Center Professor Receives Prestigious Whiting Fellowship
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SPRING/SUMMER 2017 Center Professor Receives Prestigious Whiting Fellowship Fresh off winning this year’s “I was ecstatic, and grateful Mississippi Humanities for this opportunity,” Skipper Council’s Scholar Award, said. “I will use this fellow- University of Mississippi assis- ship period to organize and tant professor Jodi Skipper has facilitate a series of work- received another accolade, this shops entitled Beyond the Big one a national honor. House: Interpreting Slavery Skipper, assistant professor in Local Communities. These of anthropology and southern workshops seek to connect a studies, has been awarded a growing population of commu- prestigious Whiting Public nities in Mississippi interested Engagement Fellowship from in addressing slavery through the Whiting Foundation, a historic sites.” Brooklyn, New York-based Skipper was selected for the organization that has a long award in recognition of her history of support for the involvement with the Behind humanities and literature. the Big House program, a The Whiting Public slave dwelling interpretation Engagement Fellowship, in its program started by Jenifer second year, is designed to cele- Eggleston and Chelius Carter brate and support faculty who in Holly Springs. “I have been embrace public engagement as privileged enough to help with part of the scholarly vocation. Jodi Skipper their project, which interprets Seven others were selected for the lives of enslaved persons this year’s cohort. Each fellow through the homes in which receives a semester of leave to pursue a public-facing they once lived,” she said. project, as well as a $10,000 stipend toward project costs. Behind the Big House, one of the few historic site Daniel Reid, the Whiting Foundation’s executive tours developed with the explicit goal of interpreting the director, said, “The foundation believes that those who experiences of enslaved people, will serve as a model for devote their professional lives to the study and teaching Skipper’s project. She said her broader goal is to expand of the humanities are in a unique position to contribute the Behind the Big House model from Holly Springs to to public understanding. This fellowship aims to iden- other parts of the state. tify professors with a demonstrated commitment to “The program model has successfully spread to the using their scholarly expertise to reach wider audiences state of Arkansas,” Skipper said. “My community part- and fund ambitious projects designed to have direct ners in north Mississippi and I are optimistic about and significant impact on a specific public outside the academy.” continued on page 5 DIRECTOR’S COLUMN Whatever else may be happening in 2017, I’ll problems, problem-solvers, remember these months as the summer of the Mississippi heroic figures, not-at-all heroic Encyclopedia. Charles Reagan Wilson and I have started figures, and an impressive doing some interviews about the book, book signings array of creative people. started at Oxford’s Square Books, and we’ll be doing What’s the story of the cover art? The cover comes more. For those who don’t get to encyclopedia events, from a work of glass by Mississippi artist Roger here’s a kind of interview with myself. Sturdivant. Colorful and eye-catching, with colors and First, how did The Mississippi Encyclopedia get started? shapes that do not represent any predictable categories or Seetha Srinivasan, then the director of the University divisions in the state, the cover asks people to open the Press of Mississippi, discussed the idea with Charles book not knowing what to expect. Reagan Wilson and Ann Abadie. Seetha’s successors Is it likely that anyone will have serious problems with at the press, Leila Salisbury and current director Craig the book? I hope not, because there’s so much material Gill and their colleagues, have been great supporters for people with different interests, but we’ll see. A lot of of the book, and funding came from several kind and people will ask how we could have left out their favorite helpful sources. topic, and many of those people will be right. How long did it take? In truth, that’s not my favorite Do you have favorite entries? I suppose I should like question. First discussions took place in 2001, and work all of them in equal measure, but I’m a particular fan of began in 2003. So, it took fourteen years. The fact that topics that exist outside most definitions of Mississippi, so the book came out in Mississippi’s bicentennial year is a I like the entries on premanufactured buildings, poet and fortunate coincidence, but that was not the goal. Spanish-language translator Muna Lee, and experimental What are the book’s vital statistics? 