Used Prose Poem II

Friend's Wife

I will undo you. I will do it single handed like I might a button on a collar. And I will watch you as you, like a collar, spread apart. And I will hear your breath’s soft whistle as you pull the air inside you. And I will know your eyes are closed. And we will.

Afterwards, because we swore we wouldn’t, your expletives will sting like hornets. And again we will swear we won’t again.

Old U.S. Highway 80 West

From Meridian westward paralleling existing U.S. 80 and Interstate 20 is a pre-1960 section of old U.S. 80. The highway is split into three portions, with one abandoned and two designated as old U.S. 80.

Click on:

Old Section: The easternmost section of this highway is designated at "OLD U.S. Hwy 80." The highway is still open to traffic and is home to homes and businesses in west Meridian. This photo shows a narrow substandard railroad overpass along the route.

Carefree Highway - Gordon Lightfoot

Carefree Highway Lyrics

Merchants and Farmers Bank R.I.P.

My first checking account was taken out here. In 1956. I still have that checkbook. I wrote three checks.

Arch above the entrance

Date Established: 04-01-1907

Address: 406 22nd Avenue, Meridian, MS 39301

Date of Deposit Insurance: 01-01-1934
Last Structure Change Effective Date: 12-01-1984
Last Structure Change Process Date:  02-01-1985

Status: Inactive
Closing history: Merger - Without Assistance

Total assets: $168.8 mil

Bronson Road Bridge

The Bronson Bridge constitutes a narrow pony truss bridge across a creek in rural Savoy, Mississippi, 9 miles south of Meridian.




What the hell is a pony truss bridge? One that's built like this:



This bridge is on Bronson Road between Valley Road and Highway 11 near the Savoy community. It will be permanently closed to all traffic this week (9/4/07).

Note: Stuckey's Bridge between Meehan and Savoy will also be permanently closed.

Attribution: Rebecca Benson, a quite talented Meridian photographer.

Bring It On Home To Me

A hat tip to our classmate, Mary Jane (Kelly) Heisterkamp for pointing me to this music so I could post it. Thanks, MJ.

For a little break in the text action, see if you like street singer, Roger Ridley doing a Sam Cooke classic. I think he's great.








This song is supposedly based on a 1955 Gospel version song of the same name by The Staples Singers. Ben E. King wanted The Drifters to record it, but the group's manager rejected it. After leaving The Drifters, King brought it to the legendary songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who gave it a more contemporary sound and polished it into a hit. The bassline at the beginning was Stoller's idea. Many others have covered "Stand By Me" , but give a listen. I like this version by street singer, Roger Ridley and others... much better.

Souvenir Des Choses du Passé

Another Piece Of Meridian's Story

Long, but very interesting, well done chronology — with photos.

From Jack Shank's ,
Meridian, The Queen With A Past, Volume II

Click on:

Meridian Fire Department
( Photos are too small. Sorry! )


This fire occurred on Sunday, March 8, 1964 on Front Street between 22nd Avenue and 23rd Avenue.
Remains of 1964 fire on Front Street as seen from bridge at 22nd Avenue overpass.

Beautiful Pictures of the Chunky River

From the East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust.

Click on.

Loeb's

The Alex Loeb's we grew up with on 5th street.

Loeb's Department Store is a historic specialty boutique department store in Meridian that has remained in the same family for four generations.

The founder, Alex Loeb, was to become a leading merchant in Meridian. He was born in Germany, married Mollie Threefoot, and moved to Meridian from Columbus, Mississippi. He opened his store in Meridian in 1887, selling fine men’s clothing — and only later added womens' and childrens' apparel. The store opened on Johnson Street, and was later moved to a new location on 5th Street.

During Meridian's "golden age" in the early 20th century, it was said that respectable railroad workers would only wear clothes from the Alex Loeb store. The well-dressed Loeb was a colorful character known for his white moustache, ever-present cigar, and hospitable personality; he would personally welcome each customer as he or she entered the store.

During the early 1900s, Loeb's was operated by Alexander M. Loeb's son, A. Marshall Loeb, who graduated from Harvard with an A.B. degree in 1911. The business was eventually passed to A. Marshall Loeb's son, Robert S. Loeb Sr., and his brother Alex Loeb after their graduation from Washington and Lee University in 1939. They also acquired the Marks-Rothenberg Co. department store on 6th Street, and throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s maintained Loeb's as the premier clothier in Mississippi. During the 1980's economic boom, Marks-Rothenberg store was sold to Zale's.

