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Notes
from the Fire Tower Radio Hour
Angela Watkins, a Southern Studies
graduate student, reports on her first year as assistant
to the popular radio show broadcast live in Oxford
and rebroadcast on Mississippi Public Broadcasting.
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Another
year of Thacker Mountain Radio came to a close this
spring with much to look forward to in the future.
But, before we move ahead to future guests, venues,
and predictions, I’d like to reflect on the past
year of Thursday evenings spent at Off Square Books.
The fall season kicked off with writer Sena Jeter
Naslund and performances by Duff Durrough and the
fantastic Jones Sisters. Other highlights include
energetic musical performances by the Drive-By-Truckers,
Marshall Chapman, and heartthrobs Dave and Serge
Bielanko of Marah. Writers ranged from Neal Pollack
and his rock and roll outlaws to T. J. Stiles and
his biography of outlaw Jesse James. The English
Department’s MFA in Creative Writing joined us as
a local sponsor and, as a pitch on the show, poet
Beth Ann Fennelly composed a poem about the program.
The season came to a close with hometown hero Barry
Hannah reading a special piece.
If the director of the MFA program closes one season,
the Grisham Writer in Residence should open the
next. Writer Janisse Ray opened the spring season
with an essay on activism that roused some audience
members to a standing ovation. Perhaps the biggest
show to hit Oxford was the April Oxford Conference
for the Book program featuring Roy Blount Jr., Tom
House, and Mildred D. Taylor. As if those names
weren’t enough, Elvis Costello made a surprise appearance
and Mayor Richard Howorth presented a proclamation
in his honor. That show left the Thacker crew wondering,
“How do we top that one?”
But, rest assured, Thacker Mountain Radio will top
that one. Each year brings talent, new and old,
to Oxford and provides a venue for writing and music,
two of Oxford’s greatest assets. This summer, a
remote broadcast has been planned in June for the
Yoknapatawpha Film Festival in the Ford Center for
the Performing Arts at the University. As Thacker
Mountain Radio settles into statewide coverage on
Mississippi Public Broadcasting, we have begun a
statewide promotional campaign to spread the word
about Oxford’s “fire tower radio hour.”
Often overlooked are the weekly elements of the
show, the “glue” that holds Thacker Mountain upright.
Taylor Grocery Band always plays a solid set on
the show and, coupled with the wit of host Jim Dees,
provides a firm base that can complement any guest,
from Claire Holley to Elvis Costello. Next year,
Bryan Ledford, leader of the Taylor Grocery Band
and Jamie Kornegay, director and producer, hope
to use more of Mississippi’s resources by providing
the show as a venue for statewide talent, both obscure
and well known.
The potential of Thacker Mountain Radio only increases
as each season passes. We could never reach our
full potential without the generous gifts and support
of our sponsors and the community. Without these
contributions, Thacker Mountain would only be a
great idea, not a weekly reality. To continue this
Oxford tradition, we need the help of our friends.
If you enjoy Thacker Mountain Radio, either as a
member of our live audience every Thursday evening
at Off Square Books, or as a listener on Bullseye
95.5 or the stations of Mississippi Public Broadcasting,
please consider becoming a Friend of Thacker Mountain.
If you are already a Friend, we offer our sincerest
gratitude. Please continue that support in helping
establish Thacker Mountain Radio as an artistic
asset to Oxford, Mississippi, and, perhaps in the
future, the nation.
Angela
Watkins
Elvis
Costello (seated, front) with two members of his
band
Ed
Dye
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New
Ventress Order Member
The
Center is pleased to welcome Peter Frost as a new
member of the Ventress Order, which administers gifts
for the benefit of the College of Liberal Arts. A
visiting professor of history and senior research
associate with the Croft Institute for International
Studies, Frost divided his Ventress Order gift between
the Center and Ole Miss’s international studies program.
Frost joins 10 other order members who have opted
to support the Center with their gifts.
Frost, who joined the order in honor of Center director
Charles Reagan Wilson, said he did so because he is
longtime admirer of Wilson’s scholarship and of the
activities of the Center itself. “I’m a Japan historian
but like studying different cultures,” Frost said.
“It’s useful for us to see different regional cultures
and we’re all the better for it. It enriches us to
be able to see the cultural divisions of our country.”
In addition to his current post at Ole Miss, Frost
is the Frederick L. Schuman Professor of International
Relations Emeritus at Williams College in Williamstown,
Massachusetts. Frost, who earned undergraduate, master’s,
and doctoral degrees from Harvard University, has
held several positions in the Association of Asian
Studies and is currently an associate editor for the
AAS journal Education about Asia. He also currently
runs a nationally funded program for Mississippi teachers
on Asia.
Named in honor of James Alexander Ventress, a founding
father of the university, the Ventress Order encourages
recognition of the College of Liberal Arts as one
of the country’s outstanding centers of learning.
College of Liberal Arts graduates, family members,
friends, or organizations may join the order and designate
their gifts to particular departments or programs
within the college. Corporate and full individual
memberships are available by pledging $10,000 and
$5,000 respectively. Gifts are payable in lump sums
or installments not to exceed 10 years. Affiliate
memberships are also available through a pledge of
$1,000, payable in a lump sum or installments not
to exceed four years.
For more information on joining the Ventress Order
for Southern Studies, please contact the Center’s
advancement associate, Angelina Altobellis, by calling
800-340-9542 or e-mailing altobell@olemiss.edu.
Jennifer
Southall
Peter
Frost
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