooner rather than later!

Knowing how your existing utilities relate to your new kitchen and living space is crucial to creating a usable, lovely outdoor experience. A majority of the kitchen budget can be absorbed with running the correct utilities, so awareness and placement are key to making your budget go further. Also, outdoor kitchens will require maintenance, not a lot, but

Brantley Snipes, Brantley Snipes Landsape & Design, Inc., brantleysnipes.com; Osmanthus Market, Greenwood; osmanthusmarket.com 84 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

remembering to drain water lines and clean out grease traps will be part of your annual kitchen maintenance.

The outdoor kitchen is no longer a trend but a necessity of true outdoor living, especially in the Delta. If you love the outdoors, cooking, and entertaining, consider incorporating one into your own landscape and outdoor space. The process can seem overwhelming, but by starting with defining your goals and knowing your utilities and placement, you can end up with a space that accents not only your home but your Delta lifestyle” with “accents your home and your Delta lifestyle. And if your own plans go up in smoke, your local landscape architect is a phone call or text away. DM

QUICK TIP: Speaking of countertops, your outdoor cabinet facing should be constructed of a masonry material: brick, stone, cement board or cement with stainless access doors and appliances. With the humidity in the Delta, wooden cabinets and doors are going to cause more issues than enjoyment.

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Brantley Snipes Design TIPS • Know what you want to use your outdoor space for before starting design and construction. This helps you utilize space and make the most of your budget.

• Be sure to think about unsightly views or screening your neighbor; outdoor living spaces can help solve problems or issues like this.

• Think through materials. You should never have more than three types of hardscape material. Try to incorporate your home’s architectural features in your outdoor living area to maintain architectural rhythm.

• Bluestone and brick are hot in the summer, so think about a temperatureregulating paver or cooling sealant for concrete for your toes.

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Location of your outdoor kitchen is key. If it’s poorly placed, it won’t be used. The most functional outdoor kitchens connect different spaces and tie the landscape together for a cohesive plan.

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Try to incorporate your home’s architectural features into your outdoor living area to maintain architectural rhythm. Also, to combat the messy residue and smoke from grills, Snipes recommends installing a ventilation system and dark-colored countertops.

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CURVED, CUSTOM & STANDARD MOULDINGS • CABINET DOORS & HARDWARE • CABINET POSTS & LEGS DOOR & BATH HARDWARE • CORBELS • CABINET ORGANIZERS • MANTELS • MIRRORS WOODCARVINGS • CEILING MEDALLIONS • DOVETAIL DRAWER BOXES

Built by Swayze Construction Company

601-992-5546 • LAKESIDEMOULDING.COM • LAKELAND DRIVE • FLOWOOD, MS

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CITRONELLA JARS These jars smell great and are a fantastic way to enjoy outdoor spaces. Citronella oil is a special ingredient that repels mosquitoes and other insects, making these perfect for anyone who loves outdoor entertaining!

STYLED BY JANE ELLEN WARLICK

1 Mason jar 5 pieces fresh herbs 10 drops citronella essential oil 1 small floating candle 2 citrus slices

Fill a glass jar, or jars, with fresh herbs and citrus slices of your choice.

Pour fresh water into the jar, covering the herbs and citrus slices.

Add a few drops of citronella oil to the water (10–20 per jar as desired) Gently place a floating candle on top of the water.

Light the floating candle to diffuse the citronella oil into the air and add a warm, ambient glow to your outdoor gathering— sans mosquitoes and other insects!

Adding fresh herbs like mint, rosemary, and basil enhances the effectiveness and aroma of your jars!

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Set for Summer:

Effortless Porch Tablescapes

Blend high and low, old and new, to create seasonal table settings that feel both elevated and easy. We’ve curated two summer tablescapes on editor Cindy Coopwood’s cozy front porch, featuring elegant yet simple and budget-friendly touches.

PHOTO STYLING BY CINDY COOPWOOD, CORDELIA CAPPS, AND JANE ELLEN WARLICK PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA SATTERFIELD

Verdant Summer Soirée This tablescape draws its inspiration from the natural green and brown hues and strikes a lovely high-low balance.

• The foundation is a green-and-white-striped tablecloth edged with ricrac, which instantly brightens the table and adds a touch of playfulness.

• We layered woven rush placemats with Spode Woodland dinner plates and an inexpensive cabbageware salad plate.

• Bamboo flatware adds a natural touch, while tropical napkins in greens and citrus tones are knotted with thick jute napkin rings.

• Glassware is intentionally mixed: Vintage amber stemware adds warmth, while modern tortoiseshell tumblers provide contrast.

• The dramatic but oh-so-simple centerpiece— tall, slender glass vases filled with oversized split-leaf philodendron stems—makes a stunning statement without blocking conversation.

USE WHAT YOU HAVE: Woodland china is used almost exclusively in fall and winter, but we’re firm believers in mixing it up and using what you have. And we love it! Sources: Spode Woodland and cabbageware are available at most bridal registries and online.

Napkins may also be placed under the dinner plate and allowed to drape off the table.

A PERFECT MIX OF OLD AND NEW. Sources: Vintage amber stemware, Moonstruck Flea Market, Cleveland; Tortoiseshell tumblers, Rosson Co., Cleveland; Tall glass vases, Mod + Proper, Cleveland.

Sources: Striped tablecloth, walmart.com; Bamboo flatware, shopmoderny.com; Napkins, found locally at Shirleys Resale, Cleveland; Napkin rings and placemats, editor’s own.

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Stars, Stripes, & Summertime

A Subtle Take on Patriotic Style For a fresh spin on the classic red, white, and blue tablescape, this setting leans in with vintage blue-and-white dishes and a little nautical charm

SHOP THIS TABLE • Striped fringed beach towel and napkins, editor’s own • Nautical-inspired rope placemats, walmart.com • Bamboo flatware, shopmoderny.com • Bamboo napkin rings, amazon.com • Dinner plates, Boss Fox Estate Sales • Blue-and-white containers, napkins, editor’s own • Bamboo folding chairs, amazon.com

• A crisp blue and white fringed beach towel serves as a tablecloth. It wasn’t quite large enough, so we just placed it on an angle, leaving some of the table exposed, and we loved the look!

