Delta Magazine July/August 2018 Complimentary Issue

Delta

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Weekend in VICKSBURG

Simple Vacation Meals

poolside living

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E x p er i en c e t hee p o w er o f m u s i c .

Open 7 days a week / Cleveland, MS / 662.441.0100 / www.grammymuseumms.org GR AMMY Museum® and the Museum logo are registered trademarks of The Recording Academy® and are used under license.

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CHILDREN’S OF MISSISSIPPI

IS REACHING NEW HEIGHTS. Every child deserves the chance to grow up strong and healthy, so we’ve launched a landmark project to expand and modernize the state’s only children’s hospital and our pediatric specialty clinics. Offering state-ofthe-art technology y,, kid-friendly design, and all under one roof, this expansion will help us reach our goal of growing a healthier future for Mississippi.

HELP US GROW

SO THEY CAN GROW W..

Learn more at growchildrens.org

©2018 UM MMC. All rights reserved.

Architectural rendering ndering of the new Children’’ss building

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Tracey Bell C. (662) 719-4720 buckner.tracey@yahoo.com

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27 Prentiss Road

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Fabulous cabin that is “rustic” in all the right ways. 4BR/4.5BA situated on a 1 acre lot in the beautiful Merigold Hunting Club. For more info nfo on the club, visit www.merigoldhuntingclub.com. For more info about membership, ask T Trracey! Please CHECK K OUT VIRTUAL TOUR.

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Losing g weight begins with gaining a su upport.

To leaarn more aboout our pproggram,, call 1-800--976-5589.

Baptist North Mississippi Weight Loss Center is the first accredited weight loss center in the region, so we understand llosing weight requires support. Our bariatric surgeo ons, Drr.. Walker Byars an nd Dr. Scott Therrien, have suc s cessfully helped many patients lose weight through o surgery.

Our team of spe ecialists, including nursses, pulmonologists,, and dietitians provide e pre- and post-operative support. s Get better witth Baptist.

Get Better. northmiss.baptiston nline.org

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DELTA M

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Publisher: J. Scott Coopwood Editor: Cindy Coopwood Managing Editor: Pam Parker Contributing Editors: Hank Burdine, Maude Schuyler Clay, Noel Workman, Roger Stolle

as tal Ala ba ma ’ s C oa

S OT AR D - W IN N IN G SP AW A P AY O , DI NE AN D PL TO SH OP

Digital Editor: Phil Schank Graphic Designers: Sandra K. Goff, Cailee Conrad, Holly Ray Consultant: Samir Husni, Ph.D. Special Projects Coordinator: Stacye Trout Contributing Writers: Madge Howell, Liza Jones, Susan Marquez, Erica Eason Hall, Brenda Ware Jones, Angela Rogalski, Tom Speed, Amanda Wells Photography: Tom Beck, Austin Britt, Greg Campbell, Johnny Jennings, Roy Meeks, Brandon Morgan, Bill Powell, Tori Powell, Anthony Scarlati Circulation: Holly Tharp Accounting Manager: Emma Jean Thompson Account Executives: Cristen Hemmins, Kristy Kitchings, Wendy Mize, Ann Nestler, Cadey True POSTMASTER: Send all address changes to Delta Magazine P.O. Box 117, Cleveland, MS 38732 ADVERTISING: For advertising information, please call (662) 843-2700 or email 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 bi-monthly 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, P.O. 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: P.O. Box 117, Cleveland, MS 38732

F O L E Y , A L | 7 M I L E S F R O M T HE BE A C H A WORLD CLASS DEVELOPMENT BY

Vis itO OWA. c om | 25 1-923-21 11

Shipping Address: 125 South Court Street, Cleveland, MS 38732 Phone (662) 843-2700 • Fax (662) 843-0505 deltamagazine.com E-mail: publisher@deltamagazine.com editor@deltamagazine.com Subscriptions: $28 per year

6 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

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Completing the circuit.

At Entergy Mississippi, the circuit means more than electricity. It means connection and potential. Families. Neighborhoods.

Businesses. We’re all part of a circuit. So we invest in industry. Inspire education.

Nurture community. We empower each other. And together, we power life. entergymississippi.com

A message from Entergy Mississippi, Inc. ©2018 Entergy Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

11:32 AM

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We’ve got your back.

Almost everyone has back or neck pain at one time

• pain radiating into the legs (especially with

or another. But when the pain radiates to your

walking or standing) or pain radiating to

extremities, it could be a sign of a herniated disc,

to the arms

pinched nerve or spinal stenosis.

• numbness or tingling in hands or feet • decreased grip strength or weakness in arms

Your primary care provider may want to consider a referral to Greenwood Leflore Neurosurgery if you have:

• difficulty with balance Most back and neck pain does not require surgery, but if surgery is the best option, the neurosurgeons and staff at Greenwood Leflore Hospital are ready to help you get back to health. Ask your doctor to contact Greenwood Leflore Neurosurgery at (662) 451-7812 or fax a referral to (662) 451-7896.

GREENWOOD LEFLORE NEUROSURGERY CLINIC A Member of the Greenwood Leflore Hospital Network W. Craig Clark, MD, Ph.D, FAANS, FACS

Jimmy D. Miller, MD, JD, FAANS, FACS

405 River Road • Greenwood, MS 38930 • www.glh.org

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from the editor

Fifteen Years and Counting ith this edition of Delta Magazine, we celebrate our fifteenth anniversary. I’ll have to admit that when Scott came up with the idea, I was skeptical as to whether or not a lifestyle magazine would work here in the Mississippi Delta.

“What in the world will you even write about?” I asked.

Maybe it was the fact that we had just had our third child and were already quite busy with our other ventures, the Delta Business Journal and our marketing firm, Coopwood Communications, that skewed my judgement. Or perhaps (I am ashamed to admit) I had bought into the rhetoric of the naysayers—but I really thought it was a bad idea. Never have I The debut edition of Delta been more happy to admit I was dead wrong, and fifteen years Magazine, with dear friends later Delta Magazine is stronger than ever, having become the and artists Lee and Pup McCarty on the cover. voice of this most special place.

From the very first edition, the cover of which was graced by the late Delta icons Lee and Pup McCarty, we knew we had struck a chord. Serendipitously, Had a blast sampling the gourmet popsicles at Deep South Pops on a recent trip to Jackson. If that was also about the time the Delta was becoming cool. The blues was exploding as a draw you’re in the capital city this summer, be sure for tourists from all over the world to even the most obscure music festivals. Riffs on Southern to stop by for a cool treat! food were the new obsession of chefs and foodies everywhere, and the intricacies of our way of life, from our dinner parties and supper clubs to hunting camps to debutante balls to farm life, suddenly seemed fascinating. Dare I say, hip.

The response to that first issue was overwhelming, and the love our readers have for this place became very evident. And it still is. You have been the inspiration for the thousands of pages filled with stories of our life here. We’ve had the privilege of sharing your history, stories about your favorite places, I fell in love with the quaint neighborhoods and food and music, your homes and even your weddings.

So it goes without saying that this anniversary issue charming cottages in Vicksburg while there working on the feature story for this issue. is dedicated to you! We asked you to share your favorite recipes and photos with us to help us celebrate, and we are proud to include them on these pages. It is also fitting that we would highlight the historic river town of Vicksburg, about which David Cohn famously wrote, “the Mississippi Delta begins in the lobby of The Peabody Hotel and ends on Catfish Row in Vicksburg.”

Read about the Owen family lake house on Beaver Dam in Tunica (page 90). What’s more Delta than that? And don’t miss Hank Burdine’s article showing our deep artistic roots Bill Beckwith, in 1978, making repairs to The Patriot statue by as he traces the steps of the incredible impact French Sculptor Auguste Rodin had on Delta Malvina Hoffman, as the legacy of artists to this day (page 56).

Auguste Rodin continues.

I also want to thank our staff: the designers, editors and the outstanding writers and photographers who have contributed their time and talent over the years to help make Delta Magazine what it is today. It would not have been possible without their hard work.

So here’s to another fifteen years of bringing you the stories of our lives–which I now know are endless. DM

“W

Cindy Coopwood Editor

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@cindycoop1 cindy@deltamagazine.com

These sausage cheese muffins a new favorite. I assembled a huge batch in no time for our vacation food feature. Yum!

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contents Volume 16 No. 1

JULY/AUGUST

62

departments

110

30 BOOKS Reviews of new releases and 34 ART MEGHAN MAIKE

what Deltans are reading now

Canadian born artist pursues her art in the Delta

112

46 MUSIC BISHOP GUNN

Natchez rockers are on the rise

90 HOMES Owen family lake house

on Beaver Dam Lake POOLSIDE LIVING Inspiration for pools and outdoor spaces, page 100

112 FOOD

FEEDING THE MASSES Celebrating our 15th Anniversary with simple vacation recipes from Delta Magazine readers

features

50 56 62 76 82

100

COOL TREATS

in every issue

82

FROM THE HANDS OF A MASTER Sweet ways to cool off in the summer heat

VICKSBURG

The Delta legacy of Auguste Rodin

TWO DOG FARMS

Lovers of history, architecture and food unite, this is the town for you

A lifelong interest in farming has turned into a full-blown passion for this young couple

THE GIANT HOUSE PARTY

Delta families enjoy fun, food and family at the Neshoba County Fair

ON THE COVER: Modern copper fire pits adorn the pool’s edge at the home of Blake McCain and Morgan Wheeler in Cleveland. Photo by Austin Britt.

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14 Letters 18 On the Road Where we’ve been, where we’re going next

22 Off the Beaten Path Roaming the Real and Rustic Delta

26 Hot Topics 124 Events A listing of events including concerts, festivals, book signing

128 Delta Seen Pages of snapshots from area fundraisers, art openings and social events WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS 15th Anniversary Special feature: Photos from readers across the Delta

136 The Final Word

by John Ramsey Miller

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LETTERS D

MAY/JUNE 2018

SHOPPING LOCAL GIFT GUIDE

48 HRS. Die Hard.

Field of Dreams.

Larry Gordon’s journey from Belzoni to Hollywood

$5.95US

7

25274 24724

05

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What an exceptional cover story on Larry Gordon in the May/June 2018 issue of the Delta Magazine! “Gooter” is indeed the pride of Belzoni and should be for the state of Mississippi. Just an amazing career and a truly great man. As the feature mentioned, he and the Gordon family are joined at the hip with the Turner family, and our world is brighter for it. I am a younger, bit-player in that mix compared to my dad and his brothers and was nicknamed “butterbeanhead” by Larry for a still yet to be determined reason! But, nonetheless I have long admired everything about the man and I was honored to be included in the feature.

Keep on bringing to light these wonderful stories of the accomplished sons of the Delta.

Jon Turner Jackson, MS

me feel. They made me feel happy. It seemed like they were playing directly to me. I have been away from Mississippi for over thirty years, but when I saw that article, I found an old cassette tape of them, put it on and turned it up loud. I was reading the article with their music playing.

At the end of the piece, I cried. I laughed, and then I danced because they were still playing directly to me. What a special time that was and what a special band. I loved those guys. Thanks for putting that smile on my face and making me jump out of my chair again. Who says you can’t go home ?

I just did. Keep up the good work with your magazine. That was special.

Sherri Thackerly New York City, NY

who lived just around the corner. Life in Belzoni was great and it makes my heart just bubble with joy to see that Larry and Chuck are still down to earth Southern men.

Tollie Stanford Boyle, MS Jim Dees’s piece on the Tangents took me back to George Street Grocery, and I was “down home all over the world” once more. When The Tangents played George Street in the ’80s, I think I heard them every time they played, and every time they played, I had no choice; I had to dance.

Their music made me jump out of my chair and dance. The only partner I ever had was everybody in that club. It seemed like everybody was dancing, either on the floor or just dancing in their seats at the table. The Tangents did that. They moved people. They made it seem like everything was ok in the world, right then, right there.

The times that I danced to The Tangents, I had a smile on my face, and I didn’t care about anything else except how they made

I read Jim Dees’s article on The Tangents and felt fortunate I was one of the ones who did hear The Tangents during their time together. Jim describes them as “…the best band you never heard.” I was fortunate to be at The Tangents first performance at the Hoka in 1981. I knew D

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RECOLLECTIONS

Early Tangents promotional photo taken at Morrison Brother’s Music, Cleveland 1983.

A Joyful Noise

Duff with The Tangents playing George Street Grocery, in Jackson.

Fish Michie at the Mangy Moose, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Remembering the Tangents

BY JIM DEES • PHOTOS COURTESY OF FISH MICHIE

Thank you for the wonderful article on Larry Gordan. I was too young to remember him, but Chuck was a senior my first year in the band. They both probably remember my grandfather who was chief of police at that time, Mr. Nick (Nicholas)

Duff Dorrough, Ken Shaw, Steve Morrison, Fish Michie, and Charlie Jacobs

THE TANGENTS, A ROCKING RHYTHM AND BLUES SOUL BAND (1981-1995) WERE AS DELTA AS THE SUNFLOWER RIVER. Hailing from down home locales such as Ruleville, Merigold, Lula and Cleveland, the “Bad Boys of the Delta” were led by their core nucleus of Jerry “Duff” Dorrough, (guitar, vocals), Jim “Fish” Michie, (piano) and Charlie “Love” Jacobs (sax, harp, vocals).

Rhythm players included drummers Bob Barbee and Ken Shaw and bassists Kevin Mills, Steve Vines, Steve Morrison and Dave “Groovy” Parker. The Tangents never released an album, never made a video, and never had a song on the radio. And yet, they were unforgettable. If you saw them, you remember. If not, this story is for you: The best band you never heard.

Pianist Michie recalls early gigs before the band was even a band. “Duff and I played some gigs with (saxophonist) Grover Duke and the Cavaliers in the late 70s. We also played in a disco band together. We hated it. One night Groove had enough and set fire to his tuxedo.”

Rising from the ashes of a burning tux, Michie says they took it to the river. “We had a full band gig every Sunday at the Tunica Cut-Off, out on the boat landing. We had a guest house and a key to the ski boat.”

Drummer Barbee says it was all pretty casual—in fact, that was one suggested band name, The Casuals. “It got to be a thing but we didn’t really have a name. We rode around one day trying to think of a

band name and nobody could come up with one.”

By 1981 the Band With No Name booked an out-of-town gig in Oxford at the Hoka and the Gin (a converted warehouse/movie theatre and cotton gin/tavern, respectively). Barbee continues, “I think Charlie got there first that afternoon. The Hoka owner, Ronzo Shapiro, would write the night’s line-up on butcher paper with a magic marker and then staple it up outside. That was the “marquee.”

Charlie told him to call us, “The Tangents” and that was our first official gig.

“We made $14 that night,” Michie recalls. “They quit selling tickets.”

Shapiro offers his defense. “Charlie

Duff, Fish, Raphael Semmes rehearse songs for the graveside service for Willie Morris, Glenwood Cemetary, Yazoo City, August 1999.

Photo of a different version of The Tangents, 1980s.

The Tangents playing in Memphis, 1988.

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DELTA MAGAZINE 2018

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Cocktail Chic

Find nostalgia in every item of the

Delta Magazine Gift Collection Call or come by our office to shop our gift collection at 125 South Court Street, Cleveland, 662.843.2700.

Shop online at deltamagazine.com Like our official Delta Magazine Page We love our new “Happy Hour” cocktail napkins, pack of twenty, $7 14 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

Twitter @Delta_Mag

Instagram @deltamagazine

To subscribe, call (662) 843-2700 or visit deltamagazine.com

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something special was beginning to take shape when I heard those guys. Two years later, I happened to be going through the Tetons on my way to an Idaho rafting trip, and I saw a sign advertising “The Tangents” at a club in Wyoming. I stayed and enjoyed a musical experience that will stay with me forever. The Tangents performed at the Mangy Moose, an upscale bar and restaurant in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. To say they took Jackson by storm would be an understatement. They played with a ferocity and intensity that I have not seen duplicated in my years since then. It was like these good old Delta boys sauntered in and in an instant, had the crowd in their clutches and played like it was their last musical performance ever.

I’ve spoken to friends from Jackson Hole through the years who made it to every performance that week The Tangents played there, and they said, “It was like a runaway train, we were all onboard and they didn’t let up…”

Jim Dees did a wonderful job of describing those guys. I heard them many other times in the ‘80s, but the Hoka gig and the Jackson Hole explosion are chiseled into my musical memory. Their time was brief, but God, they were good.

Tom Vincent Silver Springs, MD As a graduate of Delta State and then a resident of Cleveland the first years of my twenty-six year marriage, I can fondly say the Mississippi Delta is at the top of my list of happy places.

Here’s to the staff of Delta Magazine for bringing “everything Delta” into my home and many others all Stephanie, with friends Michelle Knight over our great state and Katie and Melissa van Beurden country. Thank you with their Delta Magazine at the beach. for making us feel as if we never left.

