July 2017

Town & Gown July 2017

In this Issue

Home, Garden and Lifestyle around Mississippi

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Calendar of Events

10 Wishlist

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Double D Farms: Local Farming

31 5 Must-Read Books this Summer

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Made in Mississipi: Blue Deer Candles & Wax

38 Vacation Approved!

20 Minute Full Body Workout

42 In Memory of Dr. Hank Flick

44 Taste and Toast

Within Walking Distance:

Patricia Neely-

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Starkville's Cotton District is highlighted in Philip Langdon's new book about walkable communities

Dorsey

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Story of Tupelo poet, Patricia Neely-Dorsey, her passion for Mississippi and her poems on Southern Belle T-Shirts

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Celebrate Mississippi!

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In honor of Mississippi's 200th birthday we have put together a travel guide for your summer weekend trips!

DIY: Summer Crafts

52 July Fashion

64 Events

TOWNANDGOWNMAGAZINE .COM HOME . GARDEN . LIFE . STYLE . FOOD . HEALTH . FITNESS

Check out July's Taste & Toast for fun, easy and healthy summer recipes! Page 44

Follow us on Instagram for sneakpeaks, giveaways, recipes & so much more! @townandgown

on the cover...On the

MSU Fashion Board model, Urita Agana looks Cover fierce in anything! Flip to page 50 to see what other fun summer outfits are featured this month!

@townandgownmagazine

@townandgown

@townandgownmag1

@townandgownmag July 2017 | 5

A Product of Horizon of Mississippi P.O. Box 1068 | Starkville, MS 39760 www.townandgownmagazine.com

{ s taf f } Don Norman | publisher - sdnpub@starkvilledailynews.com Courtney Cox| editor - editor@townandgownmagazine.com { accou nt exe cu tives } Hanna Mathis -hanna@townandgownmagazine.com

{con tr ib u tor s} { w r ite r s } Joe Lee Richelle Putanam Amy Meyers Clint Kimberling Karen Gerard Sasha Steinberg { p hotograp her s } Margaret Mcmullen Brittney Dowell Ashley Covin Decon McCaskill Letty Weeks { fas hion s p read } Divian Conner - photographer Cromatix Salon - hair Merle Norman Luna Bella - makeup { page d es ign } Courtney Cox { ad ve r tis in g d e s ign } Chris Mcmillen Reproductions in whole or in part,without written permission,is strictly prohibited. No responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited manuscripts, articles or photographs. We reserve the right to edit submissions before publication. Town & Gown is a free magazine published monthly and distributed in and around Starkville and the Golden Triangle area. Subscriptions are available for mail customers. For subscriptions or inquiries,write Town & Gown Magazine, P.O. Box 1068, Starkville, MS, 39760, or call 662.323.1642.

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Events Town and Gown Magazine would love to be at your next event. If your organization or business is having an event please email info@townandgownmagazine.com a month before event date. We cannot promise we will be at all events, but we will try!

If we missed out Send us your event photos with names from left to right (if available) and a brief description of event to info@townandgownmagazine.com or mail or drop off a disc to 304 Lampkin St., Starkville, MS 39759.

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Letter from the

Editor

I am so excited to introduce myself as the new editor of Town and Gown Magazine!

As someone who has moved around most of my life, having a place to call home has always carried a greater significance in my life than it probably does for most. Lucky for me, my grandfather (a MSU alumni and Bulldog enthusiast) has lived in Starkville my whole life and through his persistent brainwashing, I fell in love with Starkville and Mississippi State at a very young age. Through this love, I found an identity and a true sense of home in Starkville that I would not otherwise have had. Needless to say, I am so grateful to be back in Starkville and thrilled to be in a position that will allow me to get reconnected and involved in this wonderful town!

With an entirely new staff, I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we can’t wait to meet all of our local businesses, get well connected in the community and really bring everyone together. As the new editor, I cannot wait to bring in amazing stories, shine a light on our incredible locals, and so much more! This town is something special and I look forward showcasing that in Town & Gown.

Cheers to new beginnings and Hail State!

Courtney Cox

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Happy 4th of July!

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Starkville Community Market 4-6 pm Firestation Park

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UnWine Downtown 5:30-9:30pm

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Starkville Community Market 4-6 pm Firestation Park

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Sounds of Summer Concert 7-9pm COlumbus River Walk

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Starkville Community Market 7:30-10:30am Firestation Park

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Starkville Community Market 7:30-10:30am Firestation Park

Town & Gown’s Purple Elephant 401-B Lampkin St. Starkville, MS 662.324.4008

Merle Norman Luna Bella 500 Russell St Suite5 Starkville, MS 662.323.5255

Purple Elephant 401-B Lampkin St. Starkville, MS 662.324.4008

Merle Norman Luna Bella 500 Russell St Suite5 Starkville, MS 662.323.5255

Merle Norman LunaBella 500 Russell St Suite5 Starkville, MS 662.323.5255

Purple Elephant 401-B Lampkin St. Starkville, MS 662.324.4008

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Summertime Wishlist Mia Salon 412 HWY 12 E Starkville, MS 662.323.3029

Mia Salon 412 HWY 12 E Starkville, MS 662.323.3029

Merle Norman Luna Bella 500 Russell St Suite5 Starkville, MS 662.323.5255

Mia Salon 412 HWY 12 E Starkville, MS 662.323.3029

Mia Salon 412 HWY 12 E Starkville, MS 662.323.3029

Merle Norman Luna Bella 500 Russell St Suite5 Starkville, MS 662.323.5255 July 2017 | 11

Within Walking Distance :

What Makes the Cotton District a Walkable Community Author Philip Langdon was so impressed with The Cotton District of Starkville that it comprises the final chapter of his new book, Within Walking Distance (Island Press, 2017). Langdon, who grew up in small-town Pennsylvania and has lived in a dozen “walkable” communities around the country, has a background in journalism and a lifelong love of architecture.