1,451 pages, 1,400 jazz artist Wadada Leo Smith. There are two entries on entries, almost 700 authors, five editors and associate kudzu (both the plant and the counter-culture news- editors (Charles Reagan Wilson, Ann Abadie, Odie paper), two Robert Smiths, two Willie Browns, and Joan Lindsey, James G. Thomas, Jr., and me). It weighs 8.8 Williams, John Alfred Williams, John Bell Williams, and pounds and costs $70. John Sharp Williams. I like the entries on people about How does one start a book this big? Using the model whom many readers readers will say, “I didn’t know that of the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, the editors started person was from Mississippi,” the entries on environ- by asking thirty experts to serve as topic advisors. Those mental topics from sand hill cranes to hunting, fishing, experts wrote overview essays and lists of potential topics and crop dusting, and entries that explore and complicate and authors. At the Center we kept adding new topics issues of race and ethnicity. and kept looking for the best scholars to write about When so much material is available online, why do them. Governing principles included inclusiveness and we need a big book like this? I agree that online refer- diversity in content, authoritative scholarship, and an ence works are essential, but this book has at least two accessible writing style. particular strengths. One is the ease and experience of Is the book a celebration of Mississippi? No, it browsing. Readers looking up one topic will find many isn’t. It studies the state and its people, deepens and others they never imagined might be there (or might be complicates our understanding of it, and expands interesting). Second is the sense that all people, places, the range of experiences and perspectives. It studies events, and perspectives in Mississippi belong in the same volume, as they are all parts of a big complicated, inter- connected story. THE SOUTHERN REGISTER Will there be an online version? Yes, the Mississippi A Publication of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture • The University of Mississippi Humanities Council and the Center have plans for an online version sometime in 2018. That will allow people NEWSLETTER • PUBLISHED QUARTERLY PublishedOXFORD by, MISSISSIPPI, U.S.A • WINTER 2014 The Center for the Study of Southern Culture to consult the volume from anywhere, and it will allow us The University of Mississippi to make corrections, updates, and additions. Telephone: 662-915-5993 • Fax: 662-915-5814 At its best, what might a big book like this accomplish? E-mail: [email protected] • southernstudies.olemiss.edu I hope it can widen, deepen, and complicate understand- Spring/Summer 2017 ings of Mississippi, in part through its inclusive approach. I hope it represents and generates new scholarship and REGISTER STAFF that it will surprise and entertain while educating. The Editor: James G. Thomas, Jr. Graphic Designer: Susan Bauer Lee continued on page 18 Page 2 Spring/Summer 2017 The Southern Register Several Mississippi Encyclopedia Events Announced The Mississippi Encyclopedia, a collabo- scholar-contributors to the volume. ration that includes 1,400 entries and The first event was held in Oxford 1,451 pages, is the first encyclopedic on May 20, where contributors each treatment of the state since 1907. had an opportunity to speak about Published by the University Press of their contribution to the book at City Mississippi as a collaboration between Hall, followed by a celebration at the Press and the Center for the Study Off Square Books. Additional events of Southern Culture, it features nearly include a celebration reception at the 700 scholars who wrote entries on Library of Congress in Washington, every county and governor, numerous D.C. on June 13 at 6:00 p.m. and the musicians, writers, artists, and activists. Mississippi Book Festival’s kickoff in Several events have been announced Jackson on August 17. There will also to celebrate The Mississippi Encyclopedia, be events held at independent book- and each event will include talks by stores and cultural organizations across speakers such as Encyclopedia senior the state. editors Ted Ownby and Charles Brian Powers Reagan Wilson, subject editors, and The schedule of bookstore events is as follows: September 7 at 5:00 p.m. June 1 at 5:30 p.m. June 21 at 5:30 p.m. Delta Blues Museum, Clarksdale Turnrow Books Company, Main Street Books, Hattiesburg Book talk, signing, and reception Greenwood Book talk, signing, and reception September 11 at 5:00 p.m. Book talk, signing, and reception July 22 at 7:00 p.m. Mississippi University for Women, June 2 at 6:00 p.m. Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center, Columbus Lorelai Books, Vicksburg Ocean Springs Fant Memorial Library Book talk, signing, and reception Book talk, signing, and reception Book talk, signing, and reception June 9 at 6:00 p.m. August 17, time to be announced September 29 at 4:00 p.m. A Cappella Books, Atlanta Mississippi Book Festival, Jackson Book Mart and Café, Starkville Book talk, signing, reception Cathead Distillery Book talk, signing, and reception Encyclopedia Celebration June 10, 10:30 a.m.