Mississippi Delta on Monday
Monday marked the day I count as the most itinerary intensive one of the trip. We met up with Dr. Luther Brown at Delta State University and he spent the day (and evening) escorting us all over the region. Dr. Brown is with the Delta Center for Culture and Learning. I agree with Kendra, the farmland is endless. The little towns, for me, were most easily recognized by the water towers that proclaimed their name.
Over the course of the day, we went to so many different destinations, each with its own unique story, that I felt like we had created the squares for a patchwork quilt. Lots of pieces, not yet sewn together in my mind - Mound Bayou, Po’ Monkey, Shaw, catfish farms, Charley Patton, Blues Heritage Trail, Indianola, Cleveland, Greenwood, Baptist Town, Yazoo River, Viking, Emmet Till, Robert Johnson, and on…..It was too much for me to assimilate all in one day. I hope to be able to go back after I get home and research many of the towns, topics and people more so that I can gain a better understanding of how it all fits together.
The most striking contrast for me today was the one between Baptist Town and the Viking Range Corporation’s vision for Greenwood. Two worlds at the opposite ends of the spectrum, only a short distance away from each other. It’s hard to fathom how the town can reconcile having a corporation build an opulent tourist/business destination while there is such poverty a stone’s throw away. That’s not to say I think it’s a bad idea to try to create a new image to bring people back to downtown Greenwood, but surely that could be accomplished in a less ostentatious way that would include a plan to address the poverty? It couldn’t be that Baptist Town prefers to remain in its current state?
Alluvian Hotel
Hoover’s Grocery in Baptist Town
We got a full dose of southern country cooking today with the highlights being Kool Aid Pickles (not as good as they look) at Hoover’s and fried catfish at The Senator’s Place.
By the time we finished dinner, we had 45 minutes to go back to the hotel and get “all gussied up” to go to the famous Jook Joint, Po’ Monkey’s. We had been treated to meeting Mr. Monkey earlier in the day when we drove by his place. I know others will give better accounts of the evening than I can. But for those who know me, I’ll just say I never imagined this picture: Two librarians (Lynn and me), listening to great live blues music, sipping beer in a Mississippi Jook Joint on a Monday evening.
An event filled day, to say the least.