“I worked for the Buffalo News for nine years as a reporter,” Langdon said. “I got interested in the history of architecture and historic preservation and buildings being built downtown. My first book was on the history of the design of chain restaurants.

Eventually I realized it’s not the individual building that matters – it’s how streets, sidewalks and public places work together.”

In addition to The Cotton District, Langdon has chapters on The Pearl District of Portland, Oregon, The East Rock neighborhood (in which he lives) in New Haven, Connecticut, and other walkable communities in Chicago, Philadelphia, and the small town of Brattleboro, Vermont. But during his time as editor of Progressive Architecture, he was especially intrigued by a piece written by Marilyn Avery about Cotton District builder Dan Camp.

“I spent five days in Starkville in 2014 and

Written by y Joe Lee

interviewed him,” Langdon said. “He created small commercial spaces with small square footage that someone just starting a business could afford. He seemed to take a real interest in what people just starting out could do. Mainstream American commercial development doesn’t do a lot of that.”

Camp, a former Starkville mayor, grew up in Tupelo and went to graduate school in North Carolina. He was impressed enough with the ambience in Chapel Hill in the late 1960s to try and bring the flavor of it to Starkville.

“There were students on sidewalks selling cut flowers every day, jewelry makers, street people,” Camp said. “I taught shop here as a member of the MSU faculty, and I felt that atmosphere (in Chapel Hill) might work here. Everybody thought I was crazy to de-

Photo courtesy Island Press

Photo Letty Weeks

July 2017 | 13

velop in an area they thought nobody would go to. But as I’ve discovered over the last 50 years, what you have to do with Mississippians is show them what you’re talking about.”

The building at 612 University Drive was Camp’s first, and it’s very much emblematic of what Langdon spotlights in his book: within walking distance of not only the university but downtown shopping and dining, and with lots of sidewalks and open spaces along the way that encourage personal interaction and, ultimately, commerce.

“Camp creates buildings in traditional styles that have nice outdoor spaces, porches and balconies, not far from the street,” Langdon said. “He trains his own people to produce some of the components that go into them and rents them out, relatively affordable and pleasingly designed. I met him at a conference in 1996 and wanted to close my new book with a chapter on him as an example of what one person can do, over a lifetime, to one part of town.

my life I’ve watched it blossom from cool developments and redevelopments scattered here and there in the ’80s to a neighborhood or district that has its own theme, style, and a sense of place. Dan has a creative mind, and he’s poured that into the area over decades. It is definitely one of the things Starkville is best known for.”

“This current book is mainly about older places,” Langdon said. “They have more character. Some of the older architecture has more detail, more ornament – houses have front porches. I have been writing about pedestrian scale communities that have things you can walk to for the last 25 years.”

“The fact that he trains his own people in how to build window assemblies, make dormers and other things is impressive. He holds onto those buildings and maintains them. The story of how he took over a deteriorating area next to a dead cotton gin was kind of inspiring.”

“The Cotton District has a rich sense of history which makes it very unique,” said Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman. “During

Phil Langdon

To order a copy of Within Walking Distance, visit www.islandpress.org and use the discount code 4LANGDON to save an additional 20 percent per copy, or order through Amazon.com.

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Photo by E. Anthony Petrelli

July 2017 | 15

Double D Farms : Why Local Farmers Make a Difference

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t the age of 25, Dallas O’Bryant already has seven years of work experience as well as a college education. But perhaps even more importantly, the Clay County-based farmer – who runs a two-person operation with his father, Mark – already knows that building a long-term customer base hardly takes place overnight. And he has built a good portion of that base at the Starkville Community Market.

“We own 210 acres and always had a garden as I grew up. The vegetable farm Written By Joe Lee

is between 15-18 acres from year to year,” said O’Bryant, who graduated from Oak Hill Academy in 2010 and from Mississippi State University (MSU) with a degree in Agribusiness in 2013. “In 2011 I knew a lady in West Point who was inspired about a farmer’s market there and decided to give it a shot. I met a couple of other farmers who said I needed to come to Starkville. I was approved to be a vendor there in 2012.

“I started out with a 10-by-10 booth.

We’ve expanded to 10-by-20. I show up

Photos by Devon McCaskill

July 2017 | 17

at the Starkville Community Market (on Russell Street behind The Little Dooey) on Tuesday afternoon and again on Saturday.

There’s a market in Columbus on Wednesday and a smaller one in West Point on Thursday. I’m at as many of them (each week) as I can be.”

For O’Bryant, it’s all about visiting with potential customers and getting to know them, like Deborah Lee, professor and coordinator of Graduate Student Services in the MSU libraries and co-director of the Maroon and Write Quality Enhancement Plan. She has known O’Bryant since he graduated from MSU, and she has participated in local CSAs (community-supported agriculture programs) and bought produce from him for several years.

