Larry Morrisey talks with Carolyn Brown and Ellen Ruffin, co-editors of "A De Grummond Primer," a new book that examines the extensive children’s literature collection at The University of Southern Mississippi. The collection includes original items from a number of legendary children’s book authors, including Margret and H.A. Rey, the creators of “Curious George. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leslie Barker talks with musician, Adam Collier. Also known as AJC of AJC and The Envelope Pushers and AJC the DJ, he is a man who wears many musical hats. It’s a conversation about Adam’s influences, process, and upcoming projects.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melody Moody Thortis talks to Erin Rockwell, a dancer and choreographer currently serving as a Professor of Dance at Belhaven University as well as the Director of its MFA Program. Erin is also a former Mississippi Arts Commission Fellowship recipient. They discuss Erin’s journey as a dancer, her frequent collaborations with local musicians and her passion for integrating dance and film.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Story interviews Ralph Eubanks about his new book, "A Place like Mississippi: A Journey Through a Real and Imagined Literary Landscape." They talk about Ralph’s experiences of growing up on a farm in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement, returning to the state after a long absence, and how he was inspired to write a book about the literary landscape of the state. The two also discuss the upcoming Mississippi Book Festival, which will take place Aug. 21 in downtown Jackson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey talks with musician and composer Igor Iwanek. Iwanek combines academic training in western classical music with longtime independent study of Indian classical music to create music that fuses the multiple traditions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Story speaks with Catherine Pierce, Mississippi’s new Poet Laureate. Pierce has been a professor of creative writing at Mississippi State University since moving to the state in 2007. She received the 2021 Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters’ Poetry Award for her book Danger Days. Sarah and Catherine discuss the role of the state’s environment on her work, why poetry is for everyone, and Catherine’s plans to promote poetry throughout the state in her role as poet laureate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melody Moody Thortis speaks with H.C. Porter, a visual artist whose work is often recognized due to its unique style and high contrast colors. As a photographer, printmaker and painter, Porter’s work as an artist and cultural ambassador is rooted in an effort to use the visual arts to tell the stories of Mississippians. They talk about her journey to document the people of Mississippi after Katrina and her work with blues legends across the state – this work is chronicled through her books, Backyards and Beyond and Blues at Home.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leslie Barker talks with Heather Barnes and Heather Bailey about Uproar Theatre Company, Inc.; a new company in Jackson, created by and led by women. Uproar works to create theatre that will inspire audiences and spark important community conversations.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey travels to Malaco Records in Jackson to talk with label president Tommy Couch, Jr. Malaco has just published a large-format book that documents the history of the music label, from its beginnings as a small music booking operation and growing into a highly regarded independent record label focused on blues, R&B and gospel music.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Story speaks with Cali Larson Noland, Griot Youth Program founder, and Leonette Henderson, Griot’s new executive director. Sarah speaks with the two about the founding of Clarksdale-based Griot and the diverse arts programs they offer for grades 3 – 12. They share their excitement for the opportunity to create new community in Clarksdale and talk about their local coffee shop, Meraki, which gives workforce development training for young adults. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leslie Barker talks with theatre artist and Jackson native, Melissa Mickens. Melissa is an actress, writer, director, producer, and teaching artist based in New York. She is the director of Adler Youth and Summer Shakespeare and the Black Arts Institute coordinator at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. The discussion includes thoughts on the vital importance of arts education and all aspects of the collaborative theatrical process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melody Moody Thortis talks with Kristen Brock, Director of Programs and Promotions at Visit Hattiesburg and Director of the Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art. They discuss how Hattiesburg has embraced the arts as a driver for community growth, economic development and community engagement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey talks with composer Ivan Elezovic, a professor in the music department at Jackson State and one of this year’s MAC Artist Fellowship grantees. Larry and Ivan talk about his early years as a performer, discovering contemporary music and composition in college and his path to becoming a composer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mississippi Arts Commission Executive Director Sarah Story talks with Jackson-based visual artist Alexis McGrigg. They discuss her influences from the Mississippi School for the Arts, her journey from undergraduate painting to the graduate painting level, and McGrigg’s current exhibitions which reach from Mississippi to New York Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melody Moody Thortis speaks to Silbrina Wright, executive director of the Greater Jackson Arts Council (GJAC) about her work at the intersection of the arts and social justice. They talk about the efforts of the Greater Jackson Arts Council to grow its programming and expand its work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leslie Barker talks with visual artist and Mississippi Arts Commission Special Initiatives Director, Victoria Meek. They discuss Victoria’s love of museums and how they helped spark her passion for art at an early age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey talks with photographer and folklorist Robert Stone about "Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus!" his new book of photographs documenting the "sacred steel" music tradition. A group of African American churches use the steel guitar as their lead instrument. The churches are found throughout the eastern half of the US, including in north Mississippi. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Story talks with Benjamin Saulsberry, museum director of the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner. The two speak about the Emmett Till story and the work of the Interpretive Center. The Center was recently awarded a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support racial healing efforts and strategic planning to coordinate the preservation of the Mamie and Emmett Till story across the Mississippi Delta and in Chicago. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leslie Barker talks with her former student, Jay Jurden. Jay is a comedian, actor, and writer who was named one of the Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2020 by Vulture. He has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Featuring, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and HBO's High Maintenance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melody Moody Thortis speaks to Von Gordon, the Youth Engagement Manager at the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation about his work to use the arts as a tool to connect and empower young people across the state. They discuss the Winter Institute’s new Community of the Future Creatives Showcase contest, which serves as a way for middle and high school students across Mississippi to use the arts as a way to process the events of the past year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey visits with opera conductor Christopher James Ray. Ray is the resident conductor at Opera San Jose and a native of Sumrall, Mississippi. They talk about Ray's career and his recent work conducting a production of the opera "Three Decembers" that was presented virtually and has received a lot of favorable press in the opera community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Story speaks with curator Ryan Dennis about the newly opened Dusti Bongé exhibition at the Mississippi Museum of Art. Widely considered to be the first Mississippi artist to work consistently in a Modernist style, the exhibition includes works from throughout Dusti Bongé's career. Visitors will be able to experience her paintings, works on paper, and sculptures as well as see the influences of Bongé’s life in different stages.Image description: Dusti Bongé, Void 6 (detail). 1982, Oil on canvas. Collection of the Dusti Bongé Art Foundation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Highlights of the annual Governor's Arts Awards ceremony. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leslie Barker talks with this year’s Governor’s Arts Awards honoree for Excellence in Literature, Jesmyn Ward. The first woman to win the National Book Award twice, a recipient of a McArthur Genius Grant, and one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential People of 2018, Ward’s writing pulls deeply from her Mississippi roots. It’s a conversation about storytelling, community, education, and life in DeLisle, MississippiPhoto Credit: Beowulf Sheehan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melody Moody Thortis talks with Raphael Semmes, who is being recognized this year with a Governor’s Arts Award as a Cultural Ambassador. Raphael is a lifelong musician, songwriter and event organizer based in Jackson who has contributed to the music and festival scene across the state for decades. His creation of the song, "Feels like coming home" was recorded for Visit Mississippi as a reminder of all the positive attributes of our state. Photo © Portico, by James Patterson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Story interviews the Governor’s Arts Awards recipient for Excellence in Media Arts, Arthur Jafa. An acclaimed artist, film maker and cinematographer, Jafa has worked to address African American identity through contemporary imagery for the past three decades. The two discuss Jafa’s early years in Clarksdale and Tupelo, films and comic books that influenced him, his time at Howard University as well as upcoming film projects, some of which may take place in Mississippi. Photograph by Robert Hamacher. Image courtesy of the artist and Gavin Brown’s enterprise, New York / Rome. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey talks with 2021 Governor’s Arts Award recipient Nellie McInnis (aka Nellie Mack). McInnis is a Jackson-based bass player and band leader. She has played with several legendary Mississippi blues and R&B musicians and currently leads a number of groups. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leslie Barker talks with GRAMMY award-winning musician and this year’s Governor’s Arts Awards Lifetime Achievement honoree, Benjamin Wright. Wright, a native of Greenville, shares stories about his work with Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight, Earth, Wind & Fire, Justin Timberlake, and countless other musical legends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As part of The Mississippi Arts Commission’s series of interviews featuring the recipients of this year’s Governor’s Arts Awards, Melody Moody Thortis focuses on the work of the Tutwiler Quilters; known nationally for their quilts, potholders, placemats and purses. During the pandemic, the group transitioned to making masks for local hospitals and others in need. This year the Tutwiler Quilters are being honored for the Arts in Community and on behalf of the quilters, Melody spoke to the Executive Director of the Tutwiler Community Education Center, Melanie Powell. Photo credit: Rory Doyle Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey and his Arts Commission colleague Maria Zeringue discuss the online publication Mississippi Folklife; a MAC project documenting the state’s present-day cultural heritage. Three Mississippi Folklife contributors are featured. Vish Shenoy, a sitar player based in Clinton, MS; Addie Citchens, the author of two essays about Clarksdale and Oxford-based artist, Lee Harper, creator of a  diorama project called History Bones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Story, the new Executive Director of the Mississippi Arts Commission, interviews sociologist and storyteller Dr. Brian Foster about his new book “I Don’t Like the Blues: Race, Place & the Backbeat of Black Life.” An account of Foster’s five years of research in Clarksdale, the book explores the life of Black citizens, their relationship to the blues and blues tourism, and the inequalities that still exist in the rural South. They also discuss his path to becoming a sociologist, the power of place, and his influences growing up in Mississippi. