Mississippi Delta Literary Tour

The place that novelist Richard Ford described as the South's South—the Mississippi Delta—is the site of a spring tour organized by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture and the Alluvian Hotel. Focusing on the area's legendary blues, writers, and food—along with its tumultuous history—the program is based in Greenwood, home of playwright Endesha Ida May Holland and memoirist Mildred Spurier Topp, and will include day trips to three other towns.

Each day we will travel the back roads of the Mississippi Delta, discovering other historic sites along the way. Scheduled for Monday, April 4, is a trip to Yazoo City, whose most famous and beloved son is author Willie Morris. On Tuesday, April 5, the group will travel to Greenville, home of William Alexander Percy, Ellen Douglas, Shelby Foote, Bern Keating, Walker Percy, Julia Reed, Ben Wasson, and many other writers—so many that Greenville is known for having "more writers per square foot than any other city of its size." On Wednesday, April 6, the group will go to Clarksdale for a visit to the Delta Blues Museum and tour places connected to the life and work of playwright Tennessee Williams.

Also scheduled are meals at Lusco's, the new Giardina's, Madidi, and other notable Delta restaurants as well as live blues and gospel performances. On April 7, after breakfast at the Alluvian, participants will be free to travel on their own to Oxford, arriving in time to visit William Faulkner's home, Rowan Oak; tour the town; have lunch on the courthouse square; and attend the Oxford Conference for the Book, which will begin that afternoon.

The Delta tour is $450 per person for all program activities, eight meals, and local transportation. The fee does not include lodging. To register, go to the Events and Conferences section of the Center's Web site (www.olemiss.edu/depts/south/events/index.htm) and click on Registration. Remember to sign up early. Only 35 spots are available, and they will go fast.

Group accommodations have been arranged at the Alluvian, in downtown Greenwood (www.thealluvian.com). Rooms at the Alluvian require a separate registration and are priced at a discounted rate of $135 and may be reserved by dialing 866-600-5201 and asking for the special "Literary Tour" rate. In the event that the Alluvian sells out before you get a chance to book a room, we have also reserved a block at the Greenwood Best Western, 662-455-5777.

		\ photo by David Wharton Oxford Conference for the Book, April 7-9, 2005
						The place that novelist Richard Ford described as the South's South—the Mississippi Delta—is the site of a spring tour organized by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture and the Alluvian Hotel. Focusing on the area's legendary blues, writers, and food—along with its tumultuous history—the program is based in Greenwood, home of playwright Endesha Ida May Holland and memoirist Mildred Spurier Topp, and will include day trips to three other towns. Each day we will travel the back roads of the Mississippi Delta, discovering other historic sites along the way. Scheduled for Monday, April 4, is a trip to Yazoo City, whose most famous and beloved son is author Willie Morris. On Tuesday, April 5, the group will travel to Greenville, home of William Alexander Percy, Ellen Douglas, Shelby Foote, Bern Keating, Walker Percy, Julia Reed, Ben Wasson, and many other writers—so many that Greenville is known for having "more writers per square foot than any other city of its size." On Wednesday, April 6, the group will go to Clarksdale for a visit to the Delta Blues Museum and tour places connected to the life and work of playwright Tennessee Williams. Also scheduled are meals at Lusco's, the new Giardina's, Madidi, and other notable Delta restaurants as well as live blues and gospel performances. On April 7, after breakfast at the Alluvian, participants will be free to travel on their own to Oxford, arriving in time to visit William Faulkner's home, Rowan Oak; tour the town; have lunch on the courthouse square; and attend the Oxford Conference for the Book, which will begin that afternoon. The Delta tour is $450 per person for all program activities, eight meals, and local transportation. The fee does not include lodging. To register, go to the Events and Conferences section of the Center's Web site (www.olemiss.edu/depts/south/events/index.htm) and click on Registration. Remember to sign up early. Only 35 spots are available, and they will go fast. Group accommodations have been arranged at the Alluvian, in downtown Greenwood (www.thealluvian.com). Rooms at the Alluvian require a separate registration and are priced at a discounted rate of $135 and may be reserved by dialing 866-600-5201 and asking for the special "Literary Tour" rate. In the event that the Alluvian sells out before you get a chance to book a room, we have also reserved a block at the Greenwood Best Western, 662-455-5777.