“I try to shop with as many local farmers and producers as I can,” Lee said.

“I bought several flats of strawberries for jams and jellies this past spring from Dallas. I’ve bought his garlic to freeze for use throughout the winter. His green beans are great, (either) cooked up now or pickled for later. I bring my car to the market and load up on all types of vegetables and fruits for culinary projects now and for the winter.”

“Every age group, every mix of culture is available,” O’Bryant said of the Starkville Community Market. “You have your New Englanders who grew up with the farmer’s market the next block over; you have people who grew up in rural areas of Washington state where you have to

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drive 3-4 hours to get to a market; you have traditional Mississippi folks who grew up with a tomato plant on the back porch – they come to supplement what they have.”

“Local farmers make our community so much richer by increasing the market options for healthy food for the Starkville community,” Lee said, “and you know a lot more about the food you buy when you buy it locally. When was it picked? What variety is it? How was it treated in the field? Dallas is more than happy to answer questions when you shop with him.”

O’Bryant will have tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, okra, purple hull peas, sweet corn and squash during the summer months, as well as updates on what’s ahead – he and his dad will plant new strawberries in October, garlic in November, and onions and leeks by first of the year. While he has no control over the weather, O’Bryant is confident that he has a long-term forecast for success: making quality produce available to customers all over the Golden Triangle while making himself available to get to know everyone who stops by.

“I get the same customers each week, people that have bought into what I have,” O’Bryant said. “It has taken several years

to make all those customers – doesn’t happen the first time you show up. People have gotten to know my name and I know theirs.

I see them coming and can bag up exactly what I know they want.”

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"Celebrating the South and Promoting a Positive Mississippi" Patricia Neely-Dorsey Patricia Neely-Dorsey never thought about becoming a writer. Looking back on the last decade, the proud Tupelo native says she couldn’t have imagined a more worthwhile way to combine the two things she loves the most – poetry and her beautiful home state of Mississippi.

“Writing has been my consuming passion for about 10 years now,” says Neely-Dorsey, who previously spent nearly 20 years working in the mental health field in Memphis, Tennessee. “My dad would recite poetry to me when I was a little girl and I’ve always had a passion for reading, but I never thought about being a writer. Now, I can’t imagine doing anything else; I love it.”

Like many artists, Neely-Dorsey receives inspiration from something she sees or experiences.

She simply writes whenever something comes to her.

“I may see a beautiful sunset, a bird or flower or the dew on the ground,” she says. “One time, I was walking around and I wrote like two or three haikus just because something about the flowers I saw was speaking to me. That’s how the poems come – when I’m just totally inspired.”

“There are times when I’ll get up in the middle of the night and tell my husband, ‘I’ve got to get up! I’ve got write it down! I’ve got to write down!” she says with a laugh. “In fact, that’s exactly how

Written by Sasha Steinberg 20 | TOWNANDGOWNMAGAZINE.COM

I came up with my very first poem, ‘Our Place.’

On February 14, 2007, I just woke up out of my sleep with the poem in my head. I scribbled it down, and that was it.”

And Neely-Dorsey says she hasn’t stopped writing since. Her first book of poetry, “Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia – A Life in Poems,” was published in 2008, followed by her second book of poetry, “My Magnolia Memories and Musings – In Poems,” in 2012. All of Neely-Dorsey’s books—including her latest “Mississippi in Me”—are available for purchase online via Amazon and her website, www. patricianeelydorsey.com.

Neely-Dorsey enjoys writing poems that are simple to read and entertaining for, as she likes to put it, “all ages, from 8 to 80.”

“I have gotten so many emails, especially from older people. They tell me they never liked reading poetry at school or in general, but ever since they started reading my poems, they do like poetry,” she says. “I love that I can

inspire them to want to read more.”

For all of those out there who are looking to try their hand at writing poetry, Neely-Dorsey offers some helpful words of encouragement.

“Storytelling is a wonderful form of communication. We can share a life with each other, and the written word is one of the most beautiful ways to do that,” she says. “There are so many people who write poems, but they never show them to anybody and they haven’t done anything with them. That’s one thing I really encourage people who write poems or stories to do: Get ‘em out there! Let people read them.”

“That’s what happened to me,” she continues. “I had no inkling of publishing a book.

My longtime friend John Campbell who lives in Starkville encouraged me to publish my poems, so I did. Now 10 years later, so many wonderful things have come out of it.”

Two of those wonderful things came in 2015, when Neely-Dorsey received a proclamation in

her honor from Governor Phil Bryant declaring her as an Official Goodwill Ambassador for the state of Mississippi. That same year, the House of Representatives passed a resolution commending Neely-Dorsey’s work in promoting positive images of Mississippi through her poems.

Her poem “Meet My Mississippi” also was up for consideration as the state poem in the 2017 legislative session. Through her poems, Neely-Dorsey hopes to use her words for good and dispel the preconceived notions that many people may have about her beloved home state.

“The misconceptions that people have of Mississippi are very strong,” she says. “There’s a quote that I love that I put on my Facebook all of the time: ‘Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.’ It’s not that I negate, ignore or disregard any of the negatives about my home state. It’s just that there’s so much more to the story. I am using my poems to celebrate the good and beautiful things about 22 | TOWNANDGOWNMAGAZINE.COM

Mississippi, and I want to inspire others to be a part of that mission as well.”