The current Loeb's Inc. is now run by Robert S. Loeb Jr., and continues business today on Front Street in Downtown Meridian.

Loeb's today on Front Street.

Lamar Hotel

Harold Meyer built the Lamar Hotel in 1927. No longer a hotel, it now serves as a Lauderdale County office building. Sad, but it's hard to obtain interesting details about many of the places that added so much of the charm and texture to the "Meridian" we grew up with.

A bit of Lamar Hotel trivia:

On May 26, 1953, Elvis Presley entered an amateur contest singing "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" and "Baby, Let's Play House". This was the first Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Talent Show and it was held at the Lamar Hotel. Elvis came in second and won a guitar.

September When It Comes

Now, every time one of us goes down, for some reason, this song pops into my mind... and just sits there for days, haunting me. I guess it's not directly related to Meridian, a town, but it is, in a way, linked to someone from back then... at least it seems that way to me. Probably addressing my own mortality, too... I suppose. In the third trimester of our lives, we are all in that zone now. Beautiful song.

Roseanne Cash and her Daddy.

Who Knew?

Advertisement from 1904


The Marks Rothenberg store we all patronized was a five story building and, by small town standards, huge, consuming the entire length of 22nd Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets. We all shopped the large first floor sales area(s). Click on for larger pictures.


But on the 2nd floor and above was this! The fabled Grand Opera House which has now been restored to its previous grandeur. The space was said to be used for storage and warehousing in our youth.



For a full history of this hidden treasure, and how it was once again brought to life, click on here.

Any MSCW Folks Out There?

If so, this one's for you.

Click away, ladies.


Another Mississippi Treasure... and a MSCW alumna.

Miss Welty was often asked why she never married. This photo may go a long way toward helping us answer that question.
More about Miss Welty on a site commemorating her life

Joe B. Stewart, detective par excellence, was once again on assignment, reviewing our "cold case" files and he was able to provide the above photos.. Thanks, Joe B.

Miss Maude Smith- 1922

Joe B. Stewart is an inveterate supplier of wonderful Meridiana material. " Jack Shank is a former MHS teacher, as we all remember. He is author of what may be the definitive historical documentation of our town: "Meridian: The Queen With a Past", Volumes I, II, & III. All I can say is, "Jack, watch your back because Joe. B. may be gaining on you."

Thanks... once more to Joe B.

"David: I found this in a 1922 Meridian, Miss. High School yearbook, "The Kaldron". Joe B.

Click on to enlarge.


For some reason, I just don't remember her being this "hot".

Old Country Club

Old Country Club – Meridian, MS

Photographer's note:
This old Country Club is located just north of Meridian, Mississippi.

According to the present owner – who has had the property since the course closed – the club house was built in 1917, around the same time that the course opened. It remained open until sometime during World War II when the lack of people playing golf forced it to shut down. The property was purchased, and has been privately held, since 1946. Today it’s used for storage and as a shed for equipment.


I know nothing more about this place than what he wrote. Maybe one of you can tell us more.

In The Alley

This is probably my favorite photo of them all. I wish I had narrative to go with it. One of you must know where this is. Click on for a larger image.


Photographer's note:
Taken in Meridian, Mississippi (map) with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi.

I'll Have Some Ribs... And What's That Special Again?

If this place had been around back then, I might have stayed home. Note the "Rock House" sign in the background.

The full sign:


The photographer's explanation:
The Rock House Trading Post (gun and pawn) moved from an old rock and stone house to a metal building a few years ago but they were wise enough to bring this cool old sign with them in the move.

I'm skeptical of the sign's authenticity because I don't see any bullet holes. DNJ

Brookshire's Ice Creaam

Small (largest drive-in photo I could find), but you get the picture. .. and I'm sure you remember banana splits.

The plant where ice cream was made. Note the fallout shelter sign on the right.

Payday 11/28/62 in the amount of $13.65

Meridian History - Early 20th Century.

Click on each page to turn it. Text size is "zoom-able". Warning! You've got to really want to read it. 64 pages and the navigation is tricky

Meridian Illustrated - 1904

An Active Meridiana Forum

A "remember when" forum site for Meridian stuff, by Meridian folks. Not for me because the threads go on forever.

Perhaps, you already know of this chat room.

