Mississippi Books

Bret Harte: Prince & Pauper is the first scholarly biography of the author to appear in nearly seventy years, and provides a new assessment of the life and achievements of the writer. New sources provide additional insights into Harte's life and times, bringing to life new truths about his finances and separation from family. An intriguing, moving study.

Give this book as a gift to anyone interested in American literature or American-European cultural exchange in the latter half of the nineteenth century, and treat yourself to a copy, too. It's an innovative biography, bringing characters to life in novelistic scenes, yet maintaining its scholarly authority. Nissen has deliberately chosen a style that a wide audience can enjoy. But he has also done his homework. Manuscripts related to Bret Harte are scattered throughout U.S. and European libraries, and Nissen has performed the laborious task of piecing them together--including many sources previously unknown to Harte scholarship. Through the new research, BRET HARTE: PRINCE AND PAUPER offers, for instance, the most probing anaysis yet of Harte's close relationships with other men. In sum, the book is an illuminating, authoritative, moving portrait of a writer who once enjoyed the acclaim of both popular audiences and the literary establishment. See the author's comments linked to this site. Then read the book.

I guess if your only complaint about a book is that it's too short, that's not so bad.

I love this book. The pictures are terrific. I even used it to make a doll-sized Mardi Gras outfit. Definitely recommended.

I PERSONALLY KNOW JUST ABOUT EVERYONE MENTIONED IN THIS BOOK. CAROLYN DID A WONDERFUL JOB IN RELAYING OUR CULTURE INTO A BOOK. I REMEMBER WHEN SHE WAS INTERVIEWING SUSAN LAUNEY FOR THIS BOOK I ABSOLUTELY FELL IN LOVE WITH CAROLYN'S WORK. I JUST RESENTLY SEEN CAROLYN WARE AT A FESTIVAL IN MONROE, LA AND SHE IS STILL WORKING HARDER THAN EVER TO PROMOTE CAJUN HISTORY. IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN OUR MARDI GRAS PLEASE RECOMEND THIS PARTICULAR BOOK. IT DESCRIBES OUR TRADITION (WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THE FIRST AND ORIGINAL MARDI GRAS) TO THE TEE. I APPLAUDE YOU CAROLYN WARE FOR YOUR MAGNIFISENT JOB ON THIS AND ALL OF YOUR WORK. I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS IS MY FAVORITE BOOK ON CAJUN CULTURE BECAUSE I HAD TAKEN PART IN THIS ACTUAL BOOK. I LEARNED FROM MY FRIEND SUSAN LAUNEY HOW TO MAKE THE MASK IN THIS BOOK AND IT IS A REALLY NEAT AND INTERESTING ACTIVITY FOR ADULTS AND KIDS TO TAKE PART IN. THANK YOU CAROLYN FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND INTEREST IN OUR CULTURE. SEE YOU AT JAZZ FEST 2000 SINCERELY, RYAN FONTENOT

Liz Petry does a masterful job of combining history as we learned it with history in the words of those who were actually there. Finding and sharing letters from her ancestors and presenting them in the context of the world as they knew it is an incredible gift to our generation. This gem of a book gives a clear look at the everyday lives, the education and ambition of people who overcame the rigors and abuses of slavery and took their rightful places in post Civil War society. I found it enlightening and fascinating that it took only one generation to progress from slavery to college degrees. These wonderful people then passed their legacy of education and achievement to their progeny. In my opinion, this book should be required reading in every American History class in every high school and every college.

I was so taken by this brilliant composition, that I recommended it to a cousin working on a thesis concerning northern desegregation between 1954-1980 in the hope that such wonderful, first-hand, historical information would be helpful. He was thrilled.

Congratulations, Liz. Your work is superb, and I look forward to your next book, "At Home Inside: A Daughter's Tribute to Ann Petry."

M. E. McMillan
Author of "Rebirth of the Oracle - Tarot for the Modern World," and as Elizabeth Blackstone, author of "Virtual Strangers, A Woman's Guide to Love and Sex on the Internet" and "The Commoner's Guide to Dog Breeding."

I'm not a history buff per se but I found the James family collection of letters fascinating because it tells the story of an African-American family that was solidly middle class in the late 1800s at a time in America's history when most people were poor or struggling. Though historically rich, the book is told through the original voices of family members through their letters to one another so the reading is engaging and fast-paced. I wish I had read more like it when I was in school.

The book begins with a rich descriptions of the various settings in which the stories of the Choctaw people continue to be told. Mould provides vivid accounts of a range of storytelling sessions and clearly shows that it isn't accurate to view this tradition as a lost art. He then provides a useful description of salient aspects of Choctaw history and culture to contextualize the stories. His discussions of the various narrative genres and the various spiritual and supernatural beings are especially intriguing. The book then consists of a well-organized and highly readable presentation of fascinating stories. Some of them were compiled from previous collections while others are stories that he collected with the assistance of people within the Choctaw community. The stories are interesting reading and provide an important documentation of a vibrant storytelling tradition. It is especially interesting to read these stories while thinking about the continuity of contemporary tales with the older stories of the past.