Neely-Dorsey has even seen her poems reach people all over the globe. One of her poems “Country Living” has been featured in a textbook for German high school students learning English as a foreign language.

Cool, right? Neely-Dorsey thinks so, too, but says that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“You have no idea when you put your work out there where it will go, especially with the Internet,” she says. “I wrote a little blog and a poem about Elvis, and an Elvis fan club in the U.K. wrote me a letter asking if they could use my poem in their newsletter. They published it and sent me a copy in the coolest envelope. It had an imprint of Elvis and an Elvis stamp on it, and I just love it!”

Neely-Dorsey’s “Magnolia Tree” poem also has become increasingly popular around the state and across the globe.

“I’ve had a blogger in Austria put the poem on her blog. She loved it, so she asked if she

could put it up. I couldn’t read it because it was in a different language, but I still love it,” she says with a laugh.

In just a matter of months, Neely-Dorsey also has seen the words of her “beautiful love poems to Mississippi” go from the pages of her published books to the backs of Southern Belle T-Shirts, a popular brand of women’s clothing that has become an icon of Southern culture.

Southern Belle T-shirts currently offers four designs featuring Neely-Dorsey’s poetry. The shirts can be purchased online at www.southernbelleoriginals.com and at Southern Belle shops in Eupora, Grenada and Calhoun City.

They also are available at Book Mart and Café in Starkville, Tennessee Williams Home and Welcome Center in Columbus, The Square Gift Company in Fulton, Silver Street Gallery and Gifts in Natchez, and Farmhouse in downtown Tupelo.

Neely-Dorsey’s favorite poem design is the one featuring “Steel Magnolia,” a short poem that she says “really resonates with people and touches their hearts.”

“It’s just amazing what the written word can do,” Neely-Dorsey says of the feedback she has received over the years for her poetry. “I went to a nursing home one day, and there was a little old lady there who had read my poems.

She held my hand and said, ‘How could you have lived my life? You’re telling my story!’ I got chills. Hearing those kinds of things is priceless.”

She continues, “I’ve had people who read my poems about Mississippi tell me ‘Patricia, you made me remember such beautiful memories.’

That is so heartwarming because they take my poems and make them their own. That makes it all worth it to me.”

Connect with Patricia Neely-Dorsey!

Website: www.patricianeelydorsey.com Facebook: patricia.neelydorsey

Twitter: @pneelydorsey Email: magnoliagirl21@yahoo.com

Celebrate Mississippi 1817-2017

On December 10, 1817, Mississippi was officially recognized as the 20th state in the United States of America. To reflect, celebrate, and honor Mississippi’s history and culture during its 200th anniversary of statehood, bicentennial celebrations and local events are being held around the state throughout the year.

In this Town & Gown issue, we take readers a few hours south to Meridian, Laurel and Ellisville to several historical, yet fun places for families to explore for a day or two while learning history about and building memories around Mississippi.

Written by Richelle Putnam

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Meridian: Highland Park 1720 Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Dr. Meridian, Miss. • 601/485-1904 • 601/485 1802 • www.meridianms.org Meridian’s richly painted landscape of culture and history provides many settings for family learning and fun. The Dentzel Carousel, built between 1892 and 1899 in Highland Park, is a National Historic Landmark and is one of three two-row Dentzel carousels in existence. The carousel’s original paintings and animals have been completely restored and is up and running and open to the public.

Also in Highland Park is the Jimmie Rodgers Museum housed in the replica of an old railroad depot next door to the train on display in the yard. Known as The Singing Brakeman, Jimmie Rodgers is memorialized as the Father of Country Music, who wrote, performed and recorded hundreds of songs during the Great Depression, including "T for Texas" and "Mississippi Delta Blues." He was the first artist inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and has since been inducted in other Halls of Fame, including the Blues, Rock N Roll and Songwriter. The museum features his original guitar, and memorabilia of his life, career, original music and steam engine era railroad equipment.

The Meridian Museum of Art is in the historic Carnegie Library building built in 1912-13, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Mississippi Landmark. Rotating exhibits showcase and support regional and nationally recognized artists. Special events throughout the year honor these artists and advocate the importance of art. The museum offers many opportunities for beginning and advanced artists through workshops for children and adults.

628 25th Ave. Meridian, Miss. • 601/693-1501 • www.MeridianMuseum.org Merrehope, the 20-room beautifully restored Victorian mansion, reflects the late 1860s in the American South. Part of the home was used as headquarters for Confederate General Polk and Union General Sherman’s army spared its beauty from the flame. Also located on the Merrehope site is the Queen Anne Frank W. Williams house. Both are known to be haunted!

905 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Dr. Meridian, Miss. • 601/ 483-8439 • www.merehope.com

Laurel & Ellisville: Further south, on your way to Laurel down I59, detour to Dunn’s Falls in Enterprise where a 65-foot waterfall and historic Carroll Richardson Gristmill on the Chunky River is open to visitors. Here, John B. Stetson used the mill over the falls to create his namesake hat. He later became the world’s largest hat maker in Pennsylvania. Irish immigrant John Cooper Dunn, who settled in north Enterprise in 1850, created Mississippi’s largest waterfall by diverting the Chunky River to create the falls, which powered a cotton and grist mill later used by Confederate soldiers to make blankets, knives and hats. Enjoy the park’s abundant wildlife that provides a picnic area with barbecue grills, the gristmill pond, hiking trails and swimming areas. Primitive camping is also available and an on-site cabin is available to rent. The Chunky River, with its undeveloped shoreline, flows through the woods and hills of central Mississippi.