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melody Moody Thortis speaks with Leah Kemp, Director of the Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center at Mississippi State University in Starkville. The Center is a community design center on the campus of MSU where they provide a range of design and planning services for small towns across Mississippi. Melody and Leah talk about how community centric programming continues to change and adapt during the pandemic as well as the new and innovative ways that people and communities are finding to gather together.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leslie Barker interviews playwright and librettist, Jerre Dye. Jerre is a recipient of the Fellowship of Southern Writers’ Award for Dramatic Literature. His work has been seen at venues such Chicago Opera Theater and the Kennedy Center. From Faulkner and Welty to his childhood in Amory, Jerre talks about how Southern stories and his deep Mississippi roots always find their way into his work. Photo credit: Joe Mazza at Brave Lux Inc. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey visits with Sarah Story, the new executive director at MAC.  Story is a Jackson native with family roots throughout the state. She has worked at visual arts museums throughout the south and has just returned home to lead the Commission. They talk about her artistic journey and what areas she wants to explore at MAC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melody Moody Thortis speaks with artist, canoe builder and river guide, John Ruskey. Owner of Quapaw Canoe Company and former curator of the Delta Blues Museum, John is one of the most experienced guides on the lower Mississippi river. Melody and John talk about his passion for nature and his passion for passing down traditions including the process for making dug-out canoes and his work with young apprentices. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Malcolm White talks with singer-songwriter Chelsea Lovitt. A native of Hattiesburg, Lovitt now resides in Nashville, Tenn., where she has recently released her album “You Had Your Cake, So Lie In It.” The two talk about country music, garage-rock, MAC grants, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leslie Barker talks with comedian, musician, and veteran, Rita Brent. Rita talks about life growing up in Jackson, sharing her Mississippi story with audiences all over the country, and how comedy is her superpower for connecting and sparking vital conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey talks with sculptor and MAC Artist Fellowship grant recipient Lawson King. King is a native of the Delta. He creates public sculpture using steel. His current work was influenced by his work as an artist-in-residence in schools around the Delta. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Malcolm White talks with singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Charlie Worsham. A former member of the Old Crow Medicine Show, Charlie Worsham was born in Jackson, Miss., and grew up in Grenada. Malcolm and Charlie talk about his Mississippi roots, grants from MAC as well as his experiences playing with country music legends.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Salyers is dance artist based in Hattiesburg and currently serving as Assistant Professor in Dance at the University of Southern Mississippi. Melody Moody Thortis talks to Candice about her exploration of dance and how it intersects with social issues and site-specific locations. Candice, a recent recipient of MAC's new Individual Project Grants, also shares about her time as a dancer and what’s she learned along the way Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey talks with singer-songwriter Bronwynne Brent. The Greenville native has just released “Undercover,” her third album. It was recorded at the legendary Daptone Studio in New York City and features members the band The Reigning Sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Malcolm White catches up with singer-songwriter Mac McAnally. Malcolm and McAnally, a ten-time CMA Musician of the Year, talk about music, life in Nashville, and the new full-length album, Once in a Lifetime. Hailed as some of his finest material to date, McAnally crafted the album to reflect one of his intimate live shows Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New host Leslie Barker is MAC’s arts-based community development director. She talks to visual artist Robin Whitfield, a Grenada-based artist whose work is inspired by the natural world. They discuss Robin’s work as a visual artist, her role as Founder/Director of Friends of the Chakchiuma Swamp, and how she uses art in her conservation and community work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey visits with writer Richard Grant. Grant, known for "Dispatches from Pluto," his book on his time living in a remote community in the Delta, has just published "The Deepest South of All," a look at the city of Natchez and how its long history continues to impact contemporary life in the town. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Malcolm White speaks with Lawrence Wells, Oxford-based writer about his new book, In Faulkner’s Shadow. Wells is the author of three novels, director of Yoknapatawpha Press in Oxford, and was married to the late Dean Faulkner Wells, William Faulkner’s only niece. His new book is a memoir recounting not only family stories and rivalries, but also bears witness to Wells’ front row seat in an emerging literary community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melody Moody Thortis speaks to MAC's Director of Arts Industry, Kristen Brandt. In addition to managing MAC's grants to arts institutions across the state, Kristen also manages literary arts related grants and projects including the Poet Laureate and the Mississippi Writers trail. Kristen also serves as the point person for MAC's emergency preparedness initiative including overseeing COVID-19 relief grants. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Morrisey talks with poet and writer Aimee Nezhukumatathil from Oxford. They will talk about her latest book, "Worlds of Wonder." It is a series of essays about Aimee's love of unique animals and plants and her personal connections to their stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Malcolm White speaks with Betsy Bradley, director of the Mississippi Museum of Art as well as Ryan Dennis, the Museum’s new chief curator and artistic director of the Center for Art & Public Exchange (CAPE). The group discusses the Museum’s current exhibit, Van Gogh, Degas, Monet and Their Times: The Mellon Collection of French Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, as well as their experience of operating the art museum during a pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.