Clarkco State Park

Hat tip to Carl "Dough" Watson (one of the Bonita Boys) who suggested posting this place from "back then".

Located just south of Meridian near the Mississippi-Alabama state line, Clarkco State Park has been a favorite Mississippi recreation spot since 1938. Its 65 acre lake is situated on 815 acres of gently rolling woodlands, Clarkco State Park offers camping, cabin rentals, and water sports in a convenient yet unspoiled location, providing the perfect retreat for an afternoon or weekend getaway.



It's hard to find out much about this place, but I found an anonymous review coupled with a remembrance on a travel site.

"My summers at Clarko were spent like most kids spent their summers back then. We would spend our days swimming, walking in the woods, playing with the other kids at the campground, catching frogs, and just hanging out having fun. And things haven't changed much at Clarko in 54 years. The biggest attraction is still the lake. There is a swimming area with a lifeguard, plus plenty of non-swimming areas to just wade and chase tadpoles. Paddle boats are available for rental, and they always make for a day of fun. Fishing is allowed... and seems pretty good from the others I have watched."

Boyette's Fish Camp

I don't know anything about this place. I just like the sign — and the fact that it's within the greater metropolitan Chunky area on the Chunky River. We used to have a thing about naming places to eat catfish and hushpuppies "camps" — maybe folks still do. I remember a Gappy's and a Long's ( I think ???). They were south of Meridian, as I recall. Perhaps Boyette's was formerly Ezell's.



One of Chunky's most famous landmarks is Boyette's Fish Camp, which serves legendary fried catfish and shrimp to visitors from miles around. Some 50 years ago, the riverfront restaurant opened as a hamburger stand serving fisherman but was soon converted into what became one of the first fish camps in the state. The Boyette family has owned the restaurant since 1983, and diners have been clamoring to get their hands on the fish camp's secret recipes for coleslaw and hushpuppies ever since.

Meridian Little Theatre

For History and Timeline, click on:

Meridian Little Theatre

Some Who Have Made A Difference III

New York Times Obituary

Published: May 13, 2006

Former Representative G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery, a conservative Democrat from Mississippi who was a staunch voice for the military and the needs of veterans during his 30 years in Congress, died yesterday in his hometown, Meridian. He was 85.

His death, of natural causes, came six months after surgery for a bowel obstruction, said Ann Weddington, a spokeswoman for the Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.

From 1967 through 1997, and particularly during his 13 years as chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Mr. Montgomery championed legislation that increased veterans' eligibility for home loans, life insurance and medical coverage. In 1988, he was co-sponsor of the law that transformed the Veterans Administration into the 14th cabinet department in the federal government. "Veterans will no longer have to go through the back door to the White House," he said at the time.

What he considered his "signature achievement in Congress," said Kyle Steward, his legislative director for 15 years, was passage of a law expanding the G.I. Bill, the 1944 legislation credited with elevating a generation of working-class veterans into the middle class by opening their opportunities to higher education.

The so-called Montgomery G.I. Education Bill, which President Ronald Reagan signed in 1984, "enhanced education benefits for active-duty military personnel and extended those benefits to National Guard and Reserve members," Mr. Steward said. "And it was seen at the time as a boost for recruitment, because recruiting was lagging."

Gillespie V. Montgomery, known as Sonny since childhood, was born on Aug. 5, 1920. After graduating in 1943 from Mississippi State College, where he was a member of the R.O.T.C., he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He soon saw action in Europe and received a Bronze Star.

Returning to Meridian after the war, Mr. Montgomery built a successful insurance business and began his rise to the rank of major general in the Mississippi National Guard. In 1956, he was elected to the Mississippi State Senate. Ten years later, he successfully ran for Congress.

In 1981, he became chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, while also serving as a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. He worked consistently to obtain money for the military. Describing himself as a conservative Democrat, Mr. Montgomery was a leading sponsor in 1989 of a proposed amendment to the Constitution that would have banned the burning of the American flag.

"If we don't do something," he said at the time, "I fear that Americans, and especially veterans groups, are going to stop the desecration of the flag in their own way, and people are going to get hurt." The proposal failed, after a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a Texas law against defacing the flag.

The next year, Mr. Montgomery led a Congressional delegation to North Korea, where, for the first time since 1954, the Communist government there turned over the remains of service members killed in the Korean War.