6890 Dunn's Falls Rd., Enterprise, Miss. • 601-655-8550 • www.waterparkin.com The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art located on Fifth Avenue in Laurel is surrounded by turn-of-the-century homes, oaks, azaleas, English ivy, and Asiatic jasmine just one block from historic downtown. The Georgian Revival structure was erected in 1923 after the untimely death of Lauren Rogers. That year Lauren’s great-aunt, Catherine Marshall Gardiner donated 494 rare North American Indian Baskets and artifacts as a permanent exhibit, which has grown to 796 objects.

Lauren Chase Eastman donated his paintings of the American West by H.W. Hansen (18541924) collection and a collection of medals belonging to the Rogers and Eastman families. Late in the same year Paul W. McClintook donated a collection of rare coins. Hours can be spent roaming the museum’s galleries of permanent and rotating exhibits and exploring the Browsing (Reading) Room filled with furniture and a rug from the home of Lauren’s mother, Nina Eastman Rogers. Visitors may thumb through a photograph collection of early Laurel prior to 1926 and roam the library lined with fine arts books and resources. The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art is Mississippi’s oldest art museum and opens its collections to the public six days a week.

It also sponsors educational programs and its exhibitions expose visitors to the best examples of art in all forms.

565 N. Fifth Avenue Laurel, Miss. • info@lrma.org • 601/649-6374 July 2017 | 27

Thomas Landrum of Laurel, Mississippi didn’t set out to build a village. It just…happened.

Landrum’s village started as a business of handcrafted pine furniture, which has now been in business for over 33 years. Today, that one cabin is one of 70 buildings located in the beautifully landscaped Landrum’s Homestead & Village located off Highway 15 in Laurel. With exhibits, wagon rides, gem mining, nature trails, a Confederate soldier encampment, an Old West Shooting Gallery, and a Native American Village, every visitor steps back into the late 1800s. In addition, through a partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the Mississippi Forestry Commission, Landrum’s created an educational display on the Civilian Conservation Corps and South Mississippi’s reforestation history to show the importance of preservation and conservation. Biscuits are cooked on an old wood stove and there is a nature trail and a small lake with a pier where people can feed the catfish. You can also play horseshoes and basketball.

Website: http://landrums.com/ Open year-round, Monday – Saturday from 9 – 5, Walk-ins welcome!

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Built in 1845, the Deason home in Ellisville stands as a Greek revival architectural gem from the antebellum era. As the oldest home in Ellisville, it was also the first painted home in the area and its detailed semi-octagonal vestibule is the only one of its kind known to exist in Mississippi, according to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

The first owners, Amos and Eleanor Deason, built the home as a farmhouse. In 1890, Isaac Anderson, Jr. and wife Sarah Rebecca "Sallie" Pool purchased the home and lived there until 1939 when it went into the Anderson estate. In 1965, Mrs. Frances Anderson Smith, a descendant of both Amos Deason and Isaac Anderson, Jr., bought the home and in 1991 presented it to the Tallahala Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution. Oh, and by the way… it’s haunted. The home’s claim to fame is that Major Amos McLemore, Confederate Army officer was shot and killed in the home during the Civil War by Newton Knight, one of Mississippi’s most intriguing historical figures. http://www.deasonhome.org • 601/577-1066 • suejoe206@yahoo.com

On the roads and highways to these destinations, travelers find a vast array of sit-down and fast-food restaurants, rest stops, and lodging.

Taking a family vacation in Mississippi is more than an escape for a day or two. It’s an experience of place, heritage, and home you simply can’t get anywhere else.

Happy 20oth Birthday, Mississippi!

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5 Must-Read Books This Summer

By Clint Kimberling

Camino Island by John Grisham The latest from the master of the legal thriller actually takes place outside of the courtroom. Grisham’s thirtieth novel is set in a sleepy Florida beach town and features bookstore owner Bruce Cable who is also a prominent dealer of rare books. They mystery at play centers around the heist of original manuscripts of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s four novels and a young novelist battling writers block who is tasked with infiltrating the literary circle of Camino Island.

Grisham, who is himself a collector of rare books, gives the reader a fascinating behind-the-scenes tale of the world of rare books. This will be a must-read for Grisham fans.

Between Them by Richard Ford Richard Ford is one of America’ great writers. A Pulitzer Prize winner for his novel Independence Day, this is Ford’s first work on nonfiction, a memoir in which he remembers his parents.

Ford’s parents—Edna, a feisty, pretty Catholic-school girl with a difficult past; and Parker, a sweet-natured, soft-spoken traveling salesman—were rural Arkansans born at the turn of the twentieth century. After Richard was born in 1944 they moved and raised him in Jackson. Readers will appreciate the view of American life in the mid-century.

Between Them offers an intimate portrait and serves as testimony of Ford’s love for his parents. A short and a quick read, fans of Ford will see his trademark edge, wit, and insight on display here.

Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002)

by David Sedaris Fans of Sedaris will delight in this collection of 25 years of diary entries. Sedaris superfans may even recognize some of the stories as these journal entries formed the basis for some his other books. Even with some recycled material, Sedaris remains an original and uniquely funny voice, with a rare comic timing that most writers don’t possess and to make readers laugh out loud.