Choctaw Tales by Tom Mould, Phillip (University Press of Mississippi) Including stories from the 1700s to today, Choctaw Tales showcases the myths, legends, supernatural tales, prophecies, histories, animal tales and jokes that make up the rich and lively Choctaw storytelling tradition. The stories display intelligence, artistry, and creativity as the Choctaw narrators, past and present, express and struggle with beliefs, values, humor, and life experiences. Photographs of the storytellers complement the text. For sixteen tales, the Choctaw-language version appears in addition to the English translation.
Many of these stories, passed down through generations, address the Choctaw sense of isolation and tension as storytellers confront eternal, historical, and personal questions about the world and its inhabitants. Choctaw Tales, the first book to collect these stories, creates a comprehensive gathering of oral traditions from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
"Choctaw Tales is an admirable piece of work, in its care, its sense of responsibility, and its value to a larger community. Mould's account of his relations with the Choctaw people is impressive and his book can stand as a model of how to pre-sent traditional Native American narratives. Clearly the book will be of great value to Choctaw people and of equal value as an example to Native American people elsewhere?' -DELL H Y M E S, author of "In Vain I Tried to Tell You": Essays in Native American Ethnopoetics and Now I Know Only So Far: Essays in Ethnopoetics

TOM MOULD is a professor of folklore at Elon University and is the author of Choctaw Prophecy: A Legacy of the Future.

I highly recommend this book, and not just because I'm in it. (I highly easily finagled a telephone interview with Chuck Jones in 1988--not the greatest interview in the book, but surely one of the highlights of my life.)

If you're a fan of the legendary animation director, this book is the Holy Grail of interview books. It includes interviews by Richard Thompson and Greg Ford (who later did his own Looney Tunes cartoon, THE DUXORCIST) from Film Comment's legendary 1975 issue devoted to animation; an interview by film-buff supreme Joe Adamson (who also did his own Bugs Bunny cartoon, A POLITICAL CARTOON--geez, when do I get to do *my* Looney Tunes??); and several other great and extensive interviews with the master. An invaluable look into the mind of one of the great popular artists of our time.

Here are the list of authors that appear in this book:

The Fantasy Makers: A Conversation with Ray Bradbury and Chuck Jones
Mary Harrington Hall/1968
From Psychology Today, April 1968

An Interview with Chuck Jones
Michael Barrier and Bill Spicer/1969
From Funnyworld 13, 1971

Witty Birds and Well-Drawn Cats: An Interview with Chuck Jones
Joe Adamson/1971
Combined interviews from March and December 1971, partly published in edited form within Gerald Peary and Danny Peary, The American Animated Cartoon (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1980)

Chuck Jones
Greg Ford and Richard Thompson/1972
From Film Comment, January/February 1975

The Art of Chuck Jones
John Lewell/1982
From Films and Filming 336, September 1982

Live from Trumps
Charles Solomon/1985
Radio broadcast, KUSC-FM, April 16, 1985

Interview with Chuck Jones, 1988
Steven Bailey/1988

Chuck Jones and the Daffy World of Cartoons: The Warner's Legend Remembering the Glory Days in an Animated Autobiography
Tom Shales/1989
From The Washington Post, November 26, 1989

Chuck Jones: Animation Pioneer
Academy of Achievement/1993
From the Academy of Achievement website, online at http://www.achievement.org

Interview with Chuck Jones
Mark Thompson and Brian Phelps/1996
From the "Mark & Brian" radio show, KLOS-FM, April 1996

The Inner Daffy: Chuck Jones and the Creative Process
Jo Jürgens/1996

Chuck Jones
Stephen Thompson/1998
From The Onion, online at http://www.theonionavclub.com

Chuck Jones, in his own words
Ron Barbagallo/1999

I was amazed at how helpful a guidebook can be! Having this book, made my trip to the Gulf South so much more enjoyable and meaningful. Not only does Ms. Bultman obviously know and understand this part of the country, but her enormously entertaining writting make the book a joy to read. I enjoyed the book so much that I am continueing to read it even after I returned home!

I picked up the new Compass American Guide: Gulf South to plan a trip to a warmer climate. Outside the snow was blowing, but I was swept up in the fun and informative narrative by Ms. Bultman and associates. I definately plan a Mardi Gras visit to New Orleans for next year, and D. Fran Morley's "Confessions of a Fairhope Transplant" made me want to pack up and move to her charming little town tomorrow! For now I'll have to settle for a visit but the hard part will be chosing a spot. Natchez and the River Road? Cajun country? Fairhope? From a practical point of view, the book's restaurant and hotel/motel listings are quite complete, and I love the fact that it really tells it like it is in regard to places NOT to visit. The Compass Guides are called "insider's guides," and that's really true here. It's like getting great tips from old friends who know a place inside and out.