Stephanie Case Hernando, MS

SEND COMMENTS AND LETTERS TO editor@deltamagazine.com or Delta Magazine PO Box 117 Cleveland, MS 38732 DELTA MAGAZINE 2018

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Aerial Art

PHOTO BY BRITTNEY TURNER

HIS TIME OF THE YEAR, Delta skies are filled with activity as crop dusters spray the fields and perform their magical ballet over the flat land.

The history of these daredevils is quite interesting. By 1918 the boll weevil was such an economic threat to farmers the U.S. Bureau of Entomology established a program to fight the pests using calcium arsenate. Farmers needed a method to spread the insecticide in large quantities—with far greater reach than what mule-drawn wagons or tractors could deliver. Attempts were made with gasolinepowered engines that operated large fans to distribute the substance across their fields, but that wasn’t enough. Around 1920, the government began experimenting with Stearman airplanes to distribute the insecticide; the results were promising, and thus “crop dusting” was born. DM

T

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ON THE ROAD

where we’ve been, where to go next

Hill Country Hotspot OXFORD

ONWARD

Downtown view of Oxford from the roof of the Graduate Hotel.

– JIM HENDRIX

The Onward Store on Highway 61 in the south Delta is a monument to President Teddy Roosevelt and the time he spent in the Delta. – BRUCE BARTLEY

GLEN ALLAN

PHOTO OPS & Unique octagonal seed barn at Lake Washington near Glen Allan. – MARTY KITTRELL

INDIANOLA

PORT GIBSON

One of Mississippi’s iconic landmarks, the Windsor Ruins never loses its magic. – MARTY KITTRELL

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Rolling Muddy A barge navigating the Mississippi River just as the sun sets.

The old brick Indianola Bank still sits in downtown Indianola – BRUCE BARTLEY

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– MARTY KITTRELL

Instagram users, follow @deltamagazine and see #DMphotoops

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Delta Salvation

CANTON

LEFLORE COUNTY

The old downtown barber shop is a rare site, but in Canton, the Chandler O’Cain is still going strong and has been for the past fiftyone years. – MARTY KITTRELL

Baptist Church on Highway 8 outside of the small town of Ruleville. – MALCOLM WHITE

GREENWOOD

FUNKY STOPS Roaming the real and rustic Delta SOUTH DELTA

Courthouse in Greenwood. – BRUCE BARTLEY

Twice as nice on Highway 61 north of Anguilla. – MARTY KITTRELL

Leaning Towers

LULA

TUNICA

This small community located north of Clarksdale is also known for its contribution to the blues. – MALCOLM WHITE

Remnants of the farming past on I-69 in the north Delta. – ROBYN MARLOW

DELTA MAGAZINE 2018

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Contact us to book your event.

(662) 234-3031 info@graduateoxford.com

20 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

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OFF THE BEATEN PATH roaming the real and rustic Delta

THE FAMOUS FARMHOUSE OF PLUTO Now Available for Nightly and Weekend Rentals

BY ANGELA ROGALSKI

T

he Farmhouse at Gum Grove in Holmes County built by James R. Peaster, Sr., in

1914-15 was the setting for Richard Grant’s bestselling memoir, Dispatches From Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta. In fact, Grant bought the house, located in the community of Pluto, while writing his award-winning book, but he sold it back into the Peaster family in 2015. Today, Jamie Peaster and his wife, Monica, own the house, and it’s back in the family a century after his great-grandfather built it.

“Over the years, the farmhouse changed hands through various relatives, and that’s who Richard Grant bought it from, a cousin of my husband, Mike Foose,” Monica Peaster says. “Richard bought the house in 2012, and we bought it from him in 2015.”

And while the Peasters do not actually live in the farmhouse, they do frequent it quite often and are now also renting it out for events and other occasions.

“The house is available for nightly and weekend rentals, and we do tours as well; we do receptions and weddings, just most anything that someone might want to use it for. It’s a relaxing country atmosphere and has a stocked pond; there’s a great grilling area in the back, and it’s just peaceful here,” says Peaster. Sitting on the banks of the Yazoo River, the home is located seven miles from Hillside National Wildlife Refuge and one mile from Bee Lake.

Peaster adds that it is also a great getaway from the world’s interruptions, with no television or real wi-fi.

“You can just sit on the front porch and actually have a conversation with someone,” she laughs. “And that’s the appeal. The joy of peace and quiet.”

Adventure writer Richard Grant wrote the New York Times bestseller Dispatches from Pluto while living at the Farmhouse. People have come from far and wide to see the location where this famous book was written.

TAYLOR PEASTER

6697 Bee Lake Road, Tchula plutofarmhouse.com (662) 571-7825

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OFF THE BEATEN PATH

roaming the real and rustic Delta

MERIDIAN ARTS CENTER & HOLT COLLIER STATUE Creativity Abounds in East Mississippi and a Deltan is Celebrated in Texas

M

MARIANNE TODD

RON BLAYLOCK

ississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (The Max) opened its doors on April 28 in

Top, bronze casts of Mississippi blues musicians by artist Sharon McConnell-Dickerson in the Juke Joint exhibit at The Max. Above left, the library in the Home Gallery. Above right, exterior rendering of the museum. Below, Holt Collier rides high in the saddle during his cowboy days in Waco.

Meridian. The concept behind this one-of-a-kind experience was to celebrate Mississippi’s statewide contributions to the arts and entertainment and to do it all under one roof.

“The Max is unlike anything else that the state has right now,” says Nicole Ethridge, marketing assistant for The Max. “For the first time Mississippi artists, of all art forms, are going to be celebrated under one roof. We have musicians like Elvis Presley and Jimmie Rodgers, visual artists like Walter Anderson and George Ohr, but we also feature writers, chefs and many other cultural artists that have contributed to the arts and entertainment in Mississippi.”

Ethridge adds that one thing many people may not realize until they visit The Max is it’s not really a “collecting” museum,’ it’s more of an interactive and visitor-involved experience.

“We don’t really collect artifacts. It’s more than coming in to seeing one of Elvis Presley’s jumpsuits or Charley Pride’s guitar. We have those things, but that’s really one of the smaller things about The Max,” says Ethridge. “The Max is very interactive.”

2155 Front Street, Meridian msarts.org (601) 581-1550

BY HANK BURDINE

I

n Waco, Texas a monument salutes the Texas cowboys and the cattle drives. Branding the

Brazos is a larger-than-life bronze monument of three cowboys: one white, one Hispanic and one black, driving twenty-five head of longhorn cattle along the Brazos River. The black cowboy is the Mississippi Delta’s own Holt Collier. Collier came from Greenville’s Plum Ridge Plantation as a boy. He joined the Confederacy seeing service with Company I of the 9th Texas Cavalry. After the war, Collier traveled to Texas and became a cowboy working on ranches. Later he returned to the Delta and began a career as a bear hunter supplying meat to the burgeoning railroad and levee crews. Collier was instrumental in the 1902 bear hunt when he guided President Theodore Roosevelt on what has been called the most famous hunt on American soil. wacoheartoftexas.com DELTA MAGAZINE 2018

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LIFE M OVES PRE T T Y FA ST. Hang on n tight and liv e on the edge e of e v er y moment wh her e the fun ne v er se ts. Ex xperienc e lif e in full f ocus in Mississippi. i.

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HOT TOPICS SUNFLOWER FEST TO HONOR ‘RAZORBLADE,’ C.V. VEAL Performances to be held on eight stages on August 9-12 More than 180 blues and gospel musicians will be performing on eight stages during the free Thirty-first Annual Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival in downtown on Clarksdale August 9-12, according to Melvita Tillis Presley, co-chair.

The event is being dedicated to Josh “Razorblade” Stewart and C. V. Veal, two longtime performers who contributed significantly to the festival’s “unique signature of authenticity and excellence” leading to its own Mississippi Blues Trail marker.

Stewart died on April 21 in Memphis, and Veal passed away on May 8 in Clarksdale.

Included during the celebration will be an educational showcase: “Passing down the Tradition of Mississippi Delta Blues” featuring generations of elite master teachers and students with Jim O’Neal, co-founder of Living Blues magazine and senior research director of the Mississippi Blues Trail as coordinator.

Headlining the festival Friday night on the Melville Tillis Delta Blues Stage will be international guitar phenom Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and on Saturday night, Southern soul master O.B. Buchana.

The festival’s electric main stage opens at 6 p.m. Friday, August 10, with the Delta Blues Museum Band; six Saturday afternoon stages will kick off at Levons Bar & Grill, Ground Zero Blues Club, Crossroads Cultural Center, Hambone Art & Music, Hattie Jeans,

PANNY FLAUTT MAYFIELD

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and Red’s Lounge, and the main stage opens at 6 p.m.

Sunday’s gospel stage opens at 4 p.m. in the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium. (Madge Howell) For more information visit sunflowerfest.org

MISSISSIPPI BOOK FESTIVAL 2018 One of the most noted literary gatherings in the South The fourth annual Mississippi Book Festival will be held on August 18 on the grounds of the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson. Holly Lange, executive director of the festival, says this year there are over 150 authors who will be on hand participating in panel discussions, live interviews and book signings.

“Among the confirmed list of authors, we have Salman Rushdie, Jon Meacham, Julia Reed, Jesmyn Ward and Rick Bragg,” Lange adds, “just to highlight a few. And books will be available for purchase at the event, or you can bring your own book for the signings.”

Lange says the motivation and inspiration to begin the festival lies with a group of united Mississippians who wanted to produce a book festival to honor the state’s great literary heritage.

“Mississippi truly has one of the greatest literary heritages of any state in our country,” says Lange. “And it was high time we

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organized ourselves into a book festival to honor our past, recognize our current authors and encourage a love of reading among everyone, both younger and older people alike.”

Lange says the goal of the festival is two-fold: “One is to promote from within, and two is to bring from without.

So we want to highlight our own authors from Mississippi, some of whom still reside here; and those who love to come back to participate in the festival. We also want to bring authors from the national stage to Mississippi for Mississippians who might not otherwise get a chance to meet their favorite author.”

The event is free and open to the public, with free parking and shuttles also provided. The festival kicks off at 9 a.m. and ends at around 6 p.m. Food trucks will be present for lunch and beverages throughout the day. (Angela Rogalski) For more information visit msbookfestival.com

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HOT TOPICS HAILING FROM GREENWOOD THE GANTS GET THEIR MUSICAL MARKER Recognition of the Delta’s “Beatles” In April, the musical group The Gants received their historical marker in Greenwood. In the 1960s, The Gants began their musical career with R&B covers, but eventually opened for bands such as The Dave Clark Five, The Yardbirds, The Blues Magoos and later the Box Tops. They made their own indelible mark on music with songs like “Roadrunner” and “My Baby Don’t Care.” The group included Don Wood, Vince Montgomery, Johnny Sanders and Sid Herring, the group’s only surviving member. The marketing firm Hammons & Associates designed the marker.

Allan Hammons, president of the firm, was a friend of The Gants and remains close with Herring today. The marker is located adjacent to the American Legion building.

“The Gants were from Greenwood, and they were high school classmates of mine,” Hammons says. “And Sid and I are still good friends. Sid lives right outside of Nashville and is still a practicing musician. The marker was placed close to the American Legion building, where many of our high school dances were held.”

Unfortunately, The Gants lost Wood, Montgomery and Sanders over the years. But Herring is still playing and keeping the musical flame alive. Herring says he has always been in love with music, and he always will be.

“As kids, we started doing something that we were just really enthused with,” Herring says. “And music is such a wonderful thing at any age, but when you’re a kid, it’s like a magical wonderland. We

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started out having fun with our music, and then we realized at a certain point it was becoming a very important role in our lives.”

“We took a little band that we started in Greenwood, and we went around the world, and we were all best friends,” Herring says.

“We had some success, and we remained best friends. It wasn’t like a business or a working situation; it was a pleasure situation from the get-go. And everything was right.” (Angela Rogalski) For more information visit greenwoodms.com

THE REMARKABLE STORY OF A MAN’S JOURNEY AGAINST ALL ODDS A dream turned into reality with perseverance and hard work Born on a farm in 1922 in Leflore County, Ed Scott and his sharecropper-turned-landowner father before him were pioneers in bringing rice as a crop to the Delta. Later, Scott dug his own catfish ponds and then built the plant to process the fish, and at one point he was farming over a thousand acres in Leflore and Bolivar Counties. In 1971 he formed a cooperative where farmers shared equipment and pooled their money and labor. Julian Rankin’s book,

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Catfish Dreams: Ed Scott’s Fight for his Family Farm and Racial Justice in the Mississippi Delta, details the struggles the World War II veteran faced as an African American in a segregated society. The political realities of his activism—he drove to Selma to carry hundreds of homemade sandwiches to Dr.King and the Freedom marchers and he was a friend of Fannie Lou Hamer— combined with his economic mobility, made him a hero to his family and community, and a threat to the establishment that said no black man could be an equal.

Equally poignant and inspiring, Rankin’s debut book is the story of a man who so loved the land, his family, and his country that he dared to dream big in a time and place that was simply not ready for him. The price he ultimately paid—Scott almost lost his land and his life—is a history lesson to us all. He provides an example to all Americans, black and white, young and old, southerners or not, that the combination of hard work and perseverance can make a dream reality. When the late Willie Morris, a close friend of Julian Rankin’s family, told Rankin as a boy, ”there’s a gold mine in those ears,” Rankin listened well. The proof is in his telling of Ed Scott’s remarkable story. (Maude Schuyler Clay) Order from amazon.com or other book sellers.

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BOOKS

Buzzworthy Comments

Tangerine by Christine Mangan (Harper Collins) In Tangerine, Christine Mangan’s debut novel, we get to explore a mysterious and strange friendship through the eyes of Alice and Lucy, who were inseparable roommates in college until the night of a horrible accident, after which they became estranged.

One year later, Alice is married and living in exotic Tangier with her new husband during turning tides of Moroccan independence in 1956 when Lucy shows up, without warning, on her doorstep. Then Alice’s egotistical husband goes missing during the chaos of the time.

This is a suspenseful novel complete with the slow buildup of psychological tension to a startling climax. Who is reliable? Whose point of view can we trust in this narrative? Film rights have been sold, and dusty, hot Morocco is the perfect setting for this page-turner, which echoes both The Talented Mr. Ripley and Single White Female. (Liza Jones)

Christine Mangan

Love and Ruin by Paula McLain (Penguin Random House) Anyone who has read The Paris Wife must read Love and Ruin, also written by Paula McLain. Like the former book, Love and Ruin is a historical novel that follows the life of one of Ernest Hemingway’s wives, and as McLain so adoringly tells, the most interesting and courageous of them all—Martha Gellhorn.

During the catastrophic upheaval of the Spanish Civil War, Gellhorn, a brave and independent writer and war correspondent, falls in love with Hemingway while he is still married to his second wife. Their affair is a fiery one that rolls right into a rollercoaster marriage in Cuba, where the couple settles. With Hemingway, she must contend with his fame, moodiness, destructiveness and competiveness. Told from Gellhorn’s first person point of view, this novel is endlessly interesting. (Liza Jones) The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams (Harper Collins) The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams is the perfect summer read.

Set on Winthrop Island and wonderfully paced between three different summers, this novel’s beauty and mystery dazzle among the complex relationships between the families, the wealthy elite who summer on the island and the Portuguese working class who live on the island year-round.