Mr. Montgomery, who never married, was an only child and leaves no immediate survivors.

At a lean, athletic 6-foot-2, he was a good friend, and tennis opponent, of the first President Bush. Last year (2005), the current President Bush awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.


 

Another Writer From Meridian

J. Gregory Keyes is a prolific author of fantasy novels. He received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a fulltime writer. He was born in Meridian and spent his childhood in Mississippi and on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona. His immersion in Navajo culture at an early age, coupled with tales drawn from his own family’s partial Native American ancestry, led Keyes to his interest in linguistics, rituals, myths, and legends.

His first novel, The Waterborn was released in 1996, and his second, The Blackgod, came out the following year. His third novel, Newton’s Cannon, launched his Age of Unreason series, an alternative-history fantasy in which Isaac Newton discovers the secrets of alchemy. Subsequent titles in the series are A Calculus of Angels (1999), Empire of Unreason (2000), and the final installment in the series, The Shadows of God (2001). He has also authored several books in the Star Wars: The New Jedi Order series, Edge of Victory I: Conquest and Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, under the name Greg Keyes (2001). The Briar King (2003), was the first book in the Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series.

He lives in Savannah, Georgia. Greg is also the head coach of the Savannah College of Art and Design's fencing club.

from the "Mississippi Writers Page" which is a multi-faceted Internet Resource about writers in, from, or otherwise associated with the state of Mississippi. It is presented by the Department of English at the University of Mississippi

A long interview with Greg Keyes

Some Who Have Made A Difference II

For boys and young men growing up in Meridian in our era, the contibutions to our lives on the part of the Davidson Family was huge. When they morphed out of the St. Louis Junk Company the very successful Southern Pipe and Southern Electric Companies, the result to us was that they provided many jobs — when jobs were precious and hard to find — and guidance to those of us who sought to strike out on our own. I have searched in vain to obtain brief biographies of Sammie and Meyer Davidson. Alas, I fear they won’t exist until someone decides to write and publish their remarkable stories.

I personally spent many Saturdays helping Sue Hillis maintain the lighting fixtures in the Southern Electric Showroom. I mounted and electrically connected the fixtures in the dropout mounting “tiles”. I enjoyed the work and, at that young age, I really enjoyed the ‘farmer’s daughter-type” jokes told by the contractors when they dropped by to select fixtures.

In my opinion, Jews were the “glue” that held together many small towns and small cities during our tumultous era. There is an active gentrification effort going on throughout the South, attempting to restore the nature and endearing character of these places back to that that existed before the Walmart-type, big box stores hollowed them out with their outskirts locations.

Are there price differences at the big box stores to add to their customer appeal? Yes, decidedly there are. But, do the store managers know shoppers by their first names and often allow folks to purchase items, knowing full well that the person just lost his— or her — job, but is of good character and will pay for the merchandise... eventually? Don’t bet on it.

This recognition is, in no way, a depreciation of all the others who have made Meridian that pleasant place of which we have fond memories. Many, many people have added a texture and meaning to our town. I just don’t want to let our memory of the large value- added that the Davidsons have made escape mention as we review our past.

I honor the contribution(s) Jews have made to my Meridian, in particular, and Southern life, in general. It is immeasurable. And knowledge of this is indelibly imprinted into my mind.

If you want to learn more about this subject, click on:

Jewish Contributions to our Meridian

I welcome input about other important contributors to our young lives who are no longer around.

Some Who Have Made A Difference

Paul E. Broadhead (10/36 - 8/07)

A native of Needham, Ala., Broadhead lived most of his life in Meridian. In the late 1960s, he founded a small Meridian real estate development company and grew it into what would become one of the nation's Top 10 regional shopping mall developers.

Hartley Peavey, CEO and founder of Peavey Electronics said that he’d lost his best friend when Paul died. “I met him in 1959 at a fraternity party and I've known him ever since”, Peavey said. Peavey said Broadhead was one of the greatest men he’s ever met and one of the most unique and extremely knowledgeable. ”You couldn’t talk about anything he couldn’t talk about”, Peavey said. "When I encountered problems in my professional life and frankly in my personal life, he is who I would turn to, and I'm going to miss him. There was a bond of entrepreneurship Peavey shared with Broadhead as well.