• For the place settings, we layered nautical-inspired rope placemats antique with vintage blue-and-white luncheon plates found at an estate sale.

• Modern navy striped napkins add a contrasting layer to the tablecloth and are accented with bamboo napkin rings, adding to the coastal flair.

• A cold beer is just right with a summer meal and the perfect time to use Coopwood’s engraved pilsner glasses, which are complemented by red-footed water goblets purchased at a going-out-of business sale.

• A collection of blue-and-white vases and pitchers filled with fresh hydrangeas and hosta leaves clipped from the yard. Small American flags tucked in for a patriotic touch.

• Craft name tags are tied onto small flags to serve both as placeholders and a favor resting on each plate to go home with guests.

MORE TABLETOP INSPO FOR THE FOURTH: A large remnant of circa 1970s red, white, and blue floral fabric is a vibrant backdrop for another patriotic table setting, Moonstruck Flea Market, Cleveland. This one includes a mix of dollar store dinner plates, the aforementioned placemat, red glassware, checked napkins, inexpensive 4th of July felt garland and planters, walmart.com, and one of our favorites—a blue McCarty bowl!

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FOOD

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s u io c li e D & , e it h W , Red Festive Flavors Y L U J F O H T 4 E H T R FO Celebrate Independence Day with a vibrant lineup of appetizers, salads, and sweets that are as fun to make as they are to eat. Bring bold flavors and fun flair to your 4th of July table with these patriotic bites!

BY CINDY COOPWOOD AND CORDELIA CAPPS PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA SATTERFIELD

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE DIPPED STRAWBERRIES These festive strawberries are as easy to make as they are fun to eat— just dip, drizzle, and sprinkle! fresh strawberries, washed and dried white chocolate, chips or bark 1 teaspoon of shortening blue sugar sprinkles

Wash and dry strawberries thoroughly. Berries must be dry for the chocolate to stick. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the white chocolate in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted. Stir in shorting to melted chocolate for a smoother texture.

Holding by the stem, dip strawberries about two-thirds into the melted white chocolate, leaving the top red part exposed.

Immediately dip the tip of the white chocolate-coated end into the blue sugar, covering about one-third of the berry, creating the red, white, and blue stripes.

Place the finished strawberries on a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Let them sit at room temperature or refrigerate until the chocolate is set. Enjoy!

PATRIOTIC ICE CREAM SANDWICHES Celebrate summer in the sweetest way—all you need are store-bought ice cream sandwiches and red, white, and blue sprinkles. Perfect for the Fourth of July or any summer get-together!

1 box of store-bought ice cream sandwiches, chocolate or vanilla red, white, and blue sprinkles

Remove wrappers from sandwiches. Let them sit for about 1 to 2 minutes so the edges get just soft enough for the sprinkles to stick.

Pour sprinkles into a shallow dish or bowl and gently press the exposed ice cream edges in the sprinkles to coat.

Place the decorated sandwiches on a tray lined with wax paper and freeze for at least 15 to 20 minutes to firm back up. Serve immediately and enjoy!

To store, individually wrap in wax paper and keep in the freezer for a ready-to-go summer treat!

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WATERMELON FETA SALAD Juicy watermelon pairs beautifully with salty feta, lime, and the subtle heat of Tajín seasoning in this refreshing salad—the perfect balance of sweet, salty, tangy, and crunchy.

4 to 5 cups watermelon, cubed 4 ounces of blueberries 4 ounces of raspberries ⅓ cup fresh mint, chopped 1 large lime 4 to 5 ounces feta cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil sea salt 1 tablespoon Tajín Clásico Seasoning ⅓ cup pistachios, toasted

Combine watermelon, blueberries, and raspberries in a large bowl. Zest the lime then add that to the bowl along with the lime juice. Add feta and olive oil over the top of the salad. Grab small pinches of sea salt and Tajín, then toss well. Add pistachios. Gently mix the salad together. Serve immediately.

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TAJÍN & LIME WATERMELON SKEWERS A juicy, zesty summer snack with a spicy kick!

4 cups watermelon, cut into 1½-inch cubes 2 limes cut into chunks 1 to 2 tablespoons Tajín Clásico Seasoning wooden skewers

Thread 3 to 4 watermelon cubes onto each skewer. Squeeze fresh lime juice generously over the skewers. Drizzle on both sides for extra flavor. Sprinkle Tajín evenly over the skewers. If you want it bolder, give it a second shake to taste.

Arrange on a platter with extra Tajín lime wedges on the side for anyone who wants an extra pop of flavor.

TOMATO CAPRESE WITH BLUEBERRY REDUCTION Enjoy this fresh, fruity twist on a favorite summer classic!

2 ripe tomatoes 1 ball fresh mozzarella several sprigs fresh basil 1 cup balsamic vinegar 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 cup blueberries salt and pepper

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into ¼ to ½ inch rounds.

Set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the blueberries, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture thickens into a glaze. If it becomes too thick, stir in a bit of water to thin. Aim for a syrup-like consistency that runs smoothly off a spoon. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Lightly season each tomato slice with salt and pepper and stack tomato slices (on bottom), mozzarella, basil, and repeat as desired.

Drizzle the cooled blueberry balsamic glaze over the stack.

Garnish with a few fresh blueberries and basil. Serve immediately and enjoy this fresh, fruity twist on a summer classic.

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FRESH BERRY & GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI These festive bites are the perfect summer appetizer—light, bright, and bursting with flavor. They’re the ideal mix of tangy and sweet and couldn’t be easier to make!

1 1 1 ¼

4-ounce cream cheese, softened 4-ounce goat cheese tablespoon lemon juice teaspoon salt fresh strawberries, sliced fresh blueberries

honey, for drizzling coarse black pepper, to taste 1 baguette olive oil pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the baguette into ½-inch thick pieces. Place slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Toast in the oven until golden and crisp (about 7–10 minutes).

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and goat cheese using a fork until smooth. Mix in the lemon juice and salt.