When Miranda’s mother marries Hugh Fisher, she is plunged into this seemingly peaceful world. But what she discovers is that this island is full of secrets. When she falls in love with Joseph Vargas, whose father keeps the lighthouse, she is catapulted into a calamity that violently exposes the clash of the classes. With impeccable method, Williams creates a great rhythm, not unlike the waves of the ocean, by pulling and pushing the reader back and forth through the summers of three different years: 1930, 1951 and 1969. Each summer brings its own suspense and heat. This novel will be hard to put down. (Liza Jones)

For the Record Books Delta Magazine fans are currently reading o Stephanie Howard McGarrh Natchez Burning, Bone Tree and Mississippi Blood

by Greg Iles

o Michelle Remley Royles

The Woman in the Window

by A.J. Finn

o Limon Oxidado

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

by Neil deGrasse Tyson

o Melanie McCory Mathews

The Wife Between Us

by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen 30 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

o Lisa Stigall Pinkston Anxious for Nothing

by Max Lucado

o Ginger Blair Harden To Be Where You Are

by Jan Karon

o Wes Martin

The Republic

by Plato

o Billy Tabb

Trials of the Earth: the True Story of a Pioneer Woman

by Mary Mann Hamilton

We asked Facebook friends and Delta Magazine Fan Page Group members to list the most influential book they have read. o Julie Baker Bell, Owner JBB Studio Olive Branch, Mississippi

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy. The first time it was a real all nighter. I started when I got home from work on Friday and finished it around 11 a.m. on Saturday. It is laugh out loud funny and desperately sad, intelligent and beautifully written. o Becky Smith, Retired Cleveland, Mississippi

Paula McLain

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Seeing the things that occurred in the South through the eyes of a young girl opened my eyes to the real world. o Sandi Wheatley, Retired Greenwood, Mississippi

Justine by Lawrence Durrell. Read it first at about twenty-one, and I am amazed at how my feelings for different characters have changed as have insights about what is really being described. o Mike McCall, Editor Ridgeland, Mississippi

Beatriz Williams

The Gulf by Jack E. Davis. Everything you could possibly want to know about the formation, exploration, settling and more of the Gulf of Mexico over the last five centuries.

o Don Kemp Thriving in Babylon

by Larry Osborne

o Anita Patterson Reginelli Blood Memory Society

by D.A. Field

o Tom Beck

The Making of Winston Churchill

by Candice Millard

o Suzanne Smith Barnette Crazy Rich Asians

by Kevin Kwan

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Delta Epiphany: Robert F. Kennedy in Mississippi

by Ellen B. Meacham (University Press) In April 1967, a year before his run for president, Senator Robert F. Kennedy knelt in a crumbling shack in the Mississippi Delta trying to coax a response from a listless child. The toddler sat picking at dried rice and beans spilled over the dirt floor as Kennedy, former U.S. attorney general and brother to a president, touched the boy’s distended stomach and stroked his face and hair. After several minutes with little response, the senator walked out the back door, wiping away tears.

In Delta Epiphany: Robert F. Kennedy in Mississippi, Ellen B. Meacham tells the story of Kennedy’s visit to the Delta, while also examining the forces of history, economics and politics that shaped the lives of the children he met in Mississippi in 1967 and the decades that followed. The book includes thirty-seven powerful photographs, a dozen published here for the first time.

Kennedy’s visit to the Mississippi Delta as part of a Senate subcommittee investigation of poverty programs lasted only a few hours, but Kennedy, the people he encountered, Mississippi and the nation felt the impact of that journey for much longer. His visit and its aftermath crystallized many of the domestic issues that later moved Kennedy toward his candidacy for the presidency.

Sadly, we know what happened to Kennedy, but this book also introduces us to three of the children he met on his visit, including the baby on the floor, and finishes their stories. Kennedy talked about what he had seen in Mississippi for the remaining fourteen months of his life.

His vision for America was shaped by the plight of the hungry children he encountered there. (Special/DM Staff)

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MISSISSIPPI: Nights Under A Tin Roof and Life After Mississippi

by James A. Autry (Yoknapatawpha Press) It’s rare that a CEO writes poetry recalling lessons learned under a tin roof. James Autry, then president of the Meredith Group magazine publishing division, wrote verse whenever and wherever he could— in board rooms between meetings, in hotel lobbies, on airplanes, in limos and taxis. Poetry would not leave him alone.

In his preface to Mississippi, Autry calls his verse “pieces” of recollections because “their shape comes to me as stories and then as pieces of a larger story.” His poems achieve a remarkably dense texture of memory forming what John Mack Carter has called a bridge of “kinship” between poet and reader.

This collection of seventy-seven poems from Autry’s Nights Under A Tin Roof and Life After Mississippi focuses on the rhythms of rural Southern life, an odyssey of country funerals, weddings, church revivals, family reunions and courtships drawn from a unique American heritage.

Autry’s narrative verse makes us stop and listen to an Air Force air traffic control operator trying to save a pilot’s life, a young man grappling with the social prejudices of his native state, a father trying to understand his autistic son. Autry also knows the deep silences of the wind in the pines, of hot, quiet days in the Mississippi hill country, the sound of one’s own breathing. (Special/DM Staff) DM DELTA MAGAZINE 2018

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New from University Press of Mississippi

An illustrated exploration of the legacies and restoration of historic antebellum homes in the South

By Marc R. Matrana, Robin S. Lattimore, and Michael W. Kitchens

A call with no steeple from the preacher with no pulpit

By Will D. Campbell

Available at your local bookseller.

32 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

A collection of essays for writers, readers, and lovers of all things southern Edited by Susan Cushman Foreword by Alan Lightman

The National Book Award–nominated memoir of a preacher, author, and civil rights activist

By Will D. Campbell Foreword by Jimmy Carter Foreword to the new edition

by John Lewis

upress.state.ms.us | 800.737.7788

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ART

Meghan Maike Canadian born artist pursues her art in the Delta

BY ERICA EASON HALL • PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUSTIN BRITT

I

f someone were visiting downtown Clarksdale for work or leisure, he or she may catch a glimpse of her. She rides a navy blue cruiser bicycle, wears her hair long in a striking shade of red and dresses in impeccable vintage ensembles. She is Meghan Maike. And her appearance can be summed up in her own words, “Art is life.”

One might think it a funny and unusual thing to find a Canadian Australian woman living and working in Clarksdale, Mississippi. But every year, it seems, there are more newcomers adding to the moderately sized population of expats living in this north Delta town. Having been in Clarksdale five years now, Meghan is very much a part of the local fabric and is a beam of light for the local downtown arts community. Meghan is a freelance illustrative artist. She works in scales as small as custom greeting cards to projects as large as windows and walls. Meghan can be found most weekdays working at Oak &

34 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

Ivy creating living floral designs or using her illustrative skills for shop displays.

Meghan grew up in the rural natural beauty of Chilliwack and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Her parents split when she was young, and she and her sister divided time between their homes located five hours apart. She says, “My parents’ uncustomary custody agreement began being adopted by their friends in the area.

We spent one year with Mom and the next with Dad and back and forth each year from there on.” From a very early age, Meghan had an insight into the creative fun of

changing physical locations regularly and thriving from the impermanence of that style of living.

In addition to moving often, Meghan says she’s “been a doodler all my life.” She considered a fine arts degree when starting university in Canada, but opted for what seemed like a more practical degree in communication theory. After university Meghan spent a decade in Montreal working in the creative industries of hospitality and music. As much as she loved Montreal, she felt she needed to move across the world before deciding where to settle, so she spent the next three years in Melbourne—the art, food and music epicenter of Australia. Near the end of that stint, she felt a tug to travel around North America on a road trip with her adventurous best friend Jess. Visiting the Deep South of

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Meghan Maike, who grew up in Canada, has found her true home to be the Mississippi Delta.

the United States was something neither had done before. A family member suggested that if they were doing the Nashville to New Orleans route, then they should be sure to stop in a little town called Clarksdale for a night or two.

Meghan recalls the moment she crossed the Louisiana-Mississippi line leaving New Orleans and saying out loud without conscience thought, “I feel like I could live here.” She was driving over the Pontchartrain Bridge blasting Lucinda Williams’s song “Lake Charles,” windows down, singing at the top of her lungs. It was August, and the heat was stifling, yet the heavy green lushness of everything melted her heart in a way that no other place ever had. A few hours later, she and her traveling partner Jess arrived in 36 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

Clarksdale at the Shack Up Inn, her own “personal Shangri-La,” to stay two nights before heading on to Nashville. They quickly made friends with local shackers and artists.

They proceeded with their trip north as planned, but because the last few weeks of the trip were purposely left open-ended, the two agreed they wanted to go back to Clarksdale and spend more time there, so back they went. After completing their trip through the States, Meghan returned to Melbourne, Australia, to finish out her obligations there but traveled back to visit Clarksdale again. And the visits continued growing longer before eventually making it official. She fell in love and married one of those locals she met that very first day, but they have since divorced and both lead

creatively successful lives in the same town.

Meghan’s excitement for developing her craft in this artistically stimulating small Southern town is still strong today.

The first sightings of Meghan’s visual artistry appeared at Oxbow Restaurant on their daily specials chalk door in 2014. They developed into a suspenseful treat for customers as the illustrations became more complex, punny and always original. Next, owner Hayden G. Hall asked Meghan to paint a more permanent sandwich board sign that would go out on the corner advertising the restaurant hours. At the same time, Oak & Ivy, a botanical interior garden shop, was opening across the street.

Meghan was hired to chalk a mural on their back wall in enchanted florals. She was given the key to the shop, and she chalked at night after her other jobs. This chalk mural is as vibrant today as when she first created it three years ago.

After the restaurant closed, Meghan began working at Oak & Ivy and has proven that her design skills are not limited to chalks, paints and songs. She applied her knowledge of the principles of design mixed with the shop’s guided instruction of living floral arrangements and is now a floral designer there. For Oak & Ivy’s first Christmas,

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Meghan created a holiday window design that became worthy of drive-by viewings.

And soon after, other businesses downtown began hiring her to do their seasonal, holiday or logo designs on windows. It was having a domino effect, and quickly became apparent that she was single-handedly revitalizing downtown with her artwork.

And businesses are not the only ones improving their spaces with Maike’s handiwork. Clients have invited her into their homes to paint murals; some examples of her work are a children’s reading nook and a kitchen wall calendar counting the days to Christmas. She prefers clients give as much inspiration and direction as to what they are looking for stylistically. And then Meghan takes their direction and sketches to create two or three designs for final approval.

On a recent large-scale project, Meghan had the opportunity to work with a local non-profit called CARES, Clarksdale Animal Rescue Effort & Shelter. She designed and painted large murals for the education room, the cat community room and the volunteer room. While much of her work is commissioned by her clients, Meghan is working on a series of original art prints that will roll out and be available at Oak & Ivy in the fall.

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Meghan and Eric were so moved by the Meghan is not only a visual artist but a intention of the artists there to create beauty musician as well. She has written many and community pride in dangerous or original songs and played local venues abandoned areas through mural installations around town. She participates in the that they felt this idea could be replicated singer/songwriter’s workshop at Shack Up back home. The two are on a mission Inn each year. She has also been a regular cothrough grant writing and private host of Clarksdale House Party produced by Gary Vincent. She has made a connection between her singing and her mural and sign painting in that “there is a performative element to it.”

“There are many levels of social consciousness involved” considering that “the business owner cares enough to hire a local artist to beautify their space and then the viewers and passersby have connection because they saw the artist painting it and have reason for conversation about it. In Melbourne, they dedicated walls in the city to graffiti artists.”

Meghan recently traveled to Maike and her signature navy blue cruiser.

Bogota, Colombia, with her friend Eric Stone, a photographer whose current fundraising to have three Colombian artists project is to capture the essence of the mural come to Clarksdale in the fall and bring art art there. Meghan worked as his assistant and to forgotten corners of the town. As part of gleaned so much inspiration from the artists; the project, they hope to “involve local she was able to talk with them and ask school age children and adult volunteers as a questions and learn more about their process. public participation collaborative effort that

will last long after the artists leave, both on our buildings and in the hearts of those who helped create it and in those who view it.”

Meghan will be helping these artists as another talented hand but will also learn in the process for her own interest in larger scale works with spray paint.

When asked why the Delta is a good place to start as an artist, Meghan explains that “the slow and simple life has opened up the horizons of creativity for me. In the last five years, I have said YES to more and experienced more firsts in everything I do than anywhere else I have ever lived.

The slowness has, in fact, pitched me forward. It is a great place for experimentation and facing your fears.” She also says that it allows us all to take the moments to “celebrate every scrap of beauty and art.”

When asked what being an artist means to her, Meghan says, “I still feel uncomfortable calling myself an artist; I would rather say that I do art.” However, she is quick to say that whether it be food, murals or music for her, “art is life!” DM

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VISIT CLARKSDALE “Home of the Blues”

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MUSIC

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BISHOP

GUNN

Natchez rockers are on the rise

BY TOM SPEED • PHOTOS BY ANTHONY SCARLATI

In the year 2018 what is rock ’n roll? The airwaves are dominated with slick pop productions and hip-hop collaborations.

Festivals are often dominated by EDM (Electronic Dance Music).

Country radio comes close, but even it is often barely discernible from the top 40.

What about just good ol’ fashioned rock ’n roll—you know, that sweaty mix of blues, soul and country that features electric guitars, a solid backbeat and a singer who means it? Remember that?

Enter the Natchez-bred group Bishop Gunn. They’ve quickly ascended the ranks of the Nashville music scene in the few years since moving there. They released their debut album, Natchez, in May. It’s a potent blend of countrified rockers and soulful grooves, solid songs, electric guitars. And a singer who means it. But even Nashville doesn’t know what to do with them. They simultaneously received raves from Rolling Stone Country while entering the Billboard Blues charts at

number four. But everything about their drive, approach and DIY attitude screams rock ’n roll.

Balloon Beginnings The band’s genesis was at Natchez’s Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. Drummer Burne Sharp got a call from a guitar-playing friend about a spot on the bill. The only problem was they didn’t have a band. Or a name. Sharp started calling around. He’d played in various bands over the years, and his father owned a recording studio where he mostly recorded gospel music. He had connections. He also knew that they needed a singer, and one name kept popping up no matter who he spoke to: Travis McCready.

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McCready had also played in several bands around town over the years. A sheet metal fitter by trade, McCready would find time to play music.

“We would play in bars on the weekend around Natchez,” he says. “We’d work a long twelve hour shift then go play from nine to one and be back at work by six a.m. He’d mostly listened to whatever was on the radio growing up. That consisted of country and hip-hop. But then he discovered his uncle’s CD collection.

“I started digging through my uncle’s CD collection and using it as a library,” McCready explains. “I listened to all of it. His collection had everything. A lot of ‘70s rock, but I really gravitated towards the grunge stuff. Chris Cornell, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and all of that. It just seemed kind of like the blues, a back to basics, do-it-yourself approach.” Today, you can hear echoes of Cornell and Vedder in his vocal approach. Sharp and McCready began making trips to Nashville to try to make some headway into their burgeoning music career. But they soon realized a change was needed.

“We had made a couple of trips to Nashville just trying to network,” says Sharp.

“But we finally decided we needed to be there in case opportunities came up, not eight hours away. We had some friends up there so finally decided to make the move about four years ago.” That required McCready to quit his job, and leaving a good-paying, steady job was a tough decision. His father had worked at the same location, now called Great River Industries, since 1975. He knew, too, that as soon as he quit there would be someone there to take his place.

“One day I was at work, and I was hanging in this big metal tube, and I had on a helmet and earplugs and a respirator. About that time I decided it was time for me to make a change. I packed up my tools and left 48 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

them there. I decided that day that I had to go for it, and I haven’t swung a hammer in four years.”

Making Friends In The Fork Once ensconced in Nashville, they settled in Leiper’s Fork, just to the south of the city.

They found a house in the country with no cable television, no internet connection and spotty cell coverage. There was nothing to do but write songs. They started making friends.

They connected with guitarist Drew Smithers. They called on their old friend Ben Lewis, a bassist, who moved up from Natchez. They took the name “Bishop Gunn” from a gravestone in the Natchez cemetery. It was one of many they’d scribbled down, but it just seemed to fit. They continued meeting people, making connections.

“Just networking around the Fork and in Nashville, we’d meet people, just having a beer at Puckett’s or wherever,” Sharp says.

“Eventually we signed a management deal with William Morris and that opened a lot of doors.”

They also spent that time honing their craft. The songwriting was a collaborative process with McCready taking the lead, working out a rough structure on guitar and writing the lyrics. “It’s kind of like building a house,” McCready says. “I’ll do all the framework, and then the rest of the band will finish it out and paint it. Usually the basic structure is still there but everybody is involved instrumentally."

One of the most fortuitous relationships came through their friend Trace Ayala, who was once a manager for the guy they call “Bob,” or Bob Ritchie, also known as Kid Rock. They hit it off immediately with Bob, who invited them to perform on the 2017 edition of his cruise ship festival, known as the “Chillin’ The Most Cruise.”

That year they were voted best band on the boat by the cruise ship denizens, who refer to themselves as “chillers.” Since then they’ve gained fans from across the country.

They’ve performed another year on the cruise and have been invited to play on the Southern Rock Cruise with Lynyrd Skynyrd.

They’ve appeared at SXSW. They’ve just wrapped a tour with Blackberry Smoke.

Natchez All of that and their album just came out in May. It was recorded mostly in producer Casey Wasner’s “Purple House” studio in Leiper’s Fork. They also cut some tracks in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, at the newly reopened Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, which had been shuttered for the previous four years.

“There was definitely some energy in there,” says McCready.

They then recorded in FAME studios, gleaning wisdom from long-time Muscle Shoals vets like David Hood and Jimmy Johnson of the Swampers.

But Bishop Gunn has not forgotten where they came from. Last year they launched the Bishop Gunn Crawfish Boil. The first year drew four thousand people including locals as well as “chillers” from all over the country.

Included on the lineup were regional heroes like Walter “Wolfman” Washington and upand-comers like Gulfport’s Magnolia Bayou.

The “BGBC” aims to emphasize the culture of Natchez, giving back to the city and drawing fans from all over.