“Entrepreneurs are cut from a little bit different cloth”, Peavey said. He added that his friend was not always popular locally because he called it like was. But, he went on, "Successful people are people who are willing to do the things unsuccessful people don’t want to do, and those are the people who bring home the bacon, whether it is to their own home, throughout a community, a region, a nation or beyond. As human beings the best we can expect to do is help each other", Peavey said. "And Paul Broadhead helped a lot of people”.

Click on to read:
A profile in giving

His philanthropy in the Meridian community is well known through his donation of buildings and founding of numerous organizations including the Meridian Boxing Club, Hilltop House for Boys, Kress Building Youth Center, Friendship Center and the Lauderdale County Juvenile Detention Center, as well as his support of many local charities.

Meridian Museum of Art

For me, this place was the "liberry" until about age 6 when it became the library.

Click on for larger picture


       
The Little Museum that could, and did,
By Anne McKee
guest columnist, Meridian Star


The invitation dated October 1970 was simply stated, but loudly proclaimed a victory. The long anticipated dream of an arts center for the city of Meridian was realized in the form of a historic building, once having housed the Meridian Public Library, converted into an elegant center for the Meridian arts community.

The history of the arts community in the Meridian area is rich, and historically longstanding, which resulted with the formation of The Meridian Art League in February 1933. The first exhibition featured works of Charles Le Clair, director of the Arts Department at the University of Alabama, and at this period of time, the exhibitions were held at the Lamar Hotel.

In 1949, The League changed its name to the Meridian Art Association and held its first exhibit, under the new name, on the second floor of Marks Rothenberg Company (now the MSU/Riley Performing Arts Building) in March 1949. The show featured thirty paintings from seventeen New Orleans based artists.

Over the next two decades, the Art Association held exhibits, gallery talks, and workshops around the city at various locations, including the Meridian Public Library, The Strand Theatre, Alex Loeb Department Store, First National Bank, Merchants and Farmers Bank, Sears, and the Broadmoor Shopping Center, but the home for most exhibitions were located at Weidmann Restaurant’s, 1870 Room. The first exhibits in the 1870 room were of the work of Caroline Durieux of New Orleans.

And, finally, with the vacancy of the old Carnegie Library building, resulting from the building of a new Meridian Public Library at its present day location, the time came for the Meridian Art Association to have a permanent home gallery. In January 1968, a meeting was held in the conference room of the Carnegie Library, and with great excitement, plans were discussed to renovate the facility into a haven for the Meridian area artists.

As mentioned above, the original structure housing The Meridian Museum of Art first served as The Meridian Public Library, which was a Carnegie Library completed around 1912/1913, and served the Meridian community until 1966/1967, when the current library was constructed. At the time when Library property became available, in 1968, it was agreed by The City of Meridian to convert the building into the arts center. In December 1968, The Meridian Art Association initiated a drive to raise $10,000.00 seed money, to start the museum, and after many hours of concentrated efforts, by many Meridianites, the grand opening was scheduled for January 1970.

Then, the unthinkable happened; a fire severely damaged the facility less than 30 days before the scheduled grand opening.

The date was December 22, 1969. The fire was extensive.The arts community was devastated. Some even doubted if the building would be reconstructed; but that was not the spirit of Meridian and her people.The Meridian City Council ordered immediate rebuilding of the Museum of Art building and within eight months the rebuilding was complete.

The Meridian Museum of Art, now with over five hundred members, continues to lead the way in the Meridian area, providing artistic opportunities for every age group, with each level of technique and design, while blending the new trends with the old favorites.

Darryl Vincent and the Flares

Click on for a larger picture

The following information was generously provided me by the ageless George Cummings. Still rocking after all these years.

Darryl Vincent (1942 - 1975)

The original band on the early records were Darryl, Jimmy Pasquale, Denny Powers and Zack Martin. J Pasquale had to go to camp and I was hired to take his place in '58. After he returned, we went and got a job in Gulf Shores at the Canal Lounge, 5 nites a week. Zack couldn't leave Meridian, so we got Austin Phillips to drum. We got another gig in Mobile at the big Melody Club next to Brookley Field Air force base.The Club seated hundreds of people and we packed it out. Hired 2 black guys to play with us, Eddie Connors on vocals who had a regional hit at the time with" World of Make Believe", great record, I wish I had a copy of it today. Prince Connelly played great blues guitar and sang. We were probably the first integrated band in the South in '58.

