Community Book Talks

Clarksdale native, Wright Thompson delivered true stories about the lives of many famous athletes. The attentive audience was sometimes amused and surprised with many of the little known facts and details. Wright Thompson is a senior writer for ESPN and author of The Cost of These Dreams, a collection of true stories about the dream of greatness and its cost in the world of sports.

Michael Farris Smith detailed his inspiration for this blistering tale of violence and deliverance set against the mythic backdrop of the Mississippi Delta.

The poems by Ann Fisher Wirth and photos by Maude Schuler Clay captured the beauty and sereneness of Mississippi.

Greg Iles' Cemetery Road did not disappoint the many who awaited its publication. Iles read from the introduction, which snatches your attention and pulls you in after only a couple of words. He also talked about his writing process and answered questions including who helps him dress the women characters in his books. This was an afternoon to remember.

Hank Burdine delighted the audience with his stories of a life well-lived in the Mississippi Delta.

We had a great time at our fourth annual fundraising gala. Guests enjoyed an evening of history, music, food, and fun.

Thanks to all for another successful fundraiser! Our surprise author panel included Hank Burdine, Dust in the Road: Recollections of a Delta Boy, and Richard Grant, Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta. The auhors delighted and entertained the audience with warm, personal, and funny stories and accounts of their lives and writings. Bill Luckett provided talent as a skilled, experienced moderator. The guest musicians were David Dunavant and Che who both entertained the crowd with traditional blues and soulful rendictions.

The audience enjoyed a selection read by Ellen Meacham from her book, which is a superb account of Robert Kennedy's visit to the Mississippi Delta in 1967.