Very clearly presents the organization of the Confederate armies and sorts out a lot of the confusion regarding regimental consolidations and duplicate naming. A great tool for genealogists and Civil War researchers

Mr. Sifakis has done an excellent job chronicling the Arkansas and Florida Confederate Armies, citing dates of organization, battles, commanders, mergers, and dispositions. I would highly recommend this book to any serious researcher.

This is a most worthy men-at-arms series; like the book's description says, it shows the much more colorful side to the uniforms of the Confederate Army. One man depicted in the color plates for Volume One that I found particularly interesting was a soldier in the Union Light Infantry, a SC unit based on the British Black Watch (42nd Royal Highlanders).
The plates are pretty much the highlight of this series, and show realistic looking soldiers surrounded by beautiful women and scenery, and baring all their various weapons. The text, nonetheless, reveals numerous interesting details. This is an excellent source on the uniforms and appearances of the soldiers of the Confederacy.

Osprey Publishing has issued Volume 5 of their popular book, The Confederate Army 1861-65. A part of their sprawling Men-at-Arms series (this is book #441 in that series), this one covers the uniforms and arms of troops from Tennessee and North Carolina. Written by Ron Field and lavishly illustrated with Richard Hook's watercolors, this book is a worthy addition to the Osprey family. Retailing for $15.95 here in the USA ($21 in Canada), the book has 48 pages, nearly all of them with period photographs or full color drawings.

The new book focuses on each state's antebellum militia and the hastily organized volunteer regiments that were pressed into Confederate service in the initial stages of the war. Using contemporary newspaper accounts, letters, state and local records, and early photographs, Ron Field presents an extensive array of early war military units, their uniforms and accoutrements, drawing heavily upon primary descriptions. He also takes a cursory, but interesting look at how the transition occurred from locally supplied clothing and equipment (which often varied widely from company to company) to state-issued regulation Confederate uniforms, particularly in North Carolina, where, by the end of the war, the term "ragged Rebel" would be made obsolete from the vast stores of supplies held by the state.



Field starts with Tennessee, looking at the outfitting of the militia and early volunteers in 1861, and examines the role various ladies aid societies played in clothing the soldiers of the Volunteer State. He then discusses the role of the state's Military and Financial Board in taking over the administration and logistics of supplying the troops. Field then shifts his focus to North Carolina, again discussing and characterizing the antebellum militia and contrasting them to how the state later took charge and made its forces appear more uniform in appearance. He also briefly compares winter clothing to summer issue for troops from both states.



The book includes a select bibliography for readers wanting to dive a little deeper into the outfitting of Confederate troops from Tennessee and North Carolina. The index is comprehensive, as is the discussion that accompanies the Richard Hook's illustrations. All in all, The Confederate Army 1861-85 (5) Tennessee and North Carolina (ISBN: 9781846031878) maintains the tradition of excellence we have come to expect from Osprey, and is well worth the modest investment.

Well, he's not God I guess, but the wisdom he espouses over the course of these interviews (and in his fiction and poetry) will serve anyone well who has questions on how to live in this world or the more Natural one.
I've highlighted and underlined my "Bible" as any student would.

I'm glad I found this book. You know a writer has finally made it when "they" start publishing books ABOUT him, eh?

Jim is a great writer, poetic in a totally accessible way. Don't like poetry? Read his and you'll be a convert.

Jim is a GREAT conversationalist. This book lets you into that world for the first time. This is a compilation of all his major interviews along with some rare ones. As the preface says, there is some repetition in them, but it wears well and shows what is important to Jim.

(I bought the "True Bones" book as well: the bio-pics of the longhair 70's days is great, the cover art is great, but the academic writing style is unreadable. It's a PhD paper in hardcover. Caution flag unless you're fluent in artspeak.)

In "Conversations" we get great insights into the guy and the game. How many top writers today hammer at MFA's like he does? He's pretty honest about Hollywood as well. Hey, his pals there helped him when others wouldn't. He's up front about that and about the banality of the place as well. At the same time, he gets high on the power, the talent and the $1000 dinners. Who wouldn't? He keeps the books as open as anyone.

We have to admit in this country that if someone wrote the actual literature that would keep our culture alive THEY WOULD STARVE TO DEATH. I think Jim is very clear about this. I'm not sure how many other writers who 'made it' are as candid. But he's a 'flyover' and values candor like so many here do.