“We thought this was the best way to go because that’s just what we used to do,” McCready explains. “I’d play at people’s crawfish boils and eat crawfish and drink beer.

I didn’t have any money; my money was songs. So it’s just a cultural thing to do in the spring time.”

Next year’s BGBC is tentatively scheduled for May 11, 2019. DM

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THECOOLEST

TREATS

BY AMANDA WELLS

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AUSTIN BRITT

W

e have officially found ourselves in the middle of the dog days of summer.

When the days are long and warm, a cool treat is often the best relief. All over the Delta, there are plenty of ways to cool off—in the sweetest of ways. So join us as we savor the summer with these cold and icy concoctions.

SCOOPS ICE CREAM & GRILLE More than just cool treats, Greenville’s Scoops is a local go-to.

After you enjoy their blue plate specials, complete with quintessential Southern comfort food, top it off with an old fashioned ice cream cone, a handmade milkshake or a classic banana split. This place is uniquely Delta—a place for gathering and a place where nostalgia reigns.

1512 Highway 1, Greenville, 662.335.1677

SPENCER’S DAIRY KREAM With its old school charm, Grenada’s Spencer’s Dairy Kream is a reminder of why simple and unfussy lasts. Grab a burger or a hot dog and finish it off with a waffle cone piled high with ice cream and topped off with sprinkles or a chocolate dip if you’re feeling like something a little extra. Special creations like the caramel pecan roll sundae are to-die-for, and like any proper diner patron would do, you can always give a classic root beer float a whirl.

279 Sunset Drive, Grenada, 662.226.9884

COLD SHAVES Located in a new location this year, Cold Shaves is the snow ball seller bringing the Delta a little taste of the Bahamas. Owner Brandon Cummins says his snow ball trailer, now located on the south side of Highway 8 leaving Cleveland, will offer flavors he’s brought back from vacation, like Bahama Mama, Mudslide and Sangria.

Top it all off with your choice of sprinkles, cherries, whipped cream or a creamy dose of condensed milk.

Located in front of Unrated Fitness 1321 West Highway 8, Cleveland, 662.588.2760

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DEEP SOUTH POPS With two Jackson locations—in Highland Village and Belhaven— Deep South Pops serves up handcrafted popsicles made from a variety of local ingredients. The menu board changes on the regular, so you’re sure to find something new and seasonal each time you visit. These are certainly not your average popsicles.

With creative flavors like Orange Hibiscus or Avocado Coconut Cream, there’s a pop to please every discerning palate. But the less adventurous should fear not—chocolate, strawberry, and cookies and cream are regulars on the menu. Try a “pop float,” complete with a cold soda or icy beer or get your pop dipped in a generous coating of chocolate.

1800 North State Street, Jackson, 601.398.2174

GREG CAMPBELL

Highland Village Shopping Center: 4500 I-55 North, Jackson, 601.398.0628

DELTA DAIRY Located in a charming, vibrant storefront on Sharp Avenue in Cleveland, Delta Dairy is a great spot to meet friends and family for a break from the heat. At Delta Diary, you serve yourself and pay by weight, so you’re sure to get exactly what you want, whether it’s frozen yogurt, ice cream, frozen custard, Italian ice, or gelato. Top off your frozen treat with any combination of their thirty toppings. Exclusive offerings are from Sugar Creek Foods and Honey Hill Farms made in Russellville, Arkansas. You may also stumble on some exciting dessert options like ice cream cookie sandwiches and house-made choco tacos.

113 Sharp Avenue, Cleveland, 662.545.4859

SWEET MAGNOLIA GELATO When Hugh Balthrop wanted to treat his kids to a homemade natural sweet treat, Sweet Magnolia Gelato was born right here in the Delta—in Clarksdale to be exact. Sweet Magnolia is made with natural ingredients from farmers (and cows!) that Hugh knows by name. Sweet Magnolia takes great pride in exclusively using quality regional flavors. Enjoy a taste of Sweet Magnolia throughout the region, including A Schwab Dry Goods in Memphis; JW Hall & Co. in Helena, Arkansas; Square Books in Oxford; Stone Pony Pizza in Clarksdale; Meraki Cooperative in Clarksdale; Fan & Johnny’s in Greenwood; The Manship in Jackson; The Mississippi Gift Company in Greenwood, and Delta Meat Market in Cleveland.

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Opened in 1946 by pharmacist Alvin Brent in Jackson’s Morgan Center (the state’s very first shopping center), Brent’s Drugs has long served as a beloved place not only to grab a cool treat but where people from all walks of life would gather. No longer an operating pharmacy, Brent’s is a full-service diner and soda fountain, where the classic milkshakes that were there from the start still delight generations in this long-standing staple.

GREG CAMPBELL

BRENT’S DRUGS

655 Duling Avenue, Jackson, 601.366.3427

TIN CAN SHAVED ICE While making your way down Highway 82 in Indianola, keep an eye out for the shiny vintage Airstream trailer.

You’ll want to stop at Tin Can Shaved Ice for a taste of over sixty flavors of shaved ice. If you’re feeling adventurous, go for the “The Delta,” which features a scoop of ice cream nestled in the middle. Inventive specials are always on the board, often featuring fresh fruit or Delta favorites, like “Cottonfield with Turnrow,” a cheesecake flavor complete with a turtle pecan stripe down the middle. Tin Can also serves up sugar-free options and hand-scooped ice cream.

421 Highway 82 West, Indianola, 662.207.9443

DELTA SNOW If you’re looking for classic New Orleans-style snow balls, look no further than Greenwood’s Delta Snow.

Likely one of the only places you can get snow balls and boiled peanuts in the same small shack, don’t miss this charming spot on West Claiborne Avenue. Make a pit stop and leave with a smile.

109 West Claiborne Avenue, Greenwood, 662.515.1952

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HUGER FOOTE

“The Patriot” by Malvina Hoffman, was commissioned by William Alexander Percy to honor his father, Senator Leroy Percy.

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COURTESY OF DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS

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Auguste Rodin, Three Shades, Courbertin Foundry, cast 4/8 in 1985, Bronze. Collection of Iris Cantor on loan to the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Memphis

From the

Hands of a Master

The Delta Legacy of Auguste Rodin

BY HANK BURDINE

T

he French master Auguste Rodin, 1840-1917, was known as the father of modern art. Compared to Michelangelo, he was considered by

many to be the greatest artist of his era. Rodin modeled the human body with realism and physicality using intense individual character. He was able to find—through his hands in clay—“the beauty and pathos in the human animal.”

The Musée Rodin in Paris holds six thousand sculptures and over seven thousand drawings by Rodin, and his legacy is deeply rooted in the Mississippi Delta.

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Richard Hoffman told his daughter Malvina, “One must ‘be’ an artist first of all and ‘then’ one can create art.” Courtesy of Hoffman Properties, LLC.

MALVINA HOFFMAN As a child, young Malvina Hoffman grew up in New York City amidst the art and music scene of a high social era. Her father was a concert pianist with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and she was constantly immersed in artistic endeavors. Daily she listened to her father practice and play on his Chickering grand piano. She began drawing at an early age, and her favorite subjects were horses and dogs, which were quite prevalent on the streets of New York in the early part of the century. When Richard Hoffman died, she and her mother went on a year’s sabbatical to Europe so Malvina could study art and be a part of the creative scene. Malvina had sculpted a portrait bust of her father and one of his protégés and carried a picture of them with her to show Rodin in hopes of becoming a student of the great master.

After repeated attempts to gain entrance into his studio and meet him, Malvina presented two letters of introduction to the doorman from friends and arch supporters of Rodin. She was immediately brought under the aura and tutelage of the French master. He demanded her to go to the Louvre and to study the past masters and to make many drawings, not to copy them, but to develop her own technique. According to Didi Hoffman, who has written a book called Beautiful Bodies, “Rodin taught Malvina Hoffman that art must come from an attempt to show the truth in nature, it must be honest, and that honesty was almost impossible to capture. Once she became master of her own art, then she could find her truth, as he continued to try to do, fearing he never would.” Rodin had urged Hoffman to study human anatomy and dissection to better understand musculature and tension in clay. She took his advice, and in her works with the prima Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, her studies of the hands, arms, legs and torso were critically compared to the extensive studies of Michelangelo and da Vinci by the New York Times. She learned from Rodin to study intensively before she sculpted.

Hoffman returned to New York and worked with a frenzy, developing her own technique in her studio where she sculpted with a passion while taking courses in dissection of the human body. She learned the art of plaster casting and how to build the molds and the art of making bronze sculptures from the clay models she was expertly 58 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

WILLIAM ALEXANDER PERCY William Alexander Percy was a poet, planter, lawyer and world traveler. He was a mentor, host and friend to artists and intellectuals and even a few vagabonds and bohemians. William Faulkner, Ben Wasson, Carl Sandburg, Vachel Lindsey, Shelby Foote, Walker Percy, Charles Bell, David Cohn, Stephen Vincent Benet, Langston Hughes and the Hodding Carters all were a part of Percy’s close circle of friends, and they often spent time in his home and garden. Upon the death of his father, Senator Leroy Percy, William Alexander Percy commissioned Malvina Hoffman to sculpt a monument to his father. In Malvina’s diary she wrote on October 22, 1930, after arriving from Chicago by train, “The Crusader now stands in the Greenville cemetery with bowed head, contemplating us and unmoved against his wall of stone.” She and Percy later went to the nursery where together they selected the trees and shrubs to adorn the monument.

Malvina Hoffman had become a close and personal part of the Delta scene, first formal portrait bust corresponding with and visiting with The Leon Koury ever created was Percy on numerous occasions. of his friend and mentor, Will Percy.

LEON KOURY Leon Koury was the son of a Syrian immigrant who grew up in a corner grocery store on Nelson Street in Greenville next door to Doe’s Eat Place. Leon’s father had entered a monastery before coming to America to become a monk, but he left before taking his vows. Leon grew up studying Nietzsche, Schopenhauer and Emanuel Swedenborg.

Upon meeting William Alexander Percy, Koury found himself as a young man immersed in a world of culture, literature and music.

When he heard his first symphony in Percy’s parlor, he stated, “I was in a daze for weeks. This was something that I felt I had heard thousands of years before, and it had come back home to my ears.”

Percy was able to instill in him the realization that “there was so much more to acquire...so much more to gain.”

Showing an interest in modeling, Percy gifted Koury with fifty pounds of modeling clay. With no formal training, he began teaching himself in the back of the little grocery store. His first formal portrait bust was of Will Percy. “Somehow, I already knew.” Through Percy, “I was made to understand that the marvelous works of others are but the voices of artists delivering their peculiar messages to the world, to which I could at any time add my own. Then it was that I understood that it is never what you say in art that is important, but how much of yourself is speaking.”

Koury went on to be shown in the 1937 National Art Exhibit in New York, the 1939 New York World’s Fair, the Whitney Museum

JANE RULE BURDINE

creating. She became very well known and was sought after for portrait and full figure busts worldwide. She accepted the monumental task for the Field Museum of Chicago to travel the world and create 103 pieces of sculpture of the different races of man. This was the largest commission in the history of bronze art, and it happened to coincide with her completion of a full-figured statue of “The Patriot” that stands in a Greenville cemetery.

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Right: A young Bill Beckwith and his creation, “Turtle Hunter”.

JACKIE BECKWITH

JACKIE BECKWITH

Far Right: Bill Beckwith and helper pouring molten bronze into a mold in his foundry in Taylor, Mississippi.

JANE RULE BURDINE

and in exhibits on the West Coast. Will Percy introduced Leon Koury “Leon taught fine modeling, classical modeling. He stressed strong to Malvina Hoffman in 1945, and he moved to New York to stay in side light and working in the gray area between highlight and shadow Hoffman’s studio and to “get some atmosphere, to absorb some of the to achieve perfect form with direction on energy from the center out, facets and the workmanship.” At that time, it wasn’t a as in an egg.” Bill has stated that sculpture has to be the question of Hoffman instructing Koury in sculpture most challenging and rewarding manipulation of at all, he was long past that. He mentored under her materials because the artist hopes to create an object and chauffeured her around New York as she which exists with a difference of content from subject introduced him to the “modern art scene” of the time, matter. “It is a poem in three dimensions where you all the while instilling in him the depths of thought enter the mysteries of the human condition, that area and inward seeking vision of the honesty of nature that we have no words for and you strive to build a piece that had been so concisely implanted in her by Rodin. that connects with a feeling and becomes a symbol of Koury moved back to Greenville in 1961 and something spiritually elusive.” Bill went on to excel at continued a series of black life and work in the South.

Ole Miss in art, garnering the Student Achievement Upon the death of his father, Leon closed the grocery Award for the best artist at Ole Miss. He learned the art store and opened a small hip bar called the Orbit Compress worker by Leon of plaster casting and became “as hooked on casting Lounge. He wanted it to be a place where enlightened Koury resides in the garden of bronze as an addict to heroin.” By the end of 1974, Bill a private residence. people could gather, much like the coffee houses and Beckwith had built a complete foundry in the back yard bistros of New York. In a 1962 article in the Commercial Appeal he said, at Leon Koury’s Nelson Street studio. “If you have ever poured molten “I wanted it to be the kind of place where creative people could come metal or held the sun in your hand, you understand the power together, talk, socialize, listen to good music and exchange ideas” (much and the energy. I was hooked bad.” like Will Percy’s garden!). Young garage bands would come and practice Beckwith became nationally acclaimed, with his work late into the night at the Orbit Lounge. After listening to Dylan, mainly figurative, and is best known for his portrait busts Hendrix, Johnnie Winter, the Cream and the Stones, Koury would and full figure sculptures. On display in parks and museums play Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi or some Italian opera. He became are full figure busts of Elvis Presley, B.B. King, L.Q.C. known as a “guru” to the younger crowd, enticing them to Lamar, Chickasaw Chief Piomingo, William Faulkner and read the Harvard Classics and exposing them to the same George Merrick of Coral Gables Florida. Renowned quality of art as Will Percy had exposed to him. And Mississippi artist Bill Dunlap says, “Bill Beckwith is in a class he taught art lessons, opening up a whole new arena all his own. I have been a friend and an admirer since I first saw his of artistic experience to talented and budding work at Ole Miss. It’s hard to make bronze look like flesh. Bill artists of the Delta.

Beckwith is a master at this.”

BILL BECKWITH TODAY During one of the jam sessions at the Orbit Leon Koury taught many students in his studio on Lounge in 1966, a young Bill Beckwith Nelson Street and in a studio set up in the Mississippi accompanied his friends Jerry and Donnie Levee Board building in downtown Greenville. Bill Brown, of a band called the Candy Beckwith has taught hundreds of students as a Shoestring, to the bistro on Nelson Street. professor at Ole Miss, some who have gone on to be Bill wanted to get into the music scene in teachers of art themselves. And throughout the veins order to “impress the girls.” However, once and artistic abilities of these many artists from the he met Leon Koury, his attentions were Houn’ Dawg by Bill Beckwith Delta and beyond, flow the vision, insight and depth turned to the art of sculpting. “From an of honesty and nature from some of the greatest early age, I had an affinity for the technical aspect of shaping matter. As artists of our time. Beginning with Auguste Rodin, through Malvina soon as I entered Leon’s studio and saw what he could do with clay and Hoffman, William Alexander Percy, Leon Koury and Bill Beckwith, plaster, the music was forgotten, and the challenge to learn modeling the masterful artistic karma continues. DM was on. I was fourteen years old.”

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We’re a family-owned business that’s been making gourmet pecan products here in the Delta for more than 39 years, and our store is a destination in itself. It’s filled with food products and other southern gifts that are reminders of this special place. If you aren’t able to come in, give us a call and we’ll create and ship a custom gift basket from our wide variety of flavors in boxes and tins, all with a real Mississippi feel.

1013 Highway 82, Indianola 662-887-5420 Market Street, Flowood 601-992-9338 800-541-6252 • pecanhouse.com

The Original Praline PecanTM

8 5 3 S . M A I N S T R E E T, G R E E N V I L L E 662.335.7226

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WEEKEND IN

VICKSBURG Lovers of history, architecture and food unite, this is the town for you!

BY CINDY COOPWOOD • PHOTOGRAPY BY GREG CAMPBELL

SOMETHING COOL IS HAPPENING IN VICKSBURG. This town has always boasted beautifully preserved antebellum homes, Civil War sites and views of riverboats on the mighty Mississippi. But there is also a new vibrancy with its downtown art galleries, boutiques and restaurants not seen in recent years. Thanks to a few creative and energetic entrepreneurs, there are charming living spaces and hip new places to eat and drink attracting locals and tourists alike. We recently spent a couple of days exploring, eating and shopping our way through Vicksburg. Here are our insider tips for your next trip!

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ANCHUCA

Where to Stay

When you’re visiting one of the most historic cities in the nation, you may as well book accommodations to match. Vicksburg is loaded with charming antebellum (or at least a mere century old) bed and breakfasts. Here are three that caught our eye.