Theft by Finding is 500 pages but don’t feel pressure to read from start to finish. This is the type of book that readers can dip in and out of, jump from section to section, and choose passages at random to read and enjoy.

The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South

by John T. Edge If you enjoy Edge’s work with the Southern Foodways Alliance or read his articles in Garden and Gun or Oxford American, this will be right in your wheelhouse. There’s always something to learn from Edge, the James Beard award-winning writer. His new book a people’s history of southern food. Edge explores the rich history of how the south found itself at the forefront of the American culinary scene as well as how race issues shaped the southern table.

This book will give readers a deeper understanding of southern history through the lens of food as Edge traces the impactful story of how the food of the poorest Southerners grew into signature culinary trends. He also profiles some of the most extraordinary and fascinating figures in Southern food, including Fannie Lou Hamer, Colonel Sanders, Paul Prudhomme, Craig Claiborne, Sean Brock, and many others.

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A Year in Mississippi edited by Charline McCord and Judy Tucker A collection of forty essays that move through a year in Mississippi, celebrating significant events and traditions throughout the state. The essays all pay homage to the state’s most beloved traditions, everything from deer hunting in the delta to the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Jackson to diwali celebrations. This is a compelling look at the diversity and hidden wonders of an ever-evolving state.

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Made in Mississippi: Blue Deer Candles & Wax

Leslie and Ben Ernest are both dedicated school teachers. Ben coaches and teaches high school and is working on a Master’s in Business Administration. Leslie just finished her Master’s in Education.

Their new business, Blue Deer Candle, started out as a way for Leslie and Ben to give more personal gifts to friends and family. Now, the public can experience these wonderfully scented American made products.

The couple’s research into candle ingredients revealed that certain chemicals in mass produced candles triggered headaches, something Leslie had experienced in the past. Paraffin, commonly used in candle making, is a biproduct of gasoline. And palm wax, which creates a beautiful texture and finish, is not a sustainable product. Soy is American grown and the few chemicals in the manufacturing process are eliminated in the extraction process, explained Ben, who grew up on a soybean farm with his dad and granddad.

“We started looking at a soy-based, essential oil candle,” but, because essential oils were cost prohibitive, they decided on a phthalate-free fragrance oil blended with essential oils. Phthalate is used in dissolving raw materials in fragrance oils, but in recent years, concerns have risen about the effect of phthalates on health.

Blue Deer Candles contain 100% non-GMO soy wax derived from American grown soybeans. Soy wax, a completely biodegradable and renewable resource, burns cleaner and produces less soot than other traditional waxes. The lead and zinc free wicks of braided cotton fibers with paper cores reduce smoking and soot buildup.

“Our supplier believes that fragrance oils are better in soy than essential oils because they blend better,” said Ben. “We wanted a healthy product with as much natural ingredients as possible.”

Blue Candle lids, manufactured in North Carolina, come from sustainably managed timber farms and Blue Deer containers are from 30% recycled glass.

“We did a lot of trial and error to figure out what size wick burns the best and the cleanest,” said Leslie. “We wanted our customers buying a nine-ounce candle to get nine ounces of burn. We wanted a quality product for an affordable price, as clean and natural as possible.”

“We’ve learned everybody has a different taste palate when it comes to scent,” said Ben. “I like vanilla scents and sweet food scents. Leslie likes floral, cider and cinnamon type, earthy smells.

“And we always listen to our customers,” said Leslie.

Written by Richelle Putnam Photos by Brittney Dowell

When a customer requested a wood-pipe tobacco scent, Ben was immediately turned off, because it was tobacco.

“But it’s not about me. I found a supplier than met our standards and we rebranded that fragrance.”

The grandfather Ben never knew was a pipe smoker.

“I remember being a kid and my grandmother still having his pipes. I vividly remember the fragrance.”

They named the new scent “Porch Swing,” which is where Ben’s grandfather always smoked.

Ben and Leslie carefully choose Blue Deer Candle suppliers, considering first and foremost consistency, turnaround times and reasonable prices.

“If the cost becomes too much, the candles become too expensive,” said Ben. “I try to find the most affordable shipping methods as possible.” He prefers fragrances with a higher flash point and they must be essential oil infused.” Flashpoint is the tempera-

July 2017 | 35

ture in which the fragrance oil will burn. “If you add fragrance to the wax and the wax is too hot, the fragrance will evaporate. I heat the wax, let it cool down to the proper temperature and then add the fragrance.”

All Blue Deer Candle products are developed in the Ernest’s kitchen at home. Presentation and packaging is important and everything is done by hand. Ben and Leslie hope to develop the business into a Mom and Pop fragrant shop that includes body sprays and soaps. To get the word out, they attend Farmers Markets and were recently at the Mississippi Market Wholesalers Show.

“We are trying to diversify and balance our sales

between wholesale and retail,” said Ben. “If a business wants to carry our candles, we’ll be reluctant to sell to someone else within the area. We don’t want to oversaturate because nobody benefits.”

Another goal is to place Blue Deer natural and bi-friendly products in regional and national chains specializing in outdoor-themed products, as well as boutique specialty shops.

“We’re in this with our retailers because it also takes a Village to make a business work,” said Ben. “We’d like to see our storefront in West Point and Blue Deer sold from Tennessee to the Coast.

“We’re having fun,” said Leslie. “We get to be creative and for me that’s so therapeutic.”