American literature isn't dead. There are writers out there who have picked up the ball and have been moving it further all these years since Jim was in his prime. They just haven't seen print yet due to the MFA stranglehold. But not for long! "Flyover" spirit lives in the Underground Literary Alliance...The ULA is the first group to do something about the racket and tragedy that Jim laments about in his interviews.

For such a huge talent, I hate to say anything at all detracting, but we fans have our rights. I have one complaint: Harrison lets some of the obligatory Hollywood vibes into his books. It's the "old geezer gets the hot babes" thing. But Jim has always been up front about his need to pay the bills and play the ONLY game that writers are allowed to play if they don't want to teach or starve: the game with Hollywood. It's either feast or famine. (The ULA is changing this!)

Another thing is the jet-set stuff. His characters and even his memoirs tend to be about idle rich guys causing trouble in fancy and rustic places. His rich writer friends from the 70's often used the same plot. It's fine enough, but runs a little short on relevance. The rich aren't like you and me. They aren't even like themselves much of the time, if you consider the theme of confusion in their work. Yeah, I know it's silly: take out the cross-generation sex and jet-setting and what's left? (The Michigan woods all alone?) Where's the tension? Well, that's for the writer to worry about. : ) Jim's dualism of cabin/mansion, stew/caviar is of course like catnip even while a part of it bugs me. He's marvelously joyous about his fancy dinners and famous friends so I'm happy to call it art and not fret about it. He sure is more candid than others about this kind of thing. What else is he supposed to do really. Well, on a different vein: use that bully pulpit more. He's always railed against the MFAs but with his clout now it would stick.

Though some of the topics in these interviews are repeated, overall they provide entertaining reading about Bowles, Tangier and his world. If you are not familiar with Bowles, I'd read Michelle Green's "The Dream at the End of the World" first, as it gives a fascinating and very well-written account of the expatriote community in Tangier, of which Bowles seems to have been the unelected president, or should we say sultan.

I don't regard Bowles as much of a fiction writer. (Apparently, he never got de-kiffed enough to see how sophomoric much of it is.) However, he is a very good conversationalist, as well as travel, or adventure, writer. (See "Without Stopping" and "Their Heads are Green and Their Hands are Blue.")

Edith Wharton's "In Morocco" is a great primer for the cultural backdrop in which Bowles lived and thrived and, like Bowles, she documents people, places and things very well. (If you like Bowles, you'll love her.)

Especially considering the current crisis between Islam and the West, it is important to read about the other guys without having to demonize them all the time. Bowles has an affinity for "the other guys" that is very refreshing. Yes, the North Africans are somewhat unreasonable, but then who isn't? And, is there a connection between Spain having the lowest confidence in President Bush's abilities (7%) and its proximity to, and long, troubled relations with, North Africa? Did you know that 90% of Morocco's Moslems were, at the time of Bowles' writing, not really Arabs, but Berbers, with a very different (and, from other Islamic pov's, unacceptable) approach to the religion? No?! Then read the book. (I had no idea.) If you want schisms, you got schisms. So the subjects discussed with Bowles are often more interesting than the man himself, who is a bit of a pervert and stuffed-shirt. But, he is also a sorcerer and magician, especially if you're stoned out of your mind on kif or majoun. He cultivated a following that was all too open to suggestion.

O.K., now, if you can put up with a lot of name-dropping and self-aggrandisement, then you'll enjoy this book, as much of the interesting "dialogue" between Islam and the West has occurred in Morocco. From Tangier, Bowles could actually see the coast of Spain, and, with his cigarette holder fully extended, flick an ash or two toward Europe. But he could also venture south into the mysterious countryside, with its Atlas Mountains, unnerving desert, oases and towns.

While the man himself might have been a sometimes irritating exercise in stoned-out tweed, many of his observations regarding the onslaught of civilization reflect this bizarre combination of aristocratic teahead, ethnologist, and sadistic dandy.

Caponi's collection of interviews, spanning several decades up to the early 1990's is a must for all real fans of Paul Bowles work, and an intriguing introduction to his life, work and influences for those who know little about him. As with any such collection of interviews, there is bound to be much repetition - different interviewers ask often essentially the same questions, while Bowles gives (more or less) the same answers. However, even for someone like myself, who thinks they know quite a bit about the man and his work (and maintains one of the Paul Bowles pages on the Web -

Many of the interviews touch on many of the other literary figures Bowles has known - Tennessee Williams is a frequent topic of conversation, as are William Burroughs and the other beat writers, and their time spent in Tangiers. It becomes very evident from the few interviews that dwell on the subject that Bowles is not going to talk much about his late wife, Jane. His hatred for the biography 'An invisible spectator' comes through clearly in several places, but I found it intriguing that his preferred biographer (if he had to make a reluctant choice) would be Millicent Dillon, author of the biography of Jane Bowles.

Altogether a very worthwhile read for anyone with any interest in Paul Bowles.