Center Publishes Literary Guide to Mississippi

The Center, in cooperation with the Mississippi Arts Commission, has published the Mississippi Writers Directory and Literary Guide. The Directory, compiled and edited by Aleda Shirley, Susan Glisson, and Ann Abadie, is designed to provide a resource for writers and those interested in writing, in addition to underscoring the tremendous contributions of Mississippi writers to literature.

The central section of the Directory is a compilation of writers living in the state, with their major publications and awards and whether they are available for workshops, residences, readings, or lectures. In addition, the Directory contains information on other Mississippi writers of note, literary landmarks, independent bookstores, and libraries, as well as information on agencies and organizations devoted to writing.

Far from simply celebrating a glorious literary past, the Directory emphasizes the wealth of literary talent in a new generation of Mississippi writers with authors like Richard Ford, Beth Henley, Larry Brown, Greg Iles, Barry Hannah, and others. Moreover, the Directory reveals a past filled with unexpected treasures. In addition to William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, and Richard Wright, Mississippi produced surprising native talent like Cid Ricketts Sumner, author of the novels upon which the 1950s "Tammy" movies were based, and Charles Henri Ford, the nation's first surrealistic poet.

At a time when Mississippi continues to rank last in economic and educational indicators, the Directory reminds readers of the exceptional amount of literary talent the state has produced and inspired. As editor Aleda Shirley notes in the introduction, "Whatever it was in the water or the air or the native soil of this state that engendered Faulkner and Williams and Percy and Welty seems to linger here still."

The project was developed with the support of a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission and matching funds from Friends of the Center and from the Office of Research/Graduate School, The University of Mississippi.

The purchase price of the Directory (128 pages, softcover) is $9.95. Copies are available through bookstores or may be ordered from the Center by calling 800-390-3527.

Susan Glisson

Contents