Blue Deer Candles 662.275.2016 http://www.bluedeercandles.com/

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July 2017 | 37

d e v o r p p A n o i t a c t u a o k r V Wo y d o B l a t o T e t u n i M 20

Article by Terry Word, Photography by Janie Pullen

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Summer is now in full swing and that means vacation time! If you’re like most people,

your fitness focus starts with a New Year’s resolution and carries into the spring with summer being the end goal. Once we arrive at our destination, we tend to lose focus. It is easier to keep momentum moving than to start from scratch, so stay focused on your fitness, even on vacation!

Time is something we are already short of on vacation, so to combat this issue below is a simple, no equipment, full body workout that you can complete in around twenty minutes.

To help you stick to your plan while on vacation, here are a few tips: First, schedule your

workout for the same time each day, and make sure it does not interfere with vacation plans.

Second, exercise first thing in the morning. Even if you like sleeping in on vacation, you will not regret the time spent on yourself! Third, have an accountability partner! You are much more likely to complete your workout each day if you have someone else counting on you.

Let’s get started! Begin by warming up by jogging in place or completing a few

jumping jacks. This will help get your heart rate up and warm up your muscles.

1: Burpee/Push-up/Lunge: 1 minute

2: Plank with a Shoulder Tap: 1

From a standing position, bend into a squat position

minute

and place your hands on the ground. Jump back into a

Start in plank position. Take your right arm and tap your

straight-arm plank position (not a forearm plank) and

left shoulder, and then lower your arm back to the ground.

complete one full push-up. Stand back up by jumping

Do the same move with your left arm. Complete as many

your legs towards your hands and then immediately jump

shoulder taps within one minute as you can without

into a lunge position, keeping your legs in ninety-degree

dropping your knees to the ground. This move works your

angles. Alternate legs in the lunge position each time you

shoulders as well as your core.

complete one sequence. Complete as many sequences as

Jog in Place: 30 seconds

you can in one minute.

Jog in Place: 30 seconds

4: Sliding Side-Lunge: 1 minute/side If you are on a hard floor, you will need a towel or

3: V-Up Abs: 1 minute

washcloth. Start in a standing position with the towel

Lay on the floor on your back. Extend your legs out in front

under one foot. Slowly slide the foot with the towel out,

of you, and then raise your arms over your head in a ‘V’

while bending into a side-lunge position, and then slowly

position. While keeping your legs and arms straight, and

slide your foot back in. Complete as many lunges as you

your arms next to your ears, fold your body in half towards

can in one minute on the right leg, and then complete

the sky. Slowly lower your body back down, letting your

one minute of lunges on the left leg. It is very important

arms, legs, and head hover about one inch from the ground.

to keep your knee behind your toes when completing this

Complete as many as you can in one minute.

move.

Jog in Place: 30 seconds

Jog in Place: 30 seconds

two r kout o w e r nti t the e g Repea lengin l a h c or a imes f ! more t or kout w e t u -min twenty

*Make sure you cool down and stretch after you have

completed your workout. Now, go enjoy your vacation!

In Memory of Dr. Hank Flick Written by Joe Lee Having grown up in Starkville, I was well aware of Dr. Hank Flick – the public address voice of MSU football and basketball – long before enrolling as a student. I’ll never forget hearing those golden tones for the first time in person as I entered McComas Hall one morning. “…I just bought a pack of these ballpoint pens, and none of them work …”

That booming voice had to belong to a great big guy, didn’t it? But a diminutive, dapper gentleman engaged in animated conversation with another professor – about faulty writing implements – came down the stairs and into view.

Hank gave me a polite nod before avidly greeting a clump of students behind me. As I would learn, he knew pretty much everybody.

Hank’s passing, of course, took me back to my days in his classroom. I enjoyed Small Group Communication, especially the “norm violation” (I staged an argument at a fast-food place that was capped by a close friend throwing his iced tea in my face, which prompted a boy of about ten to yell, “You should kick his (expletive deleted).”

But Hank’s legendary Interviewing course remains, hands-down, the best college class I took.

The skills and concepts and out-of-the-box thinking still serve me today, and I’ve had many talks with my son, John (a rising MSU sophomore), about networking, internships, work experience and resume-building.

Two years ago, when John was a high school senior and I was giving him a tour of campus, we were early for an appointment with Dr. John Forde and I knocked on Hank’s door. We spent several wonderful minutes with him before seeing Dr. Forde, and as soon as we left Hank’s office John said, “Man, I hope he’s one of my professors.”

Hank retired last year, so that wasn’t to be. But in addition to introducing my son to my favorite college professor, I had the honor of interviewing Hank for this very magazine a year and a half ago. The article was about his Interviewing course – what else? – and the information was just as relevant in 2016 as it was in 1986. Hank, of course, was just as generous with his time. That was the last time I spoke to him, and it’s a good memory.

Rest in peace, my friend. You will be missed, deeply so.

Joe Lee is a published novelist and the Editor-in-Chief of Dogwood Press, a small publishing house headquartered in Brandon, Mississippi. He’s a proud MSU graduate and a contributor to Town and Gown Magazine.