Spread a generous layer of cheese mixture onto each toasted baguette slice.

Top with sliced strawberries and a few blueberries.

Drizzle lightly with honey and finish with a sprinkle of coarse black pepper.

Serve immediately and watch them disappear!

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STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE TRIFLE This Strawberry Shortcake Trifle combines fluffy pound cake, creamy pudding, juicy strawberries, and whipped topping in a no-bake treat that’s as delicious as it is beautiful. Bonus points if you top it with blueberries for a red, white, and blue twist!

1 16-ounce pound cake 1 8-ounce container Cool Whip, thawed 2 pounds fresh strawberries, sliced 2 tablespoons sugar (or more, to taste) 1 large package instant vanilla pudding mix (6-serving size) Fresh blueberries for garnish

Cut the pound cake into small cubes and set aside in a bowl.

Place the sliced strawberries in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar, and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the berries release their natural juices. For extra syrup, you can add more sugar to taste. Prepare the vanilla pudding according to the package instructions.

Once it’s set and the Cool Whip is thawed, gently fold it into the pudding until well combined.

Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

In a 3-quart trifle dish or large glass bowl, layer the ingredients in the following order: A layer of pound cake cubes, then a layer of the pudding mixture, and finally, a layer of macerated strawberries. Repeat the layers three times, ending with strawberries on top.

Top with extra strawberries and a handful of fresh blueberries for a patriotic flair.

Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. For best texture and freshness, serve within 3 to 4 hours.

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Savor the Season: Summer Recipes to Try Now

BY CINDY COOPWOOD AND CORDELIA CAPPS PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA SATTERFIELD

Tip: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs may be substituted for the chicken breasts.

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From viral hits to kid-friendly snacks and a sip-worthy porch punch, these recipes are made for sunny days and easy entertaining

S

UMMER’S IN FULL SWING, and it’s time to turn

up the flavor with a fresh roundup of recipes. From viral favorites lighting up your feed to crowd-pleasing sides, these recipes will help you spice up your seasonal table. We’ve got a fun peanut butter board the kids will love to snack on, and for the adults, a refreshing “porch punch” that’s perfect for lazy afternoons or evening get-togethers.

Whether you’re planning a porch party or just want something new to try, these recipes bring the sunshine to your summer menus.

SUMMER CHICKEN SALAD Fresh, bright, and full of texture, this hearty summer salad makes a healthy, simple, and beautiful summer meal. Grilled chicken, charred corn, fresh herbs, and a zesty citrus dressing bring it all together.

8 chicken breasts, sliced thin 3 ears of corn 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 English cucumber, diced ½ cup red onion, diced 2 cups arugula 4 ounces feta, crumbled 1 avocado, diced salt and pepper to taste

Dressing

⅔ cup olive oil 1 lime, juiced 1 orange, juiced 4 tablespoons honey 1 small shallot, chopped ½ teaspoon mustard ¾ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground pepper

Preheat the grill to high.

In a small bowl or blender, add the ingredients for the dressing and blend until incorporated, set aside.

Brush the corn with olive oil and grill until charred on all sides, then remove from the grill and set aside. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and grill for about 3–4 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. Timing will depend on how thin your cutlets are.

Cut the corn from the cob and place in a large bowl. Add the remaining salad ingredients and toss well; fold in ½ the dressing to the salad. Place the chicken on a large platter, and drizzle with the remaining dressing before topping with the salad. Enjoy!

NOGRILL METHOD FOR CORN: Parboil or microwave the corn until just tender. Then, place in a hot skillet over mediumhigh heat and cook for 2–3 minutes per side, turning until charred in spots.

“GREEK SALAD” HUMMUS BOARD Jazz up your hummus with everything you love about a Greek salad for the best appetizer. Layer on all your favorites and dig in!

1 17-ounce container of hummus, plain ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved ⅓ cup cucumbers, diced ⅓ cup Kalamata olives ⅓ cup feta, crumbled 3 tablespoons red onion ½ cup pepperoncini peppers, roughly chopped Cavender’s Greek seasoning to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil for drizzle

Crostini, red pepper strips, or pita chips for dipping Spread the hummus evenly over a platter or cutting board using a spoon.

Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, feta, Kalamata olives, and pepperoncini.

Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with Greek seasoning.

Serve with crostini, red pepper strips, or pita chips.

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CARROT RIBBON SALAD This carrot ribbon salad with pistachios is crunchy, sweet, and tangy. With one main ingredient, it’s a simple, elegant, and beautiful summer side dish.

For dressing: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon tahini juice of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon honey ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon ground cumin 1 pound carrots, shaved into ribbons ¼ cup salted roasted pistachios, roughly chopped ¼ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped, plus more for topping ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, honey, salt, black pepper, and cumin.

Peel the carrots, then use the peeler to shave the carrots into thin ribbons. Add them to the bowl with the dressing and gently toss to coat. Add the pistachios, mint, and parsley and gently toss. Garnish with more mint before serving.

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BEST SUMMER DIP This creamy, zesty, cold “boat” dip comes in many iterations and has become a go-to for casual summer gatherings—whether you’re on a boat, at the beach, having a lake day, or just relaxing on the porch.

So we added our own touch, changed the name, and are making it on repeat this summer!

1 16-ounce container sour cream 1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened 1 10-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies, drained 1 can kernel corn, drained 1 package ranch dressing mix 1 package taco seasoning mix 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ¼ cup chopped green onions, plus extra for garnish tortilla or pita chips for serving

In a medium bowl, stir together sour cream and cream cheese, then add diced tomatoes, corn, seasoning mixes, cheese, and green onions. Cover and chill. When ready to serve, garnish with more green onions. Serve cold or at room temperature with tortilla chips.

PEANUT BUTTER SNACKING BOARD This no-fuss, fun-to-make snack board is the perfect summer snack for kids (and grown-ups too)! It’s a hands-on, delicious way to enjoy fruit, crunchy treats, and a bit of sweetness—all swirled into creamy peanut butter.