DUFF GREEN

Duff Green (1114 First East Street) was built by local cotton broker Duff Green shortly before the war in 1856. Considered to be one of the finest examples of Palladian architecture in the state, it escaped destruction during and after the Civil War by serving as a hospital for both Confederate and Union soldiers who were treated upstairs in an attempt to discourage any more cannon fire on the structure.

Located across the street from historic Christ Episcopal Church, it was later used as an Episcopal boys’ orphanage and as the Salvation Army. With 151/2 foot ceilings, its rooms are located within the main house, and every guest enjoys a well-worth-the-calories three-course seated breakfast.

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Anchuca (1010 First East Street) is located in the heart of Vicksburg’s historic district. Named for the Choctaw word for “happy home,” the home’s exterior is a mixture of wood and brick. Built in stages by local politician J. W. Mauldin, it was begun around 1830 as a two-story wood-frame cottage; however, the overall Greek revival-style structure seen today was completed in the late 1840s. It was from Anchuca’s balcony that Jefferson Davis gave what is believed by many historians to be his last public address to the people of Vicksburg.

In addition to the daily breakfast and a complimentary tour for guests, Anchuca boasts a fullservice restaurant and bar, featuring specialty drinks and dishes such as café shrimp and grits, surf and turf and incredible desserts. Sunday brunch is also a favorite of locals and guests alike.

Ghosts of Duff Green Over the years, visitors at Duff Green have reported seeing the ghost of a Confederate soldier, the ghost of Mary Green and the ghost of the Green’s daughter Annie, who died at the age of six.

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CEDAR GROVE

7+(

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$77,&

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Ç 9>¬z| r³ 0³ªcc³ 8|U ¬L¸ªr[ !0 µ hµ °Ç {°µh{ ·· Cedar Grove (2200 Oak Street) was completed in 1852. Prominent businessman John Alexander Klein began construction on the Greek Revival mansion in 1840 and married his bride, who was only sixteen at the time, two years later. While on their year-long European honeymoon, the Kleins bought many of the furnishings which are still found at Cedar Grove, such as the Italian marble fireplaces, French empire gasoliers, and towering gold-leaf mirrors.

The home survived the war mainly because it had been used as a Union hospital; a Union cannonball is still lodged in the wall, giving evidence of the heavy bombardment it endured. Visitors will enjoy its central location near many historic sites as well as the beautiful pool and grounds and a delicious Southern breakfast during their stay.

Feeling Lucky?

Vicksburg also offers several dockside casinos with spectacular views of the river. The recently renovated Riverwalk Casino (1046 Warrenton Road) is a great choice for a spin on the slots, comfortable and newly appointed rooms, and delicious dining options with two restaurants on-site.

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Where to Eat

Well, the possiblities are almost endless. And whatever you crave, you will find. Craft pizza? Check.

Southern standbys? Check.

Sophisticated entrees, homemade desserts and signature burgers?

Check, check and check!

Late afternoon cocktails and appetizers at 10 South Rooftop Bar & Grill (1301 Washington Street, 10th floor) at the top of the iconic Trustmark building are always a good idea. We chose the crawfish balls with comeback sauce with a cold beer as we enjoyed the stunning view of the waterways below. The bloody mary looked so delicious that we ordered one of those too— definitely one of the best around with the interesting addition of candied bacon to the standard complements. Next trip—catfish tacos!

And for dinner, you can’t go wrong with Roca’s Restaurant and Bar (1306 Washington Street) or Rusty’s Riverfront Grill (901 Washington Street) for a great downtown meal. Rusty’s, located only a block from the riverfront murals, is known for their signature fried green tomatoes, which are topped with hollandaise sauce and crab meat. But we were also blown away by the fried asparagus with crawfish sauce. Delish.

Cottonwood Craft Beer & Cocktails We tried the Mississippi Queen (a blonde ale) and the Southern Pecan (a brown ale) and the Shakedown Street—an instant favorite.

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⤴

An excellent reason to take a break while shopping Washington Street on a Saturday morning!

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At Roca’s, Chef Jay Parmegiani offers an interesting menu accented with unique entrees and sauces (Quail with a cider reduction anyone?) that have a European flare. To finish, try the sweet potato and white chocolate bread pudding with bourbon glaze, or cap off the evening with a selection from their offering of small batch bourbons.

This brings us to one of downtown’s most recent additions. Cottonwood Publichouse (1311 Washington Street) has brought craft beer, craft pizza and craft cocktails to Vicksburg. In a recently renovated historic building in the heart of downtown, they are brewing more than just beer—there’s a cool vibe in the air along with great food and live music that is bringing in locals and tourists alike just to sit and enjoy. Put this on your list for a funwith-friends Saturday night!

These are some of the offerings downtown, But don’t forget Walnut Hills (1214 Adams Street) located in a historic home built in 1880 and offering classic Southern round-table cuisine and fabulous homemade desserts that just might put you in a coma. In fact, don’t even try to choose—we recommend ordering several and passing them around the table. The Anthony (127 Country Club Drive), located at the Vicksburg Country Club, is open to the public. Recently renovated it offers casual dining with interesting options such as sausage gravy dip with buttermilk biscuit chips. Main Street Market (902 Cherry Street) is owned and operated by husband and wife duo Sally and Chris Fink. You will find it in an 1840s structure in one of Vicksburg’s oldest, most historic neighborhoods, making it a great lunch stop when you’re on a walking tour or seeing the sights.Their scratch-made kitchen produces homemade biscuits, fresh pies made from family recipes, fresh takes on New Orleans favorites and much more. For something a little more off-the-beaten-path, try The Tomato Place (3229 Highway 61 South) complete with a farmer’s market, great lunches and a variety of freshly made smoothies!

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Highway 61 Coffee House and Attic Gallery

Lorelei Books

H. C. Porter Gallery

What to Do

For a day of shopping and museum hopping head to Washington Street.

This brick-paved historic downtown thoroughfare is thriving with boutiques, gift and antique shops, art galleries and museums.

Don’t miss one of the most unique combos around—Highway 61 Coffee House and the Attic Gallery. Stop in for your caffeine fix then head upstairs to the Attic Gallery on the second floor, which boasts an impressive collection of Southern folk art, fine art, pottery, glass, jewelry and plenty of other funky treasures. Next door, settle in for a while at Lorelei Books, one of the premier independently owned book stores in the state. More than just a ★

bookstore, owner Kelle Barfield also helps foster a love of literature and learning in the community by offering it as a gathering space for classes, readings and book clubs.

The H. C. Porter Gallery is also right down the street with the nationally recognized artist’s original paintings, serigraphs, photographs and prints on display–and for an extended stay downtown ask about the upstairs lofts for rent.

Nearby museums include the impressive Jesse Brent Lower MS River Museum, full of Mississippi River history, a river flood model and the decommissioned towboat Mississippi available to tour. The Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum, great for a quick walk-through, is quirky, nostalgic and sure to delight the kids. A few blocks away, the Old Court House Museum (1008 Cherry Street) built in 1858, is Vicksburg’s most historic structure and houses thousands of artifacts including

Confederate flags, including one that was never surrendered, the tie worn by Jefferson Davis at his inauguration as Confederate President, antebellum clothing and Indian and pioneer implements.

Now, for the shopping. There are antique, gift and home decor shops such as The Dragonfly—great for candles, scents and jewelry—and Peterson’s, which sells Mississippi-made products, gifts, art, pottery and has a large selection of children’s toys, Willingham’s ladies clothing and accessories and Sassafras with it’s extensive inventory for bridal registry and table decor, entertaining and home accents. Cinnamon Tree is another great shop packed with trendy gifts, pillows, pottery, gifts for every occasion and perhaps best of all—homemade fudge in a variety of flavors. And tucked away around the corner is Blush & Bashful Boutique, a chic little boutique with the latest summer styles and accessories.

Many of the downtown restaurants, attractions and stores in Vicksburg are on or near Washington Street.

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Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum

Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum

Old Courthouse Museum

Sassafras

Willingham’s

Blush & Bashful Boutique

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Tours and sightseeing. This town is not only full of Mississippi’s history; it is truly an American treasure. Be sure to spend some time driving through the Vicksburg National Military Park (3201 Clay Street). The monuments, each telling their tale of valor, also bear one of the most extensive and valuable collections of public art in the nation.

While there, don’t miss the fascinating USS Cairo Gunboat and Museum which displays the doomed (but painstakingly preserved and restored) ironclad struck by underwater torpedoes in 1862. Visit one of the historic churches, such as Christ Episcopal (1115 Main Street) or the Church of the Holy Trinity (900 South Street) built in 1869, which boasts six original Tiffany stained-glass windows honoring those who died on both sides of the war.

And don’t forget a stroll down Levee Street where you can watch the riverboats dock, see the Vicksburg Riverfront Murals (painted on the Mississippi river flood walls), which depict the city’s history, and tour the Old Depot Museum. Across the street you’ll find the Catfish Row Children’s Art Park with play areas and a splash fountain.

While there plan a guided tour of the homes, architecture and historic sites (there’s even a Haunted Vicksburg Tour!) are available. For those who may want to wander at their own pace, there are selfguided walking tours signified by maps and signs around town. DM 72 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

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rivertown retail therapy

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two dog

FARMS

For this young couple, a lifelong interest in farming has led to a full-blown passion for providing fresh seasonal produce for people and communities throughout the region. Dogs included.

BY SUSAN MARQUEZ • PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRANDON MORGAN

I

magine having a box packed with produce fresh from the farm, ready to pick up and prepare each week. It’s

a new way many people are using to make sure the produce they eat each week is fresh and seasonal. They know where their food is grown and who the farmer is.

Welcome to the world of Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA. The United States Department of Agriculture defines CSA as a community of individuals who pledge to support a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm. The growers and consumers provide mutual support and share in the risks and benefits of food production. Typically, members or “share-holders” of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of a farm operation and the farmer’s salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm’s bounty throughout the growing season, as well as the satisfaction of reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production.

Van Killen and his wife, Dorothy, own Two Dog Farms in Flora. A Cleveland native, Van Killen has always had a passion for farming. “We had family friends with a farm when I was growing up,” he says.

“From the time I was in junior high all the

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way through college, I worked on their farm. I learned about farm machinery, how to drive a tractor and how to plant, nurture and harvest crops.” After graduating from Cleveland High School, Killen went to Delta State where he earned a degree in environmental science.

Van and Dorothy Killen with their children.

“After college, I moved to Colorado and worked as a wildlife tech for the Forest Service. I then moved to Chattanooga where I worked for the state of Tennessee in wildlife. I realized there wasn’t much money in what I was doing, and my brother, who had the same degree, was working for an environmental firm in Jackson. They had a position open, and I was hired. The job was an 8-to-5 desk job, which I did for about

four or five years until I was about to go crazy. I needed to get outside again.”

Killen began growing vegetables in his backyard garden and selling them at the farmers’ market in Jackson. It was there that he met Leigh Bailey, who told him about her plans to start a hydroponic growing operation in Flora. “She had some extra land and said I could lease it from her.”

Killen went to work for Bailey while he set up his own farming operation next door. Since that time, Killen has ramped up his production, farming on twenty acres almost year round. “We take off in January, then start again in February working in the greenhouse to start the seedlings for the spring.”

Knowing that farming was what he wanted to do, Killen began researching how to make a career as a small farmer.

“The concept of the CSA kept popping up, and after the first year, I felt confident enough to give it a try.” The first season Killen says he had about eighteen to twenty subscribers. Now going into his fifth season, there are 150 people signed up. “Our goal is to have two hundred for the fall season.” The spring/summer season is fourteen weeks long. It begins in April and goes through the second week of July. The fall/winter season is ten weeks, beginning in October and ending just before Christmas.

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Often times, especially late into the season, the Killens will include products from other farmers and producers, including honey from Mississippi Bees, peaches and nectarines from Cherry Creek Orchards in Pontotoc and blueberries from a grower in Crystal Springs. “We really don’t do much fruit, just melons,” says Killen.

Killen says he likes to grow broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, things many farmers don’t like to grow in the spring.

Besides all the standard produce grown in Mississippi, Killen also grows broccolini, watermelon radishes, Daikon radishes and other exotic produce. Those who subscribe to the Two Dog Farms CSA also have the option of adding locally made kombucha from Sweet & Sauer and specialty lettuces from Leigh Bailey’s Salad Days hydroponic farm next door for an extra fee. “About 95% of what’s in each box is grown on our farm,” says Killen.

Frank Garletts, owner of Mississippi Bees, has some hives on the Killen’s farm, and he is mentoring Dorothy on how to keep bees. Dorothy also grows cutting flowers that she sells at the farmers’ market each week. With a new chicken coop on the property, the Killens hope to add fresh eggs to the fall CSA boxes.

The CSA boxes are distributed at arranged locations at a certain time each week. “The M7 Coffee House in Ridgeland is probably our most popular pickup location,” Killen says. “It’s located in Ridgeland, so it’s convenient for customers in Northeast Jackson, Ridgeland and Madison, where the bulk of our customers are, every Thursday afternoon. Our other popular pickup spot is the farmers’ market in Jackson on Saturday mornings.” Other pickup places include Hardware for Her inside Revell Ace Hardware in DeVille Plaza in Jackson, Delta Meat Market in Cleveland, Downtown Butcher and Mercantile in Greenville, and at Two Dog Farms in Flora each Tuesday afternoon.

Another service of the Two Dog Farms CSA boxes is a collection of recipes that are included with each box. “We use the internet to get recipes, and we also get them from friends. Dorothy is really good at finding recipes using everything we grow, and we try most of them before sharing.”

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EGGPLANT, HEIRLOOM TOMATO CAPRESE 1 large eggplant peeled and cut into 1-inch thick rounds 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper for seasoning 2 large heirloom tomatoes sliced 8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Rub eggplant rounds with olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place rounds on a greased baking sheet. Roast eggplant at 400 degrees 8 to 10 minutes until just slightly softened.

Assemble the caprese stacks by topping an eggplant round with a tomato slice and a slice of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layering process until all ingredients are used.

Broil eggplant stacks on high heat 3 to 4 minutes until cheese is goldenbrown and bubbly.

Remove from oven and sprinkle stacks with fresh basil.

– Dorthy Killen

Each week’s offerings are posted online so folks can see what they’ll be getting, along with recipes. Anyone can go on the Two Dog Farms website (twodogfarms.com) and find the recipes the Killens have collected.

In addition to providing boxes of produce to subscribers, the Killens sell produce to many of the Jackson area’s finest restaurants, including The Manship, Babalu, Table 100, Parlor Market, Saltine, Walker’s Drive-In, Local 463 Urban Kitchen and Caet.

For more information on the CSA program at Two Dog Farms, visit their website at www.twodogfarms.com. DM

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the

Giant House Party Three Delta families trek over to the hills for a week of fun, family, food and a generous dose of red dirt sprinkled in for good measure!

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BY AMANDA WELLS PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG CAMPBELL

I

f your idea of paradise consists of visiting, grazing, politicking and a little sweating, you better get yourself over to the Neshoba County Fair in late July.

For many, it’s a conundrum of sorts—how can more red dirt than you ever did see, high temps and a bunch of politicians be worth spending those vacation days, after all? But like many things around these parts, you can’t knock it till you try it.

Until you’ve tasted hospitality as sweet as the first bite of a July watermelon in one-hundreddegree heat among friends and family, you just don’t know what you’re missing.

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The Neshoba County Fairgrounds are located just outside of Philadelphia, Mississippi, nestled in the rolling red clay hills that are uniquely Neshoba. Inside the fairgrounds, on a sprawling plot of sixty acres, you’ll find colorful rows of eclectic cabins that come to life in late summer. It’s here that friends catch up, families reunite and tradition lives on.

The first fair was held in 1889 and was known as the Coldwater Fair. In 1889, a private corporation was organized and dubbed the Neshoba County Stock and Agricultural Fair Association, and the new

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fairgrounds were opened. Early on, the fair brought visitors from miles around, and families began camping there for the entirety of the festivities. A pavilion and hotel were soon built, and makeshift cabins began popping up. The shady oaks that surround Founder’s Square were planted in 1898.

In 1914, the race track was constructed, and electricity made its way to the fairgrounds in 1939. During World War II, the fair went on hiatus and reopened in 1946, much to the delight of the public.

Cabins began stacking up as patronage

grew, and neighborhoods such as “Happy Hollow” were established throughout the grounds. What started out as a simple twoday meeting of local farmers and their families is now the much loved eight-day Giant House Party, where people file into over six hundred cabins and over two hundred RVs. Fair cabins are a coveted slice of real estate, many of which never go “on the market” but are instead passed down from generation to generation.

