Twenty-plus years of documenting the South's vernacular art, visionary environments and traditions….plus modern art exhibits, Faulkner and Eudora, and This Week's Various. Welcome.
Even if we’re not going out now, thinking about where to go again — today, a look at the suite we enjoyed at the 21C Museum Hotel in Nashville — it’s in the 1900 Gray & Dudley building downtown. On Thursday, I’ll post some of their art collection.
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So far of the 21Cs, I still enjoy the one in Bentonville (I think we’ve been to five of them?) most as the usual guest rooms had a more quirky vibe — buuuut the Nashville hotel *does* have some specially-themed rooms that are pretty special. More about those on Thursday. See you, friends! Happy thoughts about what we’re all going to do fun when this is over. xoxo!
Lisa Kesler print of a line in TKAM, here in my office
Mary Badham does an interview with the Sydney, Australia Sunday Life Magazine and talks very briefly about her relationship with Nelle Harper Lee. Not a lot of revelation here. Seems NHL was on-brand regarding this, though:
Funnily enough, despite Mockingbird being an exceptional part of our lives, we never spoke about it. It upset her. Once, a family member came with a copy of the book to be signed. She was sitting out front and screamed for me to take her back to her room.
…a record rooted in history and place. It was inspired by a trip Burch took to his former hometown of Oxford, Mississippi, and includes a commissioned piece that tells the tale of “Mobile’s Renaissance Man” Eugene Walter.
National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Montgomery
The NYT with Following the Civil Rights Trail visits National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, Memphis; Mississippi Civil Rights Museum: Jackson; Birmingham National Civil Rights Monument; National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Montgomery. Also as part of the NYT’s museum series, this piece on New Orleans’ Le Musee de f.p.c.
This New Orleans Artist Challenges the Way People See Things at the NYT on BMike (and check out his hoodie’s message: “I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.”). “I want the kids coming through here to see that they’re worthy of being painted 12 feet tall with a halo, or just with beautiful colors,” said BMike, 34. “I want to challenge the way people see things.”
‘All I’m trying to do is say what I have learned,’ says Lonnie. ‘Not what I think. I mean, think about me being an artist since 1979. For years I checked out more materials and the identification of materials and the materials’ value than pretty much any other artist than I know on Earth. But I don’t wanna boast about that because I’m not trying to act like I’m better than everybody else. I want everybody else to get better than me and learn from what I’ve been an example of. I am a geographic artist.’
learning shape note singing from Buell Cobb in 2011
This is where workers hand-twist two pieces of dough into a single, oven-ready plait, a bit of old-fashioned artisanry that gives Evangeline Maid—as well as Bunny Bread—its distinctive density and roof-of-mouth-sticking tensility. He offers an analogy: think single strand versus braided rope. Weaving provides strength. And though South Louisianans prefer air-pocked, feather-weight French bread for their po-boys, they depend on steroidal slices to hold scoops of peanut butter or breaded and fried pork chops. That twist defines our “regional profile,” Painter told me, “our taste repertoire.”
Some shop pics from our last visit with sweet Mr Cohen before he closed up his shop in Lexington, Mississippi, in 2017:
(well actually, this pic above is from a visit in 2004 — the rest are 2017)
So much sweet nostalgia for department stores and general stores. Always seek these out when we go to little towns, especially. The people who own and work at these are people just like us, carrying on tradition and winging it when they try new things, rather than getting directions from a corporate operation manual. All the love to the clothes shops, the feed stores, indie bookstores, country gas stations, family drug stores, the bakeries, the restaurants. The people who know they’re not going to have a lot of business because it’s going to rain, and those who stress out at the post office because the big checks aren’t coming in net 30.
Hammer’s, Oneonta AL
Hammer’s, Scottsboro AL
Neilson’s, Oxford MS
U.G. White, Athens
Pick Up & Go Food Store, New Orleans
Goodman’s, Greenville MS
Duchess Doughnuts, Cullman AL
Benton’s Country Hams, Madisonville TN
Pell City Steakhouse, Pell City AL
Gibbes Country Store, Learned MS
Taylor Grocery, Taylor MS
Fosters Feed and Garden Supply, Fosters AL
Mustang Oil, Greensboro AL
Shankerman’s, Clarksdale MS
Pond Store, Pond MS
Avon in stock at a parts store in Monticello, Arkansas
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