1 to 2 tablespoons honey 1 banana, sliced ¼ cup strawberries, sliced ¼ cup fresh blueberries ¼ cup granola ¼ cup chocolate chips

For Serving: apples, sliced granola bars graham crackers cookies

Spread the peanut butter in a thin, even layer on a marble or wooden serving board, leaving room around the edges to place your cookies and fruit slices.

Using the back of a spoon, swirl the peanut butter to create nooks and crannies for the toppings to sit. Drizzle the peanut butter with honey and sprinkle evenly with berries, bananas, chocolate chips—whatever you love!

Serve with apple slices, granola bars, cookies, or crackers of choice.

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DRIED CITRUS GARNISH A variety of fresh citrus slices add color, flavor, and interest to punch, batch cocktails, and many summer beverages. Another trendy option is to dry them to keep on hand as cocktail garnishes. Often thought of as a holiday tradition, dried citrus is a beautiful and simple garnish to use year-round!

Here’s how: • Preheat your oven to 225 degrees.

• Wash fruits and thinly slice—about ¼ inch.

• at slices dry with paper towels and place onto a parchment-lined baking tray.

• Bake for 2 hours, then flip them and bake for another 1½ to 2 hours.

• Allow to cool and store in an airtight Use oranges, limes, lemons, and blood oranges container. for a colorful variety of dried citrus fruits.

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PHOTO STYLED BY JANE ELLEN WARLICK

Sweet, bubbly, and perfectly pink— this punch is a crowd-pleaser for all ages! Simply swap Prosecco for the Sprite for an easy-breezy cocktail for the grown-ups.

PINK PORCH PUNCH Nothing could be simpler—or more refreshing—than this three-ingredient punch!

Perfect for birthday parties, beach days, or just sipping on the porch.

1 48-ounce can Dole pineapple juice 1 cup pink lemonade powdered mix 1 2-liter bottle Sprite or your favorite lemon-lime beverage

In a large pitcher or punch bowl, stir together pineapple juice and pink lemonade mix until dissolved. Just before serving, add Sprite and mix gently, then add citrus slices like lemon, lime, or orange for extra flair.

Add ice, and enjoy!

NOTES: May be served in a clear glass pitcher, punch bowl, or beverage dispenser for a pretty pink display.

To make ahead, mix the pineapple juice and lemonade powder up to 2 to 3 days before and store in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze the base for up to 3 months.

Just thaw and add Sprite before serving.

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HISTORY

A FERRY TALE How wagons, steamboats, and a country music legend helped shape the storied river crossings at Helena, Arkansas

BY WADE S. WINEMAN, JR.

ometimes it takes a detailed look back in the history books to learn how innovations we take for granted came to be. The evolving history of transportation is no exception— particularly the use of river ferries. From

S

the earliest days, stream crossings were some of the greatest obstacles early explorers and pioneers encountered. Most traveled by wagon, which complicated 112 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

stream crossings many times over. If there was a soft place or hole in a stream bottom, a wagon wheel could drop to one side, causing a wagon to turn over, losing goods and even lives. Quicksand along stream edges could be almost as hazardous.

Stream crossings could be relatively easy when crossing narrow, shallow streams with gently sloped banks. Deeper

rivers were problematic, however, because their sides were usually more sloped, sometimes requiring ropes to lower wagons down steep banks. If a stream crossing was too daunting, pioneers were sometimes forced to convert wagons into rafts or construct rafts to carry them.

Converting a wagon meant emptying a wagon’s box, removing its running gear, and caulking its boards with tar. Wagons

WOMINGHISTORY.ORG UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON LIBRARY

Sketch of early pioneers using a handmade raft as a ferry.

could then be poled across a stream, using saplings cut along the stream bank while being pulled with ropes by animals and people. Some pioneers made small flotillas by lashing together hollowed-out logs cut from the cottonwood trees commonly found in stream bottoms. Logs could be spaced such that a wagon’s wheels could rest between two outside logs for stabilization. Such complicated crossings often required days of arduous labor.

Some travelers were instead tempted to swim their livestock across streams, frequently resulting in drownings.

If stream crossings proved consistently difficult or time-consuming, permanent commercial ferries often sprang up. One of the first ferries in the West was built by

Mormons in 1847 on the North Platte River near Casper, Wyoming. As pioneer traffic grew, ferries became more common.

America’s largest river, the Mississippi, presented formidable challenges for early settlers since it could only be crossed by watercraft. The earliest crossings were made using flatboats, and poling and drifting with the current, which meant landing on the opposite riverbank several miles downstream. The first ferries on the Mississippi consisted of pirogues— hollowed-out logs—lashed together. The earliest such ferry is believed to have been installed by James Piggott, crossing between Cahokia, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri. At almost the same time, similar ferries were used in New Orleans. The first regularly operating ferry on the Mississippi River may have been one at New Orleans, between Canal Street and Algiers, Louisiana, in 1827.

According to the Helena Weekly Clarion, passenger ferry service between Helena, Arkansas, and Trotter’s Landing, Mississippi, was begun in 1869 by owners Thompson and Quarles. The free ferry— subsidized by Helena merchants—was initially operated by the Helena Glendale Ferry Company and carried passengers, horses, and wagons. The ferry made four crossings from the Mississippi side, every day except Sunday. The first ferry sank

later that year and was replaced with a new boat named Red Rover, presumably because Thompson and Quarles would “send the ferry on over.” The popularity of the new ferry grew so much that, by December of that year, it carried 166 wagons across the river in one week.

Red Rover operated until 1877 when, according to Way’s Packet Directory, the name disappeared from the list of operating steamers. The ferry boat was later sold to J.C. and J. K. Jeffries of Coahoma County, Mississippi, and renamed the Maud in honor of J.K.’s daughter. Maud Jeffries later became a world-famous stage actress, performing on multiple continents.

Following Red Rover, a succession of boats was used to ferry passengers between Helena and the Mississippi side of the river. The ferry landing on the Arkansas side was in downtown Helena. Several different landings were utilized on the Mississippi side, initially for passenger ferries and, later, for a railroad ferry. The most frequently used landing for passenger ferries was Trotter’s Landing, sometimes called Glendale Landing, the latter name associated with a nearby railroad junction known as Glendale. The railroad line forked into two inclines at the river’s edge, with the river level determining usage. Both inclines were DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

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The Pelican ferry arriving on the riverbank.