Austin had to go back to high school so we got Knobby Walsh to replace him on drums. We loaded up Darryl's Volkswagen bus and drove to Chicago, our first big trip to a large city. We got an audition at Chess Records and they liked us and we cut two songs with Etta James, Larry Williams and Harvey Fuqua of the Moonglows (Etta's husband at the time) singing background vocals.(see below) One song was "Shed No Tears". I can't remember the other one. Because Darryl was already signed to Sandy Records in Mobile caused us some complications and our Chess record was not released.

Remember these? Click on to listen.

Etta James
Larry Williams
Harvey and the Moonglows

Want a tale from the road? I'm sure George, Jimmy and Denny have many, many stories. Maybe a couple could even be told to a mixed audience.

While in Chicago doing the Chess thing we rented a big room with 5 beds across the street from the record company. We were resting one day when the old black maid came in to clean, she told us this room we were staying in was Al Capone's main hotel suite. The next day we went to record and left our bus outside the door of the studio in broad daylight. After hours of recording we came back elated and excited only to find someone had broken into the bus and stolen everything we had brought to Chicago clothes, shoes, luggage, etc. and Jimmy's shotgun he had brought along. Totally wiped us out. Lucky we had left on our instruments and amps inside and they survived. We went and told Leonard Chess ( the owner of the record company) and he wrote us a check for $150. Found out later that they busted a ring of Chicago policemen for breaking into cars.

Darryl used his grandmother's old pistol to close out his gig in '75 at 33 years old.

Brad Watson - Meridian Author

Brad Watson's grandparents, Earl and Maggie Mae, his father, Robert Earl, and his aunt, Margie, lived directly behind me — and across Highway 45N — when I was growing up in Marion. If you remember going into the Vanity Boot Shop, you may have run into Brad (born in 1955) crawling around on the floor being chased around by his mother, Bonnie, Robert Earl's wife. The Watsons owned "Willow Lake", a 25+ acre paradise just north of Marion where I spent a lot of time fishing and learning how to water ski. I've been in touch with Brad via e-mail to congratulate him on his work and to exchange a tidbit of family information.

Brad's first novel: "The Heaven of Mercury" is set in a highly fictionalized Meridian (Mercury=Meridian) with rich images of our hometown. The deeply drawn characters resemble certain folks I think I recognize, but they are presented, as they should be, in such a way as to defy concrete identification. I love his vague, but discretely disguised Threefoot Building. I've read this book twice, enjoying it more the second time through. If you have not done so, I strongly recommend reading it — and his wonderful short stories, too . Brad Watson is a terrific writer. Importantly, he loves dogs and writes about them. That alone made me a fan. You should read his stuff.

He's another homeboy who done done good.

Click on:

If you don't know about him, you should.

A Review of Heaven of Mercury by Southern Scribe

A recent short story by Brad Watson in The New Yorker, "Visitation".

And a thoughtful, insightful review of "Visitation".


Homeboy done done good.

Sam Mockbee - A Meridian Masterpiece

12/1944 - 12/2001- gone, at just 57 years old. A world renowned architect and well-regarded artist

An article written by "Sambo" Mockbee

More about Sam Mockbee

Emerging Meridian Writer

Mary Miller "lived" in Meridian, Mississippi with her husband and puppy (Now she's single and recently moved to Nashville). She graduated from Mississippi State with a degree in Psychology. And she wrote that she was in graduate school and worked, but not very much, at a children’s shelter.

Mary Miller's short story collection, BIG WORLD, was published by Short Flight/Long Drive Books in February 2009. Though previously known mainly for her pitch-perfect flash fiction, Miller's debut collection of full-length short stories is already receiving some wonderful praise. Kim Chinquee notes that, "Big World is a world of wonder. A powerful collection by an amazing writer." Johnathan Messinger adds in his review for Time Out Chicago that the stories construct a "sense of claustrophobia [that] never lets up." HTMLGIANT is unequivocal in praise, stating simply, "I am, without a doubt, profoundly envious of her work: I wish it were mine." Miller's stories have been published in Black Clock, Mississippi Review, Oxford American, and New Stories from the South 2008, among other places, and more stories are forthcoming in such magazines as McSweeney's Quarterly, Opium, and Versal. She is the author of the chapbook Less Shiny and is an associate editor at Quick Fiction.

