Growing Up in Mississippi

by Judy H. Tucker (Editor)

With contributions from Elizabeth Aydelott, Fred Banks, Jimmy Buffett, Edward Cohen, Maggie Wade Dixon, Ellen Douglas, W. Ralph Eubanks, Richard Ford, Gwendolyn Gong, Carolyn Haines, Lorian Hemingway, Samuel Jones, Robert Khayat, B. B. King, John Maxwell, Alberto Mora, Donald Peterson, Noel Polk, Jerry Rice, George Riggs, Robert St. John, Sid Salter, Constance Slaughter-Harvey, Elizabeth Spencer, Clifton Taulbert, Keith Tonkel, Sela Ward, Wyatt Waters, Jim Weatherly, and William Winter Growing Up in Mississippi shares experiences and impressions from a multifaceted group representing all areas of the state and many professions, talents, and temperaments. Parents, teachers, churches, communities, landscape, and historical context profoundly influenced these men and women when they were young. In his revealing foreword, Richard Ford explores the very essence of influence and illustrates his conclusions by recalling an indelible incident between his mother and himself in the front yard of their home on Congress Street in Jackson, Mississippi. The volume then showcases poignant memories of other distinguished a governor and statesman, journalists, a news anchor, a playwright, novelists, memoirists, a publisher, a minister, educators and scholars, judges and lawyers, a test pilot and astronaut, a renowned watercolorist, a celebrated actress, and many more. Spanning more than five decades, these essays give us a glimpse of the people and places that nurtured these outstanding individuals and their remarkable gifts.

203 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2008

Reviews

[Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short, mostly unmemorable reminiscences by people born in Mississippi. The best parts of this book are the memories dealing with racism or education in the segregated times, of which there are few. Perhaps the most telling part of the book is found in the short biographical sketches preceding each tale: the great majority of these people, successful in many professions and arts, left Mississippi shortly after graduating from high school or college. I still recall the time in my own high school years when I realized, with few regrets, that my professional interests, science and math, meant I'd likely leave, too.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of essays is easy to read. Taken together, the book portrays an accurate, though somewhat incomplete, portrait of life in Mississippi during the mid-to-late twentieth century. Some of the essays are better than others, of course, but many are evocative of my childhood, and all of them are at least a little familiar.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for a second time.

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories each one authored by a different famous Mississippian of their childhood. Some were more enjoyable than others but it did make me reminisce about my own stories!