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Conway Twitty

Floyd Jenkins, father of country music singer Conway Twitty, piloting the A.C. Jaynes passenger ferry boat.

Originally from Friar’s Point, Mississippi, Conway Twitty moved to Helena and worked as a youngster on his dad’s passenger-car ferry, the A.C. Jaynes.

As reported later by the Arkansas Democrat, the venture quickly proved successful, with 320 passengers, twenty-four automobiles, 17,000 pounds of freight, and twenty-four bales of cotton transported. A factor contributing to the ferry’s success was that the distance from Memphis to Helena through Mississippi via the ferry was only sixty-five miles— compared to 130 miles if driving through Arkansas between the two cities.

In 1940, the steamer A.C. Jaynes became the workhorse of the passenger fleet until burning in 1960, just before the completion of the new Helena Bridge. The Jaynes, which could carry twenty-four automobiles, had begun service in 1925, operating first at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, then at Greenville, Mississippi, before bridges were built at each of those towns. Later, as the Jaynes was phased out, it was joined by two smaller diesel boats, beginning with the Belle of Chester in the late 1940s and 1958 by the City of Helena. The A. C. Jaynes was

PHOTOS OBTAINED FROM DIGITAL SOURCES, PHOTOGRAPHERS UNKNOWN

directly across the river from Helena.

Remnants of both, including pilings, can still be seen today during low river stages.

Trotter’s Landing was only a few hundred feet above the upper railroad incline. A third landing, Eagle Landing—sometimes referred to as Trotter’s Point—was located about two miles upriver. It was used for passenger traffic when the road accessing the other two landings was impassable.

Often, this occurred during floods or afterward, when post-flood silt deposits made the road impassable by wheeled vehicles. Some old maps incorrectly show Trotter’s Landing as Trotter’s Point.

Several different passenger boats were utilized after 1877, including the Wanamingo, the Carolyn—a ferry pushed by towboat—the Gracie Velie, and the Zerah Jr., which operated from 1902 until sinking at Trotter’s Landing in 1914. Following the bankruptcy of the ferry company in 1911, the ferry service went through periodic interruptions. According to the Arkansas Gazette in 1919, plans for new service were introduced by the HelenaMississippi Transportation Company, comprised primarily of Helena merchants. The company intended to subsidize ferry service, encouraging cotton shipments and passenger traffic from the Mississippi side. Only nominal rates would be charged for freight, while passengers could ride free.

The new ferry service was planned to begin in September 1921.

Belle of Chester, purchased by Twitty and his father.

commonly known by locals as the “big ferry,” while the two smaller boats were each known as the “little ferries.” Helena’s passenger ferries typically departed the Helena side at the top of the hour, returning on the half-hour.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Helena’s ferry history was its connection with Conway Twitty, one of the music industry’s biggest stars of the twentieth century, who spent part of his childhood in Helena. Twitty, then known as Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was named after the famous silent-movie actor Harold Lloyd.

Twitty spent his earliest childhood downriver at Friar’s Point, Mississippi. His father, Floyd D. Jenkins, had moved to Friar’s Point from Calhoun County, Mississippi, just before Twitty’s birth in 1933. In 1943, the Jenkins family moved to Helena after Floyd was hired as captain of the A. C. Jaynes, which he would pilot until a fire destroyed the boat in 1960.

Twitty worked as a youngster on his dad’s passenger-car ferry, washing car windows for tips.

In 1961, following the opening of the new Helena bridge—christened the Hernando de Soto Memorial Bridge—the Belle of Chester was sold to Twitty and his father and moved to Moon Lake by Hays Brothers House Moving of Clarksdale.

The plan was to convert the old ferry into an excursion boat on the lake. However, in 1963, the plan was abandoned, and the

The railroad ferry that served Helena existed well into the diesel locomotive era. In this photo, the Pelican ferry stands by as the train moves off and rolls into Helena.

Belle was moved back to the river, sold, and moved to Kentucky as an excursion boat. The City of Helena was sold in 1962 and sent upstream for use as an excursion boat at Pittsburgh.

The first railroad ferry on the Mississippi River is believed to have been put in service on the upper Mississippi

west of Chicago, and a Helena railroad ferry was not far behind. In 1889, Trotter’s Landing began serving as a railroad ferry transfer point for the Louisville, New Orleans & Texas Railway, linking Memphis and Helena.

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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON LIBRARY

The A.C. Jaynes ferry.

The Pelican’s bell, now preserved at the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, Arkansas.

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served the landing through the years. The first was the J. F. Joy, which sank at the Helena Ferry landing in 1895, followed by the John Bertram, the DeKoven, the Wm. B. Duncan, and finally, the Pelican, in 1930.

The Pelican was the most famous of them and is the one most Helena natives best remember. It was steam-operated and had two side wheels, with railcar tracks running through its center. Its predecessors were smaller, generally transporting fewer than ten rail cars, some as few as four or five. The Pelican, however, was a huge boat, all steel, 305 feet long and eighty-nine feet wide, faster, and capable of carrying between fourteen and sixteen rail cars. The Pelican’s introduction shortened the ferry’s crossing time by over ten minutes.

Before coming to Helena, the Pelican had served at Vicksburg, reportedly transporting passengers and train cars.

However, after its move to Helena, the boat was utilized solely for train cars. The Pelican was converted from steam to diesel in 1956; however, the diesel engines proved incapable of adequately powering its huge side wheels. In 1960, the boat was converted into a ferry barge and pushed by a towboat for the remainder of its life.

In the early 1970s, a railroad bridge

An 1872 map showing Steam Ferry Landing at Helena, Arkansas.

between Trotter’s Landing and Lula, Mississippi, burned, finally terminating Helena’s railcar ferry service.