Mary Miller's myspace page

A Mary Miller Short, Short story

Humor in Meridian

From The Outrageous Funny Story Files...
The Best True, Funny Short Stories

A Little Police Action

George Phillips of Meridian, Mississippi was going up to bed when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window.

George opened the back door to go turn off the light but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things.

He phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?" and he said "No". Then they said that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be along when available.

George said, "Okay," hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again.

"Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now cause I've just shot them all." Then he hung up.

Within five minutes three police cars, an Armed Response unit, and an ambulance showed up at the Phillips residence and caught the burglars red-handed.

One of the Policemen said to George: "I thought you said that you'd shot them!"

George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!" (A True Story - supposedly)

Martha's Art

Classmate, Martha (Markline) Hopkins is becoming well known among Southern contemporary artists. One of her paintings has been chosen for a juried exhibition at the Montgomery Art Museum. Only 61 works out of 362 submitted were chosen. The juror is the well-regarded contemporary art curator at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

Click to enlarge.


Title: BLACK STRIPE



If you have not done so already, visiting her work on myartspace.com can be a real treat.

Click on: Martha Ann's Homepage

SQUARE STUDY IV

by Classmate, Martha (Markline) Hopkins



Martha Ann told me: "It is 32" X 32" X 3", and created of wooden posts as an exercise in making a sculpture that fits within a square of these measurements. I am interested in minimal lines, but with expression."

1902 Meridian Cookbook

Probably used a lot of lard back then.

Click on to enlarge. Note the source and also the printer.

Hat tip to Joe B. Stewart for sending me these. Thanks, Joe

Meridian Phone Book - 1943

More good stuff from Joe Stewart. 

Remember your phone number from back then?  

Somehow, I remember ours from back in th' 40s. 

It was: 2081 J ( letter suffix = party line, I think). My Dad was in the Navy and money was scarce. Click on for a close up.

Lake Waukaway — Then and Now

Then:


Now


A History of Lake Waukaway

You won’t find it on a map or listed in any travel guides, but Lake Waukaway, Mississippi, located off Clarke County Road 391, a few miles east of Vossburg, is an amazing gem tucked away in the annals of east-central Mississippi history. The Choctaw people who once inhabited the area called the location, Waukaway, due to the coverging of three huge springs. The name translates into “cool and flowing waters”. Following the Choctaw Purchase concluded on September 27, 1830, one of the first European settlers to own the property was a fellow by the name of John Cooley. Some years prior to 1865, Cooley, and others unknown, constructed a combination cotton gin and a gristmill at the site of the abundant springs. Somewhat later, Andrew Jackson McDaniel, who was married to Nancy Ann Cooley, John Cooley’s daughter, acquired the mills from his father-in-law. The property later passed into the hands of a gentleman by the name of Perry.

Around 1929, the Laurel Mississippi Rotary Club purchased the property from Perry and developed it into a recreational site. They also hired Mr. Howard Allen to manage the facility. Six years later, Mr. Allen purchased the facility along with 120 acres of land. Howard Allen operated Lake Waukaway as a family business until 1978. His home was located at the site, upstairs from the offices and concession buildings, and the business was a full time venture for himself, his wife, and their three children. For some forty years, the people of the surrounding communities came to love their excursions to Lake Waukaway as well as their interactions with the Allen family. In the summer days before air conditioning, Waukaway remained open until 10:00 PM, thus allowing many patrons a place to cool down following a long and hot workday.

In addition to swimming, Howard Allen strove to add other Waukaway attractions. Through the years, there were alligators of all sizes on display, white tail deer in a pen, 7-pound striped bass, and a tame school of blue gill bream that would eat out of your hand. During the 1940’s, he sponsored group camps for churches, Boy Scouts, and underprivileged children. Through the 1950’s, a private two-week camp, with an Indian theme, was held. A Choctaw Indian named Cooley Jim was on resident making crafts as well as bows and arrows. The climax came in the form of kids donning Indian costumes and holding a “War Party”. During the 1960’s, participation in these camps came to an end as the various organizations established their own private facilities. In it’s place, a small RV park was added to the eastern area of the lake.

In 1978, Howard Allen passed away. Sadly, the Lake Waukaway that so many of us loved ended as well. The property was sold to Mr. Gene Garrick, who established the site as a christian retreat. Presently, the private facility remains in operation.

A terrific article w/photos about Lake Waukaway - from which the above was edited for length-DNJ

Thanks to Joe B. Stewart for identifying and suggesting this post.