The long-standing tradition of political speeches began in 1896 when Governor Anslem J. McLaurin took the stage. Since

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Then presidential candidate, Ronald Reagan made a historic speech at the Neshoba County Fair in 1980. Right, fair-goers wait for one of the many political speeches given at the fair each year.

then, the Neshoba County Fair has solidified its place as one of the top political forums for local, state and national politicians. In fact, Ronald Reagan kicked off his 1980 campaign for president from the middle of Neshoba County at the fair, where he remarked, “I think you all know without my saying it that Nancy and I have never seen anything like this because there isn’t anything like this any place on earth.”

Many pack up and head to Philadelphia from the Delta to spend late July in this special place, including Sharon

and Mike Boler of Greenwood. Mike, who grew up in nearby Union, used to come to the fair with his father, Buford, packing a sack lunch before the family built a cabin.

As their family has grown, the fair has continued to be a beloved family tradition.

“Not only have I come for the last thirty-five years, but I’ve stayed the whole entire week,” laughs Sharon. Her motherin-law Margean Boler is a big part of Sharon’s fair memories. “When my kids were little, it was like a vacation for me.

Mike’s mother would cook everything and take care of my kids.” When Margean

passed away suddenly, Sharon took the fair reigns. “The first year without her, I went and realized I didn’t appreciate all she did nearly enough. I cried the whole way home because I was so tired.” Sharon made sure she was more prepared the next year and has settled into a rhythm, creating memories for her children and grandchildren.

At the fair, keeping cool is nothing short of an art form. For the Bolers, a fifty-year-old air-conditioning unit keeps their cabin ice cold, but in the heat of the day, Pop Ice popsicles are the ticket.

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The Boler family of Greenwood.

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE TRIFLE 1 2 1 1 12

box devils food cake mix boxes instant mousse mix large extra creamy cool whip cup Kahlua Skor or Heath candy bars, crushed

Make the devils food cake as directed on box. Pour into a 9x13 pan. When cooled, poke holes in the cake and pour Kahlua over. Let sit in fridge overnight.

Next day, make mousse as directed on box and chill. Crumble the cake in the 9x13 pan. In a large clear trifle bowl, layer half cake, half mousse, half crushed candy bars and half cool whip. Repeat layers ending in cool whip, but save a little crushed candy bar for topping decoration.

Some of our fair friends come after lunch every year just to eat this dessert with us. – SHARON BOLER

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Visiting and rocking on the porch are punctuated by quick pop-ins to the cabin for a deep breath of cold air conditioning.

Food has always taken center stage at the Neshoba County Fair, where you’re sure to be beckoned into any cabin for a bite. After nibbles on sausages and funnel cakes along the midway, home cooking takes the cake. Many family fair traditions revolve around food. “Every Friday night, we have chicken spaghetti, French bread, salad and of course several desserts,” says Sharon. “On Saturday, we have every single fresh veggie you can name with pulled pork or ribs and fried chicken.”

With a long family fair history, Clarksdale native Cyndi Larson’s experience is chock full of tradition at cabin twelve on Founder’s Square. Her great grandfather, George Harrison, donated the land to establish the fairgrounds when it was incorporated. In fact, the twenty acres he donated is where the race track sits today. Years ago her grandparents, Neva and Jim Vance, (Neva was the only daughter of George Harrison and his second wife Maria) gave half of cabin twelve to his brother, Bruce who now has cabin thirteen. So, family is all around. When it comes to food, the

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RED BEANS 3 16 ounce Blue Runner Creole style red beans 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 pieces bacon, chopped 1 toe garlic, minced garlic salt to taste black pepper to taste 1 pound beef round sausage, cut into 1-inch rounds 2 cans kidney beans, drained ½ cup water or chicken broth (if mixture is too thick when finished add more water or broth) Optional ½ teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning ¼ cup celery, chopped Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook low for 6 hours. Serve over rice with French bread and a green salad.

We learned this while living in New Orleans! Now we eat this every Sunday at the fair! – CYNDI LARSON

The Larson family of Clarksdale.

Larsons enjoy a big pot of red beans and rice on Sunday and homemade ice cream.

“My brother-in-law brings his hand-crank ice cream maker,” she says. They grill burgers and munch on smoked turkey, ham and chicken throughout the week.

Cleveland resident Emily Havens says that her memories of the fair begin with her stepfather Charley Therrell, the longstanding announcer of the beloved horse races. “My family started going to the fair in 1979 before my mom married Charley,” remembers Emily. “We started going as friends, and now we are officially family.” Emily’s favorite traditions include

her stepbrother and stepsister Todd Therrell and Mary Ann Martin. “Each couple that goes has a day to cook, and we cook all three meals for that day,” she says. “We clean the cabin, and it works out so great because we get to relax the rest of the days.”

At the Therrell cabin, you can find nearly forty people betting on both the beauty pageant and the horse races or getting together for a big fish fry. “One of my favorite things is when my stepsister Mary Ann makes her mom Nancy’s famous nine-layer lemon cake and fried chicken,” says Emily. “We just really love to eat and visit with each other out on the

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CHICKEN SPAGHETTI 2 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2

The Therrell and Havens family.

whole chickens celery stalks, chopped white onion, chopped 24 ounce package spaghetti noodles can cream of chicken soup can cream of celery soup jar sliced mushrooms, drained can sliced water chestnuts, drained can Rotel pounds Velveeta, cubed

Boil the two chickens, chopped onion and celery until tender. Reserve chicken broth. Debone and shred chicken.

Mix together cream of celery soup and cream of chicken soup, mushrooms, water chestnuts and Rotel. Add shredded chicken. Set aside.

Bring reserved chicken broth to boil and add spaghetti noodles to cook. Once cooked, drain noodles. Add Velveeta cheese to the noodles and stir until cheese is melted. Add chicken mixture.

Once mixed well, pour in 9x13 casserole dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

I double the recipe every year to cook for 40 people. – EMILY HAVENS

porch.” The Therrells’ tradition of latenight food is a big hit. “We have wings, sausage balls and rotel. We always have nacho time right after the horse races.”

While the food and the fun are always top contenders, it’s really the fellowship that everyone keeps coming back for. “I love visiting with the people that I only see once a year,” says Sharon. “They’re our lifelong friends, and we get to sit and catch up all week long.” DM 88 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

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HOME

Legacy

on the Lake

For over one hundred years, this romantic aquatic game preserve has inspired hunters and storytellers alike, and provides one family a peaceful setting away from it all.

BY BRENDA WARE JONES • PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUSTIN BRITT

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The open living/dining area features an eclectic mix of memorabilia, artwork, and quirky collectibles set against painted pecky cypress paneling. A palette of reds and blues, mixed with neutrals, livens the space.

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The cozy den is anchored by a boldly-patterned rug from Istanbul.

F

For Jean and John Owen, the storied past of Beaver Dam Lake is a daily presence, centered in a supremely comfortable converted barn in the heart of a legendary duck-hunting paradise.

The couple took the old barn, on property John had inherited from his uncle Richard Owen, and turned it into a weekend retreat on the 1,500-acre oxbow lake, now enjoyed by three generations.

John’s great-grandfather was Dr. Richard W. Owen, who was the original owner back in the 1870s. He was one of the founders of the original Beaver Dam Ducking Club, made famous nationally in the rich tales of writer Nash Buckingham, an avid outdoorsman and sports writer in the early part of the twentieth century. This particular shingle-clad barn was moved by Dr. Owen’s grandson Richard to its present location near the old original club in the 1960s. John and Jean acquired it in the 1990s, and four years ago they decided to finish refurbishing it as a gift to their daughter, Mary Katherine, her husband, Mitchell Redd, and their three children, who live in Memphis.

Twin iron candle sconces flank a reeded Regency-style pine mirror, above a 19th-century sideboard in the dining area.

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An antique game table is a favorite gathering spot on summer afternoons.

Their bar area is filled with unique items collected throughout the years.

The map of Tunica County and the river was copied from the 1860 original by Frank Saunders. The painting, far left, is by Stan Street of Clarksdale. The map of Beaver Lake Dam, depicting the original duck stands, was done in the early 1900s by charter club member J.G. Handwerker.

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The antique European harvest table is from London. Flowers in the dining room, and elsewhere, were arranged by Erica Hall of Oak & Ivy in Clarksdale.

Below left, one of the Owen’s favorite pieces is an old copper cellaret from Lucullus in New Orleans. A vintage pine corner cabinet holds a collection of old majolica, beside a watercolor by Dot Hector. More finds from Lucullus grace the table.

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The family kitchen is much in use during the summer holiday gatherings that culminate out on the deck. Here, a bright antique quilt serves as a tablecloth for a festive Glorious Fourth celebration.

“John’s uncle Richard had always enjoyed moving old buildings on his property, and restoring them,” says Jean, “and he had begun the work on this one. We really just had to add new windows, doors, and flooring.” They enlisted contractor Brian Atwood, whose wife is their niece, to help with the renovation.

Another niece, Laura Withers, owner of Laura Withers Home and Baby, came on board to help with the details, and Mary Katherine added her own ideas to the project. “So, it really became a family affair,” notes Jean. To enhance outdoor enjoyment, a deck and a large screened porch were added to the original structure.

Two large bedrooms on the first floor, with a bunk room upstairs that sleeps ten, ensure plenty of room for guests. The Owens’ grandchildren love to bring friends from Memphis and take over the upper story, and the couple themselves stay there frequently, in all seasons of the year. Their main residence in Tunica County is less than three miles away, so any items forgotten for a lake weekend or party can be easily fetched. “Other friends have weekend houses on the beach,” laughs Jean. “Ours is just a few minutes away! We really do use it all the time for entertaining.” She speaks with amusement of a particular wedding party, given for a cousin, Louis Holbrook, and his bride Haley, several years ago. The big screened porch proved its worth on that

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The Owen grandchildren love bringing their friends for sleepovers in the expansive upstairs bunk room. The oversize bovine giclee’ painting adds a pop of fun and bright color to the room.

occasion: “It rained!” she recalls. “It was pouring, so we just took the long tables from the lawn, set up the bar on the porch, and entertained ninety people from all over the Delta!”

John Owen himself does not claim to be much of a duck hunter, although his nephew Will Owen (who still farms the family cotton and soybean land) very much enjoys the sport.

Beaver Dam Lake, not far from the Mississippi River, is justly considered to be one of the premier spots for waterfowl, being located on the “Mississippi Flyway,” and lavishly populated with gadwalls, mallards, and wood ducks. But even non-shooters can deeply appreciate the atmosphere of the romantic cypress swamps, and the beauty of the vast lake, formed centuries ago when it was cut off from the main stem of the river.

The spacious rooms are done in a pleasingly neutral palette, with lots of texture including painted pecky cypress. The furnishings are eclectic, a mix of old and new, consisting mainly of pieces that their daughter had stored away after several moves.

A bright pop of color in the living room is a huge red Turkish rug, that son-in-law Mitchell found in Istanbul, and carried to the airport himself. The Owens enjoy traveling, and always manage to find an interesting accessory or two on each trip. Closer to home, a favorite source for appointments is Patrick Dunne’s shop, Lucullus, located in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Most seasons of the year, the family’s favorite gathering place is the long screened porch (the one that saved the wedding party) with its sweeping view of the lake. The stained wood-plank ceiling

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In the master, cool blue and wheat accents prevail. The painting above the nightstand is by the John Stoakley of Memphis. Below, the second downstairs bedroom pulls its soft hues from the floral painting by Marjorie Liebman of Memphis.

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and stone floor lend a rustic charm, and the cushioned porch swing provides a perfect venue for a nap or an afternoon of reading, with the fan overhead stirring the lake breeze.

Summertime, especially the Fourth of July, finds lots of festivities happening at this place that is home-away-from-home for the sixth generation of Owens, and now Redds, with every promise of more to come. Year-round, frequent Ole Miss football gatherings provide food, fun, and fellowship to family and friends. “We love it here,” concludes Jean simply. DM

Nash Buckingham Theophilus “Nash” Buckingham (May 31, 1880 – March 10, 1971), was an American author and avid conservationist from Tennessee, who spent a great deal of time shooting at Beaver Dam Lake. He was considered one of the most widely renowned and best-loved outdoor writers of his time, and remains a favorite of those with an affinity for wildlife and waterfowl sport. He wrote nine books and hundreds of articles that regularly appeared in such magazines as Outdoor Life, Field and Stream, and Sports Afield. His writings were often accompanied by photographs that he took himself. Perhaps his best-known work is De Shootinest Gent’man & Other Tales, a collection of short stories. One of the Owens’ most prized possessions is a rubbing of Buckingham’s headstone.

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poolside living These families know how to kick back, relax and enjoy their outdoor spaces

BY BRENDA WARE JONES PHOTOGRAPHY BY TORI POWELL, GREG CAMPBELL AND AUSTIN BRITT

By this time of year, everyone in the Delta is looking for relief as the temps rise.

What better way than a dip in a cool crystal-blue pool? If you are toying with the idea of adding one, here are three to inspire you!

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The Dunn’s fenced yard and updated pool area create a serene oasis for family fun.

S

PRING IS BUT A FOND MEMORY AS WE SETTLE INTO THE SEEMINGLY ENDLESS DAYS OF SUMMER. While there are bright spots (hey, Fourth of July!), there are many moments when we wonder how our Mississippi forebears survived without air conditioning. A shimmering backyard pool is one solution, and if you don’t have one of your own, you for sure need a friend or family member who does. These three Delta families agree that pools are much more fun when shared. And everyone knows that a refreshing drink just tastes better somehow when sipped lounging under a poolside umbrella.

Kate and Mason Dunn of Clarksdale bought his parents’ Louisiana-plantation-style home, situated on family land, two years ago. The house and lawn had been designed by Mason’s late mother in 1996, with the 20’ x 40’ pool and outbuildings added a few years later. Once in possession, the younger Dunns found that the pool was in need of some updating. They called on Mike Ferree of Backyard Solutions in Germantown, Tennessee, to help them refashion the outdoor space to suit their needs.

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it turned out. “We tore the entire back yard out, except for the shell of the pool itself,” recalls Kate. Among other improvements, they added stone to the back wall of the pool, changed the existing color palette and went with a much more open layout for the surrounding patio area. “We had painted the guest house behind the pool when we first moved in,” she adds, “and based the choices of stone, tile, coping and concrete on those colors.”

Crisp white paint, echoing that of the main house, is set off by natural elements in earth and slate tones. In keeping with the oldstyle plantation feel of the property, a small brick building resembling a pigionniere serves as a storehouse for the pool equipment.

With an eleven-year-old girl, a nine-year-old boy and four dogs, this outdoor haven sees nonstop action most of the year. “From March to October, kids, animals or both are in and out of the pool daily!” laughs Kate. The family loves to entertain as well, and the couple relishes the fact that all ages can mingle. “The open layout means that the kids can run around and play without making the grown-ups feel crowded.”

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W

HITNEY AND CAMERON DINKINS, OWNERS OF LINDEN PLANTATION IN GLEN ALLAN, knew that they wanted a seamless

transition between the period Greek-Revival architecture of their century-plus-year-old house and the new pool and spa they envisioned.

They felt that this luxury feature would enhance their family’s enjoyment, as well as that of their guests at the weddings, invitational workshops and other events that they host at the venue throughout the year. The new outdoor living area commands sweeping views of the plantation and adjoining Lake Washington. The couple, who also operate Esperanza Outdoors (an upland bird and waterfowl hunting service), drew the designs themselves, and work was completed in 2012 with John Catchings of Jackson as installer.

The 27,000-gallon gunite pool is set serenely in a manicured lawn landscaped by Lewis Henry and surrounded by large, old oaks. It utilizes a salt-water chlorinator for water quality. It is rectangular in shape, flanked by a 12’ x 12’ swim-out deck, an elevated Jacuzzi and waterfall of the same dimensions, twin arching fountains and two shallow ends centered by a deeper portion for games like volleyball and badminton.

“Our children, Banks and Linden, love having their friends over, and we host our church’s youth group often,” says Whitney. “Basically, it’s a multi-functional oasis for our family and friends during these hot Delta summers, but we also enjoy it as a decorative landscape feature and ‘therapeutic amenity’ during the off-season.”

The Dinkinses love the feeling of being deeply rooted here; Cameron’s great-grandfather built the house around the turn of the last century.

“Visitors love learning this about the place, while they are here soaking up the timeless beauties of the Delta,” says Whitney.

With views of their century-plus-year-old plantation home in the background and Lake Washington on the horizon, the Dinkins’ pool and spa is nestled in an idyllic setting.

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F

OR THIS CLEVELAND COUPLE, A MORE CONTEMPORARY VIBE WAS THE GOAL. Blake McCain, and Morgan Wheeler added

their pool and terrace not long after building the house in 2016. They are enthusiastic entertainers, and have continued to add to and expand the various features of their outdoor living space.