Thus ended one of the most colorful eras in Helena’s long history. Many Helena natives still share cherished childhood memories of sitting on the riverbank, watching passengers disembark the A.C. Jaynes and awaiting the next load of train cars rolling off or on the Pelican. In their reminiscences, they join poet Walt Whitman, who sentimentally mentions in his book Specimen Days: “I have always had a passion for ferries; to me, they afford inimitable, streaming, never-failing, living poems.”

Boat details courtesy of Way’s Packet Directory. Thanks to retired archaeologist John Connaway for sharing his recollections of Helena’s ferries. DM Map showing railroad inclines used to load and unload railcars for transport on the Pelican.

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EVENTS

Aaron Lewis, July 19

Neshoba County Fair, July 25–August 1

FESTIVALS, MUSIC & FUN THINGS TO DO February 7–August 31

Cleveland

July 4, 6 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Memphis

July 10, 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Taylor Swift, Through the Eras

Canoes + Cocktails

The Joy of Painting Session II

GRAMMY Museum Mississippi visitcleveland.com

Shelby Farms Park shelbyfarmspark.org

Delta Arts Alliance visitcleveland.com

May 12–September 30

Greenwood

July 4, 9 p.m.

Oxford

July 12

The Guitar and a Changing Nation Exhibit

4th of July Fireworks

JXN Lemondrop Festival

Museum of the Mississippi Delta museumofthemississippidelta.com

Trade Park visitoxfordms.com

M-Bar visitjackson.com

July 3, 7 p.m.

Hernando

July 4–6

Memphis

All-American Weekend

Tomato Festival

Hernando Baptist Church cityofhernando.com

Graceland graceland.com

Chicory Market visitoxfordms.com

Bicentennial Independence Day Celebration Downtown Vicksburg visitvicksburg.com

Vicksburg

July 5, 2 p.m.–5 p.m.

Oxford

Aaron Lewis

The Lyric visitoxfordms.com

Horseshoe Casino horseshoetunica.com

Jackson

The Wiz

Hal & Mal’s visitjackson.com

The Orpheum orpheum-memphis.com

Cleveland

Montgomery Gentry

Bologna Performing Arts Center visitcleveland.com

Gold Strike Casino Resort goldstrike.com

Cleveland

Teen Art Workshop Summer Camp with Allyson Hardy

July 25

Duling Hall dulinghall.com

Montgomery Gentry, July 25 118 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

Jackson

Mississippi Museum of Natural Science visitjackson.com

July 25, 7 p.m.

Abe Partridge and Jack Barksdale

Tunica

Water Journey Festival

Delta Arts Alliance visitcleveland.com

July 8, 7:30 p.m.

Memphis

July 25, 8 p.m.

MSAI PLUS Summer Arts Camp

July 7–10

Tunica

July 22–27

Summoner’s Circle

July 7, 8:30 a.m.

Oxford

July 19, 8 p.m.

Oxford Uncorked Wine Festival

July 6

Jackson

July 12, 4 p.m.–6 p.m.

4th of July Children’s Bike Parade

July 4, 5 p.m.–10 p.m.

Cleveland

Jackson

Southaven

Kane Brown: The High Road Tour BankPlus Amphitheater bankplusampshitheater.com

All-American Weekend, July 4

July 25–August 1

Philadelphia

Neshoba County Fair Neshoba County Fairgrounds neshobacountyfair.org

July 26, 8 p.m.

Philadelphia

Thacker Mountain with Marshall Ramsey, Webb Wilder and the Rising Stars Founder’s Square Pavilion at the Neshoba County Fair thackermountain.com

July 26–28

Vicksburg

MegaBucs Catfish Tournament Vicksburg Convention Center visitvicksburg.com

July 27

Memphis

Creed: Summer of ’99 Tour FedExForum fedexforum.com July 27, 3:30 p.m.–5 p.m.

Oxford

Oxford on Skates

Spa

AT THE ALLUVIAN

The Old Armory Pavilion oxfordarts.com

July 30, 6:30 p.m.

Memphis

In This Moment Graceland Soundstage graceland.com

32 5D Howa rd St reet G reenwood, M S 662- 4 51- 670 0 t hea l l uv ian.com/t he-a l l uv ian-spa

Heather McMahan: The Bamboozled Tour, August 22 DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

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Legends of Soul Reimagined, August 2

July 31, 8 p.m.

Memphis

The O’Kays, August 16

August 5, 7:30 p.m.

Brandon

August 13, 8 p.m.

Jackson

Silversun Pickups

Rod Stewart

Yot Club with special guest Smokies

Graceland Soundstage graceland.com

Brandon Amphitheater brandonamphitheater.com

Duling Hall dulinghall.com

August 1, 8 p.m.

Memphis

August 7–10

Oxford

August 15, 7:30 p.m.

Ryan Adams

Bit of the Sip’ Drink & Food Festival

Jrblu

Graceland Soundstage graceland.com

Various Locations oxfordarts.com

Duling Hall dulinghall.com

August 2, 8 p.m.

Memphis

August 8

Clarksdale

August 16, 6:30 p.m.

Braxton Keith

Cat Head 23rd Anniversary Weekend

Memphis Tri-State Blues Festival

Graceland Soundstage graceland.com

Cat Head visitclarksdale.com

Landers Center landerscenter.com

August 2, 8 p.m.

Jackson

Dear Silas Homecoming: The Cadillac Leather in July Tour Duling Hall dulinghall.com

August 8, 7 p.m.–10 p.m.

Memphis

Legends of Soul Reimagined

The Powerhouse oxfordarts.com

Halloran Centre orpheum-theater.com

August 8–16 August 2, 8 p.m.

Tunica

Justin Moore Horseshoe Casino horseshoetunica.com

Greenwood

Bikes, Blues & Bayous Cycling Event Main Street Downtown Greenwood greenwoodmschamber.com

Silversun Pickups, July 31 120 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

August 16, 8 p.m.

Southaven

Memphis

Southaven

Teddy Swims: I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy Tour BankPlus Amphitheater bankplusamphitheater.com

Memphis

Elvis Week 2025

August 22, 8 p.m.

Graceland graceland.com

Heather McMahan: The Bamboozled Tour

August 9, 7 p.m.

August 2, 7 a.m.–2 p.m.