July 2017 | 43

, y h t l a e H ! s u o i c i l e D & e l r p e m m m i u S S r fo s e p i c e R e No-Bak

Recipes and photography by Karen Gerard

Summer Berry Ice Pops 2⁄3 cup thinly sliced ripe strawberries

Combine the strawberries, blueberries, and

2⁄3 cup ripe blueberries

blackberries with the sugar (and cardamom,

2⁄3 cup ripe blackberries

if using) in a small saucepan. Cook over low

1⁄3 cup plus 1 tablespoon natural cane

heat for 5-7 mins, until the berries are soft

sugar

and jammy but not falling apart. Remove the

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

pan from the heat and stir the coconut milk

1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

into the berries. Transfer into a pitcher and carefully pour the warm berry mixture into

*Make it boozy! Drop your pop in a cup of

pop molds. Freeze at least 4 hours. Pops will

prosecco or champagne.

last 1 month in the freezer.

Lemony Orzo Salad 3⁄4 cup uncooked orzo 1⁄4 tsp grated lemon zest 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tbsp olive oil 1⁄2 tsp salt 1⁄2 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp honey 1⁄2 cup red bell pepper, chopped 1 small zucchini, chopped 3 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper 1⁄2 cup cubed mozzarella 1⁄3 cup ribboned basil

Prepare orzo according to package directions, drain, and rinse in cold water. Whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, garlic, and honey. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a sauce pan on medium-high and add chopped red pepper and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are evenly browned and crisp-tender, about 7-8 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

Toss completely cooled vegetables and pasta, mozzarella, and ribboned basil with dressing and keep in fridge to chill.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve cool or at room temperature.

Serves 4-6.

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Pressed Picnic Sandwiches

thin sliced soppressata thin sliced rotisserie chicken sun-dried tomatoes provolone mozzarella freseh basil leaves pesto ciabatta or focaccia (1 large rectangular loaf or 6 square sandwich rolls)

For these Italian style pressed sandwiches, slice a large loaf of your chosen bread in half and arrange a layer of sun-dried tomatoes on the bottom half. Layer on the sliced meat and cheese. Arrange the fresh basil leaves across the top. Spread the top half of the bread with pesto before finishing the sandwich. Wrap tightly in plastic and then weigh with heavy items for at least 30 minutes. Slice and serve cold or at room temperature.

Makes 12.

July 2017 | 47

DIy Article and photos by Amy Myers

Confetti Pillows Confetti pillows are easy, fun and versatile!

I like to use indoor-outdoor fabric, so they are durable and multi-purpose. This is a great summer project for people of all ages!

Step 1: For a square pillow, measure and draw a square inside another square. The inner square is 3 inches smaller than the outer square. For a longer fringe, you can increase that difference. Cut fabric along the outer lines. This will be one side of your pillow, so repeat this step to make the second side.

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Step 2: I chose gold acrylic paint for my fringe. Apply paint from the inner line to the outer edge of the fabric. Let dry.

Step 3: Clamp or pin the two fabric pieces together. To make the fringe, cut up to the inner line you marked in step 1. Each fringe should be approximately a half-inch. Try to cut the same number of fringe pieces on each side.

Step 4: Tie the fabric pieces together, using a double knot. Do this on three sides, leaving one side open.

Step 5: Place pillow stuffing in the open end, tie up that side, and you’re done!

July 2017 | 49

DIy frosted glass Keep your glass containers! Empty glass jars that formerly stored pickles, jellies, salsas, pasta sauces and other items, can now become masterpieces of art.

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Step 1: Prep glass with PermEnamel Surface Conditioner. This makes the frosted glass spray paint stick much better. Let dry for a couple of minutes.

Step 2: To apply the frost spray paint, follow instructions on the can.

Next, use dimensional adhesive paint to draw your desired design.

The colors and options for this project are endless!

You can use paint pens and dimensional adhesive paint to give the design texture. I cut the bottom out of a glass bottle, placed battery-operated lights inside, and made a lantern.

This project is also great for making unique gift packages. *If you paint the inside, do not place food items, water or other liquids inside the jar longterm.

After emptying an old pickle jar, I sprayed the inside with stained glass spray paint, created a pattern on the outside with tape and rubber bands, then sprayed over it with frosted paint. After cutting the rubber bands and removing the tape, the result was a unique frosted and stained glass pattern.

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Outfit and accessories from Deep South Pout

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Southern Summer Town & Gown's July Fashion

Make-Up Merle Norman/Luna Bella • Hair Cromatix Salon Outfits provided by Deep South Pout & Park Place Boutique Photography Divian Conner

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Outfit and accessories from Deep South Pout

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Outfits and accessories: from Pink Floral Dress-Deep South Pout Romper-Park Place Boutique

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Outfit and accessories from Park Place Boutique

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Outfit and accessories from Park Place Boutique

Outfit and accessories from Park Place Boutique

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Outfit and accessories from Park Place Boutique July 2017 | 59

Outfit and accessories from Park Place Boutique

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Outfit and accessories from Deep South Pout July 2017 | 61

Outfit and accessories from Deep South Pout

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Outfit from Deep South Pout

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Dinner on the Diamond Benefit dinner for the Palmer Home, hosted by Restaurant Tyler Photos by Matt Dorroh

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6 1. Tucker Miller, Robby Holditch, Michael Waters, Mike Waters, Kenny Lacey, Jay Cook 5. Foley Holditch, Betty Waters, Emily Waters, Mallory Lacey, Margaret Cook, Ruth Miller

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Dak Pro Camp Photos by Ashley Covin

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Farm to Table Wine Pairing Dinner: Central Station Grill Photos by Margaret McMullen

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