“Blake and I designed the pool we wanted, and Phil McNeer of Professional Lawncare here in town installed it,” says Morgan, an occupational therapist who also owns Kut Works boutique. “I knew I wanted a layout deck, and really wanted to incorporate an element of curved Greek corners, but Blake gets credit for the rest.” The symmetrical, convex edges soften the geometry of the pool. A pleasing balance complements the sleek modernity of the venue, with strategically-placed neo-classical urns at the corners of the pool and layout area, mirror-image planting beds on either 106 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

side of the rear, and six imposing, columnar Italian cypress trees serving as a vertical focal point near the back wall.

“We started with a simple outdoor kitchen and patio,” she continues, “Last year, we added a fireplace, and a new covered patio area, as well as a hot tub. Most recently, we expanded the cooking area to accommodate more seating, and our Green Egg.” With a host of friends and family close by, the couple claims there is always “something cooking” for a crowd, especially in the summertime.

A particularly spectacular design feature are the gas flames rising from twin copper fire-pits, resembling Greco-Roman altars, above the square fountains situated on the back edge of the pool. “That is our favorite feature,” notes Morgan. “At sunset, they add a beautiful accent, combined with the colored lights in the pool. The sunset views are phenomenal, even here in town. That’s our favorite time of day!” DM

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The modern design, furnishings and appointments at Blake and Morgan’s Cleveland pool create an excellent place for entertaining friends and family.

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The outdoor kitchen and covered entertaining space expands the home’s living area and is functional regardless of the weather.

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FOOD

Feeding the Masses VACATION TIME. It conjures images of families gathered at the beach or at mountain retreats or lakeside cabins with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins of all ages enjoying a few days together.

And everyone is hungry. All.The.Time. Some families divide kitchen duty with each branch providing meals for the crowd on specified days. So if your family vacation is coming up soon, you are in luck! To celebrate our fifteenth anniversary, we asked our readers to send in recipes they enjoy with their families. Here we share some great recipes from Delta Magazine readers to try when it’s your “day” to feed the whole gang.

BY CINDY COOPWOOD AND CORDELIA CAPPS PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL POWELL

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FOUR-HOUR TOMATO PASTA A quintessential, light summer dish! Easy to assemble for a quick dinner, and delicious at room temperature.

4 ½ 3 1

large tomatoes, chopped cup fresh basil, ribboned cloves garlic, finely chopped cup olive oil salt and pepper to taste 16 ounces fresh fettucine pasta 8 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and torn into pieces

Mix first 5 ingredients and let sit on counter 4 or more hours. Boil pasta, drain and pour into a large pasta bowl. While still warm add Brie to pasta, gently stirring in until cheese melts into pasta. Drain ½ cup of liquid off tomato mixture and set aside.

Toss tomato mixture with warm pasta. Add a little liquid back in if needed to moisten pasta. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Submitted by Jane Stock, Greenville, MS

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MEXICAN CROCKPOT SHREDDED CHICKEN One of the most useful recipes we’ve seen in a long time.

Use it for Mexican lasagna, enchiladas, as a topping for twice-baked potatoes, or as we did for the best chicken tacos ever.

3 to 4 4 1 ½ 4 1 1 1

pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts jars salsa can salsa verde box chicken broth taco seasoning packets head garlic, smashed and chopped tablespoon sea salt cup chopped cilantro (add in last 30 minutes)

Dump all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 7 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove chicken from pot and shred. There will be a good amount of liquid left that can be stirred back in to chicken as desired.

For tacos: We browned corn tortillas in a skillet and filled them with chicken, chopped tomatoes, roasted corn, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with refried beans, Spanish rice and condiments of your choice.

Editors note: You may use tortillas and toppings of your choice for tacos.

Submitted by Candy Myles, Jupiter, FL

Tip: Candy uses her hand mixer to shred the chicken right in the crockpot.

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LEMON VINAIGRETTE 2 1 1 ½

cloves garlic, pressed tablespoon salt teaspoon coarse ground pepper teaspoon dry mustard juice of 3 or 4 lemons olive oil, approximatley 1 cup or more

Place first four ingredients in shallow bowl. Mix together with a fork until it resembles wet sand. Mix lemon juice with salt mixture, stirring until the salt dissolves.

Pour into a 16 ounce jar and add enough olive oil so that the lemon mixture equals ⅓ of the salad dressing. Store in the refrigerator and remove at least 1 hour before and shake well before serving.

Tip: This dressing is a fabulous marinade for fresh green beans or asparagus.

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PASTA SHRIMP SALAD This salad is one of those recipes you can truly make your own. Add your favorite fresh and marinated vegetables, substitute chicken for the shrimp or add none at all and it makes a wonderful side.

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 to 6 ½ 1 1

16 ounce box shell or bowtie pasta bell pepper chopped, color of your choice 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, chopped 14 ounce can hearts of palm, sliced bunch green onions, chopped jar marinated baby corn bag fresh baby spinach (when pasta is hot) container cherry or grape tomatoes radishes, stemmed, cleaned and sliced medium red onion, thinly sliced pound shrimp, cooked and peeled tablespoon Tony’s seasoning (or to taste)

Mix dressing and set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with Tony’s seasoning and pour 2 tablespoons of the dressing over hot pasta. Toss lightly. While still warm, fold in fresh spinach to wilt slightly. Then toss in remaining vegetables and shrimp. Best if allowed to sit a while to absorb flavors.

Submitted by Jo Parker, Cleveland, MS

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BREAKFAST SAUSAGE ENGLISH MUFFINS You will love having these on hand, whether feeding a large group or for busy school mornings.

2 2 2 2 to 3

pounds breakfast sausage packages of English Muffins jars of Old English Cheese cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown and crumble sausage in a large skillet. Add the jars of cheese mixing and cooking until warm and melted. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sausage-cheese onto each English muffin half. Top with cheese and bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

If making ahead, place the assembled muffins on a cookie sheet and quick freeze 10 to 20 minutes. Once semi-frozen, place muffins in a large ziplock bag and freeze for later use. When ready to serve, remove from freezer, allow to thaw for a few minutes, sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through.

Submitted by Ann Holman, Cleveland, MS

Use a pizza cutter to cut them into small wedges for a snack or appetizer.

COCONUT POUND CAKE We think coconut is a delight all year round. What better cake to have on hand for vacay? Warmed for breakfast, served with fresh fruit or an afternoon cup of coffee, this cake travels well, is versatile and so delicious.

2 ½ 1 3 6 3 ½ 1 ½ ½

sticks butter, softened cup coconut oil 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened cups sugar large eggs, at room temperature cups cake flour teaspoon salt tablespoon vanilla extract teaspoon coconut extract cup shredded sweetened coconut

Cream butter, coconut oil and cream cheese on medium speed of mixer for about 5 minutes. Add sugar slowly and continue mixing as you add eggs one at a time to batter.

Lightly stir salt into the flour. Turn mixer down to low setting and begin adding flour and salt to the mixture. Turn off mixer and scrape down sides of bowl as necessary, to fully incorporate with mixture. Add vanilla and coconut extracts and beat another minute.

Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes then turn temp down to 325 degrees and continue baking another 60 to 70 minutes. Allow cake to cool in pan before removing.

Editors note: This is a large cake and will bake best in a larger bundt pan. Most are 10 to 12 cups, but they are available in up to 15 cup sizes. Or, bake the overflow in a small loaf pan for tasting purposes like we did!

Submitted by Debra Mason, Flora, MS DELTA MAGAZINE 2018

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Tip: On a whim we

added a little finely chopped onion to the mixture. But it’s delicious both ways!

Delicious for Rebel tailgates too!

BULLY’S BASIC (HEAVY ON THE) PIMIENTO CHEESE The addition of spicy mustard sets this pimiento cheese apart.

Harry Freeman, who submitted the recipe, insists it is best enjoyed while wearing a Mississippi State shirt and ringing an antique cowbell at his favorite tailgate. Wonder where that might be?

8 7 ½ 2

ounce finely grated Mississippi State Cheddar Cheese ounce jar chopped pimientos cup of mayo teaspoons Zatarain’s Creole Mustard (Bully likes it spicy) pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Remove from the fridge and spread on white bread or your favorite cracker.

Submitted by Harry Freeman, Memphis, TN 116 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

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This is a favorite of Delta Magazine contributor Cordelia Capps; she keeps a batch made in her refrigerator all summer long.

CLASSIC AMERICAN QUALITY.

GAZPACHO A chilled, refreshing summer soup. Keep this in the fridge for the beach crowd to come in for a light and quick lunch.

1½ pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 1 cup tomato juice 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped ½ cup chopped red bell pepper ½ cup chopped red onion 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced 1 medium garlic clove, minced ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 lime, juiced 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Fried Simmons Catfish Fillets, Okra-Ham Purloo, Marinated Cucumbers, & Fish Sauce Aioli.

-SNACKBAR, Oxford, MS

Fresh From The Pond To Your Plate.

SINCE 1982

SIMMON SC ATF ISH.C OM

Peel, core and seed the tomatoes.

When seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl in order to catch the juice.

Press as much of the juice through as possible and then add enough bottled tomato juice to bring the total to 1 cup.

Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeño, garlic clove, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Transfer 1½ cups of the mixture to a blender and puree for 15 to 20 seconds on high speed.

Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine.

Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Garnish with basil.

Submitted by Cordelia Capps, Cleveland, MS

(DVW &RXUW 6WUHHW _ 6XPQHU 06 _

DEEH\#WZREURRNVIDUP FRP _ ZZZ WZREURRNVIDUP FRP #WZREURRNVULFH DELTA MAGAZINE 2018

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After he completes his educattion, Noah ultimately wants to return to Mississippi and drive e progress in his home state.

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118 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

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Save v Ro o m Fo r D ess e rt For 50 years, The Crystal Grill G has been serving Delta classics to generations of families for lunch and dinner.

The Crystal Grill is known fo or its generous portions and legendary desserts. Locals kno ow to save room for dessert.

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HISTORY

Bridge over the

YAZOO RIVER When the structure was completed in 1899, it was the largest bridge anywhere in the state, and it became a symbol of great pride

BY MARY CAROL MILLER • PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALLAN HAMMONS

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Greenwood Bridge opened to allow the tall stacks of a river boat to pass by.

T

he wrinkled, stained photograph was hidden in the bottom of a folder that hadn’t seen the light of day in the Mississippi Department of Archives and History library for many a year. But when Greenwood history buffs Allan Hammons and Donny Whitehead pulled it out on a spring day in 2013, their enthusiastic reaction earned a reprimand from the no-nonsense librarians on duty.

What Allan and Donny had uncovered was that rarest of Greenwood treasures, an image of the original 1899 “Iron Bridge,” also showing the 1878 Leflore County Courthouse, a two-story general store and a riverside cotton warehouse. Not to mention the ghost.

Ghosts don’t cast shadows, as a general rule. But there she stands, a mysterious woman in a long, dark dress, captured forever in her stroll across the Yazoo River’s first bridge. You can see right through her to the superstructure of the span, and she appears to be floating just above the muddy wooden slats. She would be the subject of a spectacularly spooky tale, if it weren’t for that long shadow, telling the viewers of a later time that this trick-of-the-eye was due

to her rapid movement and a slow camera shutter speed, freezing a very real woman forever in a print from around 1900.

The bridge our phantom was crossing was the very first to span the Yazoo River anywhere along its two hundred mile trek from Greenwood to Vicksburg. When it was completed in 1899, it was the largest bridge anywhere in the state and a symbol of civic pride, but it almost never existed at all. It took all the persuasive powers and threats that could be mustered by one of Leflore County’s most revered early leaders, Supervisor T. Staige Marye.

Mr. Marye was a successful Greenwood businessman, partner with Charles E. Wright in a number of ventures, and he was sick and tired of having to deal with the

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First Yazoo River Bridge

Early photo of the Iron Bridge

cramped, unpredictable Howell’s ferry at the foot of Cotton Street whenever he needed to get to Itta Bena, Money or Minter City. He badgered his fellow supervisors to at least consider the possibility of funding a bridge to connect Greenwood proper and the small village of North Greenwood, huddled on the southern edge of Cot George’s cotton fields on the far banks of the Yazoo. Greenwood was growing by leaps and bounds in this heyday of the “Second Cotton Kingdom,” but access was limited to the roads east toward Carrollton, south to Lexington, as well as the rivers and the railroads. To reach northern Leflore County, you had to deal with the ferry. Fearing the cost to the taxpayers of a bridge, the supervisors brushed him off.

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Staige Marye had not prospered by taking “no” for an answer. He announced he would finance the bridge himself and set up toll booths on either end. The supervisors blanched at the thought of their supporters grumbling each time they dropped a nickel in Marye’s cash box and reluctantly called for a public referendum.

The measure squeaked by, $25,000 was appropriated and the Groton Bridge Company of New York arrived with plans and manpower, ready to conquer the currents of the Yazoo River.

Their finished product, built in just a matter of months, was an iron wonder in this little town of a few thousand souls.

Stretching more than seven hundred feet from north bank to south bank, the roadway was topped by a tapestry of struts

and beams, holding up the wooden planks and the spindly rails along the sides.

Beneath the bridge were three concrete piers, their bases sunk deep into the Yazoo’s muddy bottom. Wooden structures in the channel diverted boats from the central pier.

The most remarkable feature of the new bridge was its turning mechanism. Even though the golden age of steamboat travel was over, with the big paddle wheelers largely replaced by trains, a number of boats with tall stacks still came up and down the Yazoo and Tallahatchie systems, and the bridge had to get out of the way when they approached. A series of gears around the central pier could be turned with a giant key, rotating the entire superstructure ninety degrees into the long axis of the river.

Observers of the time noted that the grinding of the great wheels could be heard all over the town and was rare enough that many townspeople came out to gawk as a crew of eight men struggled to turn the giant key and pull the bridge away from the banks.

The Iron Bridge (it never had a more formal name) was a huge boost to local commerce and a major element in the development of the “Boulevard Subdivision” in North Greenwood. But there was nothing reassuring about a trip

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across the span in its twenty-five years of service. Old photos show it perched like a massive insect above the swirling waters of the “River of Death.” Horseback riders, wagon masters, pedestrians and the few automobile owners in town were warned by the supervisors that “no one shall drive or ride faster than a walk…and no one [will] be allowed to ride a bicycle across. Fine $5.”

Looking at the pictures of the almostnonexistent railings and the sheer drop into the Yazoo’s swift currents, it’s easy to understand why Greenwoodians of the day would want to spend as little time as possible actually on the bridge.

By the early 1920s, the 1899 span was overwhelmed with auto and truck traffic and increasingly rickety. The July 24, 1924, Greenwood Commonwealth reported that “the old bridge across the Yazoo River will soon be a thing of history, under the work of demolition now being pushed forward vigorously by the bridge contractors. All of the overhead support has been removed, the first floor of the bridge resting on a false work built underneath. The new bridge, which replaces the structure now being town down, will use the center pier, which will be strengthened and enlarged.

According to statements of the contractors, the bridge will be ready for use by January 1st.”

It would actually be May of 1925 before the entire community turned out for a pageant, parade and christening of the shiny new Keesler Bridge. That sturdier successor stands today, an enduring symbol of Greenwood’s early-20th-century prosperity.

The huge gears can still be seen atop the central concrete pier, their teeth rusty and out-of-service since 1953. The rare turnings were increasingly balky and disruptive to traffic and completion of the Hinman Bridge on the 49-82 Bypass in 1954 eliminated passage of large boats up the Yazoo forever.

There are several existing bridges around Mississippi that are strikingly similar to the Yazoo’s first “iron bridge,” including one at Silent Shade in Holmes County. Staige Marye’s dream is only a distant memory now, just like that ghostly figure hurrying across the planks on a long-forgotten afternoon of another century. DM DELTA MAGAZINE 2018

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EVENTS

FESTIVALS, MUSIC & FUN THINGS TO July 1-3

Yazoo

July 19

Southaven

August 11-18

Yaz Summer Blast

Kenny Chesney: Trip Around the Sun Tour

Elvis Week

Main Street Live music, food vendors, fireworks, and more!

BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove Park bankplusamphitheater.com

Graceland graceland.com

July 3, 7 pm

July 20-22

August 17

Vicksburg

Civil War Symposium: Vicksburg—What Did It Really Mean for the War?