Clarksdale

Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival Downtown Clarksdale visitclarksdale.com

Halloran Centre orpheum-memphis.com

August 16, 5 p.m.

The O’Kays

August 8 August 2, 7 p.m.

Oxford

Iron Bartender

Jackson

Memphis

Orpheum Theater orpheum-memphis.com

Memphis

Killers of Kill Tony

August 22, 7 p.m.

Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

Mountain Grass Unit

Justin Moore, August 2

Bruce Springsteen, August 29

The Lyric visitoxfordms.com

Oxford

August 30

Memphis

Shinedown Tour with special guests Bush and Morgan Wade FedExForum fedexforum.com

LITERARY EVENTS Susie Dumont

Bed and Breakup Creed: Summer of ’99 Tour, July 27

Eli Cranor in conversation with John T Edge

Mississippi Blue 42 August 6, 5:30 p.m.: Off Square Books, Oxford Megan Abbott in conversation with Jack Pendarvis

El Dorado Drive August 13, 5:30 p.m.: Off Square Books, Oxford

July 8, 6 p.m.: Novel, Memphis

Sparky Reardon

Omar Tyree

August 15, 5:30 p.m.: Off Square Books, Oxford

The Flyy Girl Trilogy

The Dean: Memoirs and Missives Book Launch

July 14, 6 p.m.: Novel, Memphis

Billy Loper

Bruce Springsteen

Polly Stewart

Gold Strike Casino Resort goldstrike.com

The Felons’ Ball

August 16, 2 p.m.: Lemuria Books, Jackson

August 29, 8 p.m.

August 30, 8 p.m.

Tunica

July 21, 6 p.m.: Novel, Memphis

Memphis

Alice Cooper Graceland Soundstage graceland.com

August 30

Dat Delta Hot Wing Jubilee 2025 152 N. Hinds Street visitgreenville.com

August 30

Red’s Old-Timers Music Festival Red’s Lounge visitclarksdale.com

Icing on the Murder

Tree Fall with Birdsong

August 16, 2 p.m.: Novel, Memphis Peter Guralnick

Phyllis R. Dixon

The Colonel and the King

Something in the Water

August 18, 5:30 p.m.: Off Square Books, Oxford

July 30, 6 p.m.: Novel, Memphis

Clarksdale

Valerie Burns

Kendall Dunkelberg July 24, 5 p.m.: Lemuria Books, Jackson

Greenville

Beyond the Ruined Nights

Rae Nell Vaughn and Tom Mould

William Kelleher Storey

Choctaw Tales and Traditions

August 28, 5 p.m.: Lemuria Books, Jackson

July 31, 5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.: Off Square Books, Oxford

The Colonialist DM

DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

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DELTA SEEN

2025 Annual Meeting and Banquet for the Washington County Economic Alliance, Delta Compass and Chamber of Commerce at the E.E. Bass Cultural Center in Greenville on May 15. Photos by Faith Barnett

Mary Catherine Brooks, Chandrika Turner, Joe Nash, Eleanor Shaifer, Carl McGee, Sherry Smythe and Justin Archer Burch

Greenville Vice-Mayor and Councilwoman Lurann Thomas-Kingdom and Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons

Katrina Davenport, Tangie Bailey, Roscoe Greene and Gay Gustafson

Amy Maddox, Ken Purvis, Wendy Witherspoon and Haley Smith

Seth Spratlin, Chandrika Turner and Bart Freeland

Madison Jones and Jennifer Russel

Sydney Lamb, Scott Phillips 122 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

Faith and Ty Austin

David Rose, Andreal Turner and Justin Archer Burch

Justin Archer Burch, Sherry Smythe and Mary Catherine Brooks

Andy and Sarah Ozbun

DELTA SEEN

Pandora Redmond, Thomas-Kingdom

Al Brock and Lurann

Dr. Ed Nordan and Terry Nordan

Mary Catherine Brooks, Carolyn Mills Baker, Joe Nash and Justin Archer Burch

Julice Curry and Terri Lane

Angelica McKinney and Andreal Turner

LaTonya Thompson and Doneshia Burns

Courtney and Will Ayres

Lisa Percy and Stephanie Patton

Carl and Iris Mcgee

Sandra Stillman and Faith Barnett

Eleanor Shaifer and Jamie Murrell

Katy and Spencer Chastain DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

| 123

DELTA SEEN

Cathy Jennings, Andy Hackleman, Anne Freeman and Harrison Smith

America at the Crossroads with Thacker Mountain Radio at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta in Greenwood on May 29.

Photos by Johnny Jennings

Boyce Upholt, guest speaker and award-winning author

Richard Jacobs, Carolyn and Tom Sturdivant

Jason Gorski, John Beard and Kenny Paschal

Brian Morris and Dexter Duren

Cary New with Tim and Cindy Tyler

Pam Powers and Renae Hardy

Ashley Farmer

Mo and Pam Powers

Cassandria Hansbrough and Linda Conoway

Jan and Mike Sturdivant with Ygondine Enlow

124 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

DELTA SEEN

Attendees of the America at the Crossroads event

Lisa Cookston, Museum of the Mississippi Delta Director and Thacker Mountain Band, Yalobushwhackers

Lucy Gaines and Micah Quinn

Susie and Jim Tackett

Rob and Susan Powers

Tim Lee and Shelby Rayburn

Cathy Jennings and Jim Dees

Harrison Smith and Anne Freeman

Leslie Freeman, Vicki Lubiani, Will Lott, Luanne Stewart with Cindy and Melissa Lott

Allison Pillow, Ashley Farmer and Lisa Melton

Cary New, Charlotte Ray and Catherine Dunn

Palmer and Mary Clare Brock with Anne Freeman and Harrison Smith DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

| 125

DELTA SEEN

A Night in the Arts at the Delta Arts Alliance in Cleveland on May 10.