Oxford

Oxford Blues Festival

Terry Fator, Ventriloquist

Oxfordbluesfest.com

Gold Strike Casino Resort

Memphis

Tunica Resorts

Old Courthouse Museum

July 21 July 4, 11 am

Vicksburg

Reenactment of Surrender

Tunica Resorts

Gabriel Fluffy Iglesias Horseshoe Casino

July 4, 2-4 pm

Vicksburg

Gallivanting with the Generals

July 6 Fedex Forum

Tunica Resorts

Southaven

Schelben Park at Lake Ferguson Boat races, vendors, live music

BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove Park bankplusamphitheater.com

August 28, 7:30 pm

July 27, 7 pm

Bologna Performing Arts Center bolognapac.com

Donny & Marie Osmond

Jason Aldean

Horseshoe Casino

Brandon Amphitheater brandonamphitheater.com

July 7, 10 am-2:30 pm

Brandon

Boz Scaggs: Out of the Blues Tour

Southaven

Southern Thunder Harley-Davidson Car & Bike Show

July 28

Southern Thunder Harley-Davidson,

Gold Strike Casino Resort

Tunica Resorts

Michael McDonald

BOOK SIGNINGS

Lifeline July 7

Tunica Resorts

August 4

Spin Doctors

Bikes Blues & Bayous

Gold Strike Casino Resort

bikesbluesbayous.com

Greenwood

Abbey Lee Nash July 2, 5 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson

Robert E. Lee’s Orderly July 8, 7 pm

Brandon

August 10-12

Clarksdale

Imagine Dragons

Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival

Al Arnold July 4, 1 pm: Lorelei Books, Vicksburg

Brandon Amphitheater brandonamphitheater.com

Downtown Clarksdale sunflowerfest.org

The Lost Country

July 13

Tunica Resorts

August 11

Pat Benatar & Neil Girlado

Boys II Men

Gold Strike Casino Resort

Gold Strike Casino Resort

Tunica Resorts

William Gay July 10, 5 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson

The World is a Narrow Bridge July 19

Vicksburg

August 11

Oxford

5th Annual Ritz on the River

Art-er Limits Fringe Festival: Project(ion)

Vicksburg Convention Center “Retro Prom” themed event featuring The Molly Ringwalds

The Atrium, 265 N. Lamar Blvd. oxfordarts.com

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Greenville

Ferguson on Fire Tedeschi Trucks Band: Wheels of Soul 2018 Tour

Memphis

BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove Park bankplusamphitheater.com

August 24

EE Bass Cultural Arts Center

July 25

July 6

Greenville

Cocktails at the Carousel

McRaven House Living history with lectures and demonstrations

Def Leppard & Journey

Southaven

Good Vibes with Jason Mraz and Brett Dennen

Old Courthouse Museum

July 22 & August 19, 5-7 pm

August 21

Aaron Thier July 11, 5 pm: Square Books, Oxford July 12, 5:30 pm: Turnrow Books, Greenwood

Cleveland

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Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe Jo Watson Hackl July 12, 5 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson

Catfish Dream: Ed Scott’s Fight for His Family Farm & Racial Justice in the Mississippi Delta Julian Rankin July 12, 5 pm: Square Books, Oxford August 9, 5 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson

Sunshine in the Delta Erica Sandifer July 14, 1 pm: Lorelei Books, Vicksburg

The High Climber of Dark Water Bay Caroline Arden July 16, 5 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson

The Sinners Ace Atkins July 17, 5 pm: Square Books, Oxford

City of Grudges Rick Outzen July 18, 5:30 pm: Lorelei Books, Vicksburg

Still Wrestling Les Ferguson July 27, 5 pm: Square Books, Oxford

Denmark Vesey’s Garden Ethan Kytle and Blain Roberts July 30, 5:30 pm: Lorelei Books, Vicksburg August 1, 5 pm: Square Books, Oxford

Subscrib be NOW!

A Past That Won’t Rest: Images of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi Jane Hearn August 14, 5 pm: Square Books, Oxford August 16, 5:30 pm: Turnrow Books, Greenwood

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DELTA SEEN

Pryor Buford Lampton, Angie Cole and Katie Coleman

Meredith Brown and Katherine Howard

Mitch Campbell and Jane Moss

Art at the Alluvian at the Alluvian Hotel in Greenwood on April 26 Photos by Johnny Jennings

Donna Buford Spell, Gwin Buford and Pryor Buford Lampton

Jessica Mims with Judy and Glenn Nail

Caroline Townes Falls, Caroline Madden Colquett, Katie Coleman and Jason Colquett

Tish Goodman with George and Buffy Jarman

Stephen and Kim Pillow with Elizabeth Gallagher and Sissy Gallagher

Aubrey Falls and Robert Lampton

Phylis Hardin, Beverly Biggers and Bonnie Walker

128 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

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Gant Marker Unveiling at American Legion Post 29 in Greenwood on April 27 Photos by Johnny Jennings

Gin Ribbon Cutting at Dockery Plantation on May 12 Photos by Sandi Burt

Sid Herring of The Gants

Sid Herring and Charly Abraham

Sid Herring and Leland Russell

DELTA SEEN

Sid Herring and Johnny Jennings

Linda Alldread Bell, Allan Hammons, Betty Ray, Cynthia Stanciel, Janet Sandy and Sid Herring, Haley and Landen Allan Wood, Sid Herring Sid Herring and Greenwood Mayor Hammons, Allan Hammons and Lamberth with Layton Lamberth Carolyn McAdams and Lynn Pyron Greenwood Mayor Carolyn McAdams

Nan Sanders, Myrtis Tabb, Kay Dockery, Bill Nelson, Emily Boyd and Kris Yeager at Justin McCadney, Aundria McCadney and Jessie and Madison Stewart Dockery Plantation ribbon cutting Kayla Cox at Dockery

Loyd and Diana McDowell

Stephen Derbes

Billy Marlow and Bill Lester

Meg and Harry Howarth with Mary Jean Tricia Walker and Sen. Willie Simmons Caroline Gaines and Keith Derbes Gates and Billy Marlow

Anita and Kevin Cox

Cecilia C.Memphis

Gerri Logan

Kim Lloyd DELTA MAGAZINE 2018

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DELTA SEEN

Fundraiser for the upkeep and maintenance of the Holt Collier gravesite at the Onward Store on May 25 Photos by Roy Meeks

Mollie Van Devender with granddaughters Ann Marie, Cece and Emery Stansell

John Fike, Kate Eidt with Virginia and Minor Buchanan

Howard Brent, Mollie Van Devender, Bo Weevil Law, Evelyn Brown and Raymond Longoria

Billy Van Devender, Minor Buchanan and Hank Burdine

Mike McCall, Virginia Buchanan, Kim Brooks with John Fike and Kate Eidt

David Huffman, Mary Kate Mallette with Laurie Charles Weissinger with Sherye and Mark Green and Tony Huffman

Princella Nowell, Camille Collins, Stan Kline and Lee Waring

Phil and Leslie Carpenter with Pete Fulgham

Mindy Tew, Paula Stewart-Strange, Mike Campbell, Lewis Graeber with Mollie and Billy Van Devender

Laura and Tommy Stansell

Cal Wells, Bill Sneed and Scott Britton

Keith and Chrissy Heard, Bill Paul and Hank Burdine

130 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

Byron May and Lindsey Morgan

Gary and Jeri Herring, Angela Stevens with Bill and Linda Paul

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Delta Council Annual Meeting at Delta State University in Cleveland on June 1 Photos by Roy Meeks and Matthew Wood

Mike Chaney, Lynn Fitch, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, Nevin Sledge and Pam Maxwell David Bowen

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt with Lisa and George King

Nan Randall, Jamie Murrell and Randy Randall

Dinesh and Parveen Chawla, Peggy and Charles Snipes with Jon Levingston

Carolyn McAdams with Sen. and Mrs. Roger Wicker

DELTA SEEN

George King, Woods Eastland, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, Sen. Roger Wicker, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, Gov. Phil Bryant

Laura Howell, Billy Howell and Mary Jane Howell

Lynn and Woods Eastland

Ed Cherry and George King

Andy and Tracye Anderson

John Lundy and Dick Hall Fred Ballard, Leah Turner, Martha and Nott Wheeler

Walton and Laura Gresham, Sen. Roger Wicker with Dr. and Mrs. Cass Pennington

Bruce Levingston and Margaret Allan DELTA MAGAZINE 2018

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DELTA SEEN

Extra Table fundraiser salute to Sen. Thad Cochran at the Jackson Country Club on June 5

Bobby Mounger, Billy Mounger, Senator Thad Cochran and W. D. Mounger

Arthur Johnston, Steve Guyton and Bill LaForge

Sara and Bryan Jones

Susanne Stead Carter, Senator Joel Carter, Lynn and Delbert Hosemann and Kristen Hosemann Twomey

Beth Clay, Katherine Kline and Bethany Stanfill

Photos by Linda Wilson

Scott Coopwood, David Trigiani, Robert St. John and Bill Dunlap

Paul Breazeale, Senator Thad and Kay Cochran and Voncile Breazeale

Scott and Kim Waller

W.D. Mounger, Billy Mounger with Governor Phil Bryant

Haley Fisackerly

Senator Thad Cochran

Senator Thad and Kay Cochran

Senator and Mrs. Thad Cochran on the dance floor 132 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

Governor Haley Barbour and Governor Phil Bryant

Senator Thad Cochran, Martha Allen and Kay Cochran

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7th Annual Delta Soul Celebrity Golf and Charity Event in Greenville on June 7 Photos by Tom Beck

A selection of photos from Delta Magazine readers

DJ and Johnnie Ponville

Cory and Missy Millers

Jerry Gardner, Debra Luster, John Cocke at Art for Animals

Becky Nowell and Nan Sanders

DELTA SEEN

Jerry Stigler, Lloyd Clark and Charlie Gwen and Steve Azar with Donna McGuffee Giordina

Michael Retter with Amy and Richard Taylor

Janie McGee and Bethany Frankel

Pam Runnels, Tommy Coleman, Kalyn Runnels

Hiram Eastland with long-time friends Charles Evers, President Bill Clinton and Rob Neil at the 50th Anniversary of the Bobby Kennedy Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery Amphitheatre

Cordelia Capps with father Charlie Susan NcClure, Gerald Deloach with Capps at the Spring Debutante Karen Corley at Art for Animals Reception in Greenville

Greenwood High School Class of 1963 55th Reunion: (back row, l to r) David Fleming, Early Watkins, Johnny Weant, Dick Hall, Toby Hughes, David Lowry, Joe Seawright, Buddy Wax, Bubba Johnson, Jerry Wexler, Tommy Crenshaw, Dwight Randall, Kirk Carter, Bill Johnston; (middle row, l to r) Bill Gillespie, Eddie Corley, Bunky Hill, Jimmy Moore, Nancy Kimer McCurdy, Deedee Czajkowski Sheely, Georgia Watts Baker, Elizabeth Scott Duncan, Jean Green Williamson, Evelyn Utroska Lowry, Mike Malouf, Helen Pillow Duke, Billy Bowman; (front row, l to r) Keren Everett Wells, Frances Heard Self, Diane Grantham Mosley, Karen Weeks Chandler, Sharon Pentecost Watkins, Carolyn Billings Mitchell, Judy Calvin Ousley

The Pocahontas Mallet Club’s Memorial Day Tournament included croqueteers with Delta roots, (from left, front), Bill and Joy Aden, Susan Hill, Liza Booth, Jane Shelton, Ivy Alley, Pat Cothren; (back) Ouida Drinkwater, Philip Burnett, Tom Shelton, Peyton Prospere and Frank Alley DELTA MAGAZINE 2018

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Pictures that Paint a Thousand Words

F

OR FIFTEEN YEARS we have brought you pages filled with spectacular images of the people and places

of this region we love so much. To celebrate this landmark issue, we turned the tables and asked our readers to share some of their favorite photos with us. Some are old, some new; there are iconic Delta landscapes and images of the people and minutiae that make the Delta so special. ank you to our readers who participated and love this great big flat land as much as we do!

GREENWOOD, MS | LEATH JOHNSON Vintage WWII “Birds on the Wire” fly in formation to celebrate the Fourth of July.

HOLLANDALE, MS | FREDDIE DESHAZER “Before the Dryer” is a reminder of life in the Delta using the clothesline before the modern day dryer.

GREENWOOD, MS | BETH TACKETT Sumner Tackett volunteers for the Leflore Co. Humane Society by helping socialize puppies so they are eligible for adoption.

ANGUILLA, MS | EILEEN CASTON Before the Delta thunderstorm.

LYNN, MS | WANDA EARLS Summertime in the bean field with Ellie Chandler, Maggie and dog Jack.

BENOIT, MS | DOTY FARMER Benoit Outing Club during the spring flood of 2018.

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LELAND, MS | JENNIFER MOFFETT JONES Roy Allen Jones, a Delta hunter, and his big gun.

CLEVELAND, MS | ROGER WYATT Delta cotton cropduster “Big Windy” at the Cleveland Airport in 1949.

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NITTA YUMA, MS | ANDREA LAWRENCE This old Mercedes, fancy in its day, living in the tall grass in Sharkey County.

ROSEDALE, MS | KAREN BRUNETTI Delta moon rising over the river after sunset TALLAHATCHIE COUNTY, MS | CAL TROUT John D. Collins while picking his last cotton crop in 2014 on Trout Valley Farm.

FITLER, MS | GLYNN LASSITER Using horses and dogs on a deer hunt at Reed Deer Camp in the 50s and 60s.

LAKE VILLAGE, AR | LINDA SMITH Backyard view of Lake Chicot behind the Smith home.

GREENVILLE, MS | DEBORAH BELL Typical Delta summer day at Lake Ferguson, “Gone Fishing.”

CLARKSDALE, MS | STEPHEN LITTLE A true Delta road. The clouds even agree.

ROBINSONVILLE, MS | CLAY MOTLEY Leaning telephone poles across rural highways are distinctive Delta markers along Highway 61.

ITTA BENA, MS | ALISON PATROLIA Dog, Guiness, waiting for his duck hunt as the sun rises on the catfish ponds.

GREENVILLE, MS | FLO CARTIER Delta debutantes at a luncheon at the Greenville Country Club in August 1965.

MONEY, MS | STEPHEN LITTLE A quiet part of the Delta with a lot of history at Bryant’s Grocery.

CLARKSDALE, MS | TERRY MEEK Siblings Joe and Jane Meek, Delta natives, take a side trip to Ground Zero Blues Club on their way back home during the Thanksgiving holiday.

DELTA MAGAZINE 2018

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Thefinalword

Native Son W

John Ramsey Miller is the New York Times Bestselling author of The Last Family, Inside Out, Upside Down, Side By Side, Too Far Gone, Smoke & Mirrors, and The Last Day. He has been nominated for the International Thriller Writers, Thriller Award for Upside Down, and a Barry Award for Inside Out. His first book was the nonfiction book, As Nasty As They Wanna Be, the story of the Broward County Florida obscenity trial of the band, 2 Live Crew. His latest book is McCartys of Merigold, Mississippi, a coffee-table book showcasing the pottery and the lives of his friends and mentors, Pup and Lee McCarty.

136 | JULY/AUGUST 2018

BY JOHN RAMSEY MILLER

hen I meet someone new, I always ask them, “Where you from?” I want to know if we have people in common. If that person is from Mississippi, I will find someone we share a connection to within seconds. It’s never “what do you do?” What do you do is more of an opening question a non-Southerner asks first off to get an immediate socio-economic answer. I think it’s an inappropriate question to lead with. Ask me that after the ice is broken and we can see if we have something else in common. When I am asked where I’m from, I always answer, “I’m from the Mississippi Delta in Cleveland, which is five miles from Merigold, Mississippi. But I’ve lived in Concord, North Carolina, since 1992. Before that I lived in Nashville, New Orleans, and Miami.”

I was born in Greenville, Mississippi, at King’s Daughters in 1949. My father’s preaching of Methodism took us all over the state: Benoit, Leland, Starkville and Cleveland.

I say I’m from Cleveland because, although I only lived there six years, that is where I went to high school, the first two years of college and where my puzzlepiece life first fit into a community. My speech still has that Delta edge.

Over the last forty-eight years, I have returned again and again to Cleveland. I am comforted to see people I have known since childhood. It is heartwarming to see people that I knew as a youth and can see in them that which is still so familiar after all this time and how their features have been treated by time, but how so little else about them has changed. It really anchors me to my past. When my son attended Delta State just after returning as a Marine from Iraq, he was amazed when people would ask him if I was his father.

I ran into someone recently while attending, with old friends, a community event outside Cleveland. The home’s owner said, “John Miller! Son of a gun! How long has it been?” I said, “Since your wedding, about fifty years.” He replied, “Well, let’s not make it that long till the next time.”

Memories bond us. There is running into someone who remembers that time you drove a tractor on their father’s plantation one Saturday in 1967, the shared memory of mosquito swarms, dove hunts, Queen Anne’s Lace, the smell of DDT fog, the sub-Saharan heat, and the memory of slick gumbo mud wrapping our tires and forming platforms under our boots.

Maybe it’s the familiar sight of the flat earth, oceanic open fields fenced with turn rows and tree lines that slow the winds, and that big open sky that just feels right. Maybe it’s that being in proximity to where the Earth’s magnetic pulls are familiar to my beginning.

The thing certain is that every time I return to the Delta it’s like I’m being hugged. DM

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