Photos by Lyndsi Naron

Doc and the Refills provided entertainment during the event Sha and Tim Corley

Dawn Ales and Amanda Povall

Kierre Rimmer, Don Conger, Philene Allen, and Milton Bradley Katie Wadkins and Dawn Ales

Katherine Strahan

Pearson

and

Rose

Hunter and Lauren Caston, Paden Dawkins, and Judson Brown Jimmy McClellan, Sr., Jimmy McClellan, Jr., and Katie Porter

Summer Lovett and Dawn Ales The Barata Band also provided music for the event 126 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

Kirkham and Amanda Povall

A selection of photos by Delta Magazine readers

DELTA SEEN

Alyssa Ellis Killebrew, Billy Ellis III, and Heather Ellis Sellers attended the Pope & Young Bowhunter Hall of Fame to honor Ellis who was inducted due to his unwavering support of the Trust

Emily and Shane Fletcher on vacation in Boca Raton, Florida

Jackie, Merry Elizabeth and Chuck Williamson in Riviera Maya, Mexico

Daniel and Katie Virden at the Memphis Italian Festival

Mitchell and Hayley Norquist in Sandals Resort in St. Lucia

LeAnne and Jim Landrum in Los Cabos, Mexico

Dinner after McCarty’s Second Sale: Front Left to right, Emily Levingston, Simone Levingston, Barbara Levingston, Suzi Kaplan, Alexis Solomon, Clare Randy Travis and Cole Burns at Solomon, Lexi Kaplan, Kitty Kossman and Stacy Wolff; Men in back, Benjy Doe’s Eat Place in Greenville Nelken, Edward Kossman, Darrell Solomon

Allen and Amber Palmer enjoying the horse races in Hot Springs

Mark and Blair Guin in Big Island, Hawaii

DELTA MAGAZINE 2025

| 127

Thefinalword

Rumors T

John C. Cox is a lifelong Deltan who practices law at his family firm in Cleveland, Cox & Moore, PLLC. He and his wife, Ashley, are the proud parents of three sons, and he enjoys all things Delta, including good food, good drink, and good stories.

You can find more of his writing at johnccox.substack.com, and he can be reached at okralaw@gmail.com.

128 | JULY/AUGUST 2025

BY JOHN C. COX

he flatland of the Delta is known for many things, not the least of which is good music and good fun. We enjoy ourselves, and we love cool refreshments with friends. My dad spent hours telling me about tubfuls of gin in Rosedale, and how he frequented many a honky-tonk at Ole Miss in the 1940s. Partying is practically a family tradition, like dove hunting on Labor Day weekend. It’s how we communicate and connect to people. Sundays might be for salvation, but the previous two nights are reserved for sinning.

You live in the Delta long enough, and you know tales of big nights at Sharpe Street Station or Chevy’s or One Block East. As a kid, I heard stories of Charlie “Love” Jacobs and The Tangents blowing the roof off the Mattress Factory in Cleveland. I remember Beanland doing the same thing at Syd ‘n Harry’s in Oxford. Mention The Gin to certain guys and girls, and visions of an Izod-clad army table-dancing during the Reagan Administration come to their mind. My Jackson buddies love to talk about going to George Street Grocery and letting Chesley (a Deltan, by the way) pour tall glasses of fun. No Deltan worth their seersucker is a stranger to the scene.

My place? The spot where I have the most memories? Well, some might call my spot Abby T’s.

Younger folks might call it The Brickhouse. But to me, it will always be Rumors Bar and Grill. That was the name of the main hangout in Cleveland when I was at Delta State, so that’s what I will always call it.

If you were “going out” in 1995, that meant Rumors.

Rumors…Come Start One. To people in the Delta, Rumors was like Valhalla.

If, of course, the home of the gods was a black-lit room filled with cold beer, college kids, the house band was the Krackerjacks, a DJ throbbed out “C’mon N’ Ride It (The Train),” and everyone’s favorite bartender was named Stretch. The place changed shape every summer—from two rooms to a circle bar concept to a big open room with the stage in the front—but the people were constant. The Crawdads’ boys always came in hot after 11 p.m. Wild Bill was at the corner of the bar, entertaining everyone in sight. A roomful of the J.Crew Nation was always there, ready to party.

Bands like Dash Rip Rock, LoveGrin, and Law of Nature stopped by Cleveland, and even the legendary

jam band Widespread Panic played the stage in 1992.

Candidly, my only real memory of that night is not of the band but of my fraternity pledge brother, Andrew Nelson Mundy, after numerous shots of freshman liquid courage, explaining his new name was Andy F. Mundy. (The “F” didn’t stand for Franklin, by the way.) I digress, but trust me, Rumors was a home away from home for a Deltan in the nineties. It was the place to see and be seen.

Before anyone gets the wrong idea, and I don’t know why I’m qualifying this statement at my age, I was a good student. I made excellent grades, completed my assignments, and rarely missed class.

My love of nightlife did not hamper my classroom performance. (Well, except that time I went to Oxford and saw Better Than Ezra at Lafayette’s before a Shakespeare midterm, but honestly, I was not going to do well on that exam anyway. Plus, the band covered Prince. All’s well that ends well.)

But we can’t speak of Rumors without speaking of its greatest feature—50 Cent Nite. Every Tuesday night until 11 p.m., all drinks were 50 cents. (Imagine waking up on Wednesday to a $100 bar tab at .50 Cent Nite the night before. Do that math for a study in confusion.) We can discuss the Camp David Accord in the late ‘70s if you want, but I firmly believe the single greatest event to further the progress of human relations in our country was 50 Cent Nite at Rumors. People from all walks of life would shake their couch cushions for spare change and fellowship with their fellow man. Friendships were forged over 50 cent whiskey drinks—some lifelong and some nightlong. Regardless, the bar brought us all together.

Athletes, frat boys, sorority girls, party kids. We all enlisted in the Rumors army on Tuesday nights, armed with a roll of quarters in our pockets and merriment on our minds. Gosh dang, that’s the Delta in a nutshell.

In later days, I remember enjoying lazy Friday afternoons on the balcony at City Grocery or seeing Blue Mountain rip the stage at Larry’s during law school. Those were good times; I wouldn’t trade them for the world. But there will always be only one Rumors.

Hey, Stretch, can I get a drink? And send one to Andy F. DM

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