34th annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration pays homage to ‘The Better Half’ – Mississippi’s Best Community Newspaper

NATCHEZ — Miss America 1960, a former Mississippi First Woman-turned creator, an award-winning Washington Publish journalist and numerous others will convene in Natchez Feb. 23 and 24 for a celebration of literature and cinema that may focus predominately on girls.

“For the thirty fourth 12 months, I believed it was about time to provide the higher half a little bit credit score, so this 12 months is ‘The Higher Half? Reality, Fiction or Fable.’ It is going to be for my viewers to determine what they assume after listening to this presentation,” Co-Lin’s Betty Jo Harris informed Natchez Rotarians on Wednesday. Harris is the coordinator of the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration.

In easy phrases, Harris stated she writes grants and asks for donations to herald audio system every year to the favored occasion. “I can proudly say was have some nice sponsors,” she stated.

Among the many major sponsors are the Metropolis of Natchez, the Adams County Board of Supervisors, the Mississippi Division of Archives and Historical past, the Mississippi Arts Council, the Nationwide Park Service and the Southwest Mississippi Heart for Tradition and Studying, which is housed at Alcorn State College.

“Co-Lin underwrites the celebration,” Harris stated. “These sponsors make up an important base to provide me some seed cash to begin establishing this programming.”

Occasions start on Feb. 23 with Washington Publish journalist Amy Argetsinger, who’s the creator of the ebook, “There She Was: The Secret Historical past of Miss America.”

“Once I known as her to ask her to return right here and converse, she stated, ‘It’s about time somebody from Mississippi requested me to return and converse,’ ” Harris stated. “She has all of our queens from Mississippi in her ebook and it’s very reader pleasant and pageant-queen pleasant. She’s not going behind and telling any darkish secrets and techniques. It’s a whole lot of enjoyable and it type of units the stage for lots of our programming.”

Former First Woman of Mississippi Julie Hines Mabus, who has written, “Confessions of a Southern Magnificence Queen,” will comply with Argetsinger.

“Mabus’s ebook is about at The W and it’s a few magnificence queen that has gone rogue within the Sixties.”

Additionally on the Thursday agenda:

• “Skirt Chasing, Petticoat Authorities, and Carrying the Pants: The Feminist, Female Historical past of Trend.” Dr. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, creator of “Skirts: Fashioning Fashionable Femininity within the Twentieth Century,” of Burbank, California, and a trend historian, will focus on its affect.

“I obtained to go to the Met throughout Trend Week final 12 months and also you stroll into the Met they usually have Brooks Brothers clothes by way of the ages. You stroll in and there’s Abe Lincoln’s clothes he wore the evening he was assassinated, which may be very touching. Brooks Brothers had created the go well with for him,” Harris stated. “The second go well with was a Brooks Brothers go well with from Natchez, Mississippi. The buttons have been all falcons. There’s an actual motion concerned in clothes and holding clothes and what individuals wore by way of the ages. I feel she’s going to be a sleeper and can have a really fascinating presentation.”

• Ticketed occasion: “There She Is, Queen’s Luncheon,” The Carriage Home, 401 Excessive St., Natchez, honoring Lynda Lee Mead Shea, Miss America 1960 and Miss Mississippi 1959; Cheryl Prewitt Salem, Miss America 1980 and Miss Mississippi 1979; Kimberly Morgan Myles, Miss Mississippi 2007; and Emmie Perkins, Miss Mississippi 2022.

“Working with Natchez native Lynda Lee Mead Shea has been a pleasure. She goes to affix us for the luncheon, which is sponsored by Connie and Pat Burns and Melinda and Ben Yarbrough,” Harris stated.

The occasion, that includes all 4 queens, a wonderful meal at The Carriage Home, a panel dialogue and a query and reply interval, is offered out.

• “The Secret of House Economics in Mississippi and Past,” with Danielle Dreilinger, creator of The Secret Historical past of House Economics: How Trailblazing Girls Harnessed the Energy of House and Modified the Approach We Reside.

• “The Frenchwomen Who Helped Discovered Natchez.” Dr. Joan DeJean, College of Pennsylvania, creator of Mutinous Girls: How French Convicts Turned Founding Moms of the Gulf Coast.

• “The Previous is Gone however We Nonetheless Reside in its Wake.” Kathleen Bond, superintendent of the Natchez Nationwide Historic Park, in dialog with Dr. Rebecca Corridor, creator of Wake: The Hidden Historical past of Girls-Led Slave Revolts.

• “One Enslaved Lady’s Life:  Piecing Collectively a Narrative.” Kristen Inexperienced, creator of The Satan’s Half Acre: The Untold Story of How One Lady Liberated the South’s Most Infamous Slave Jail.

• “La Belle Américaine:  Virginie Avegno Gautreau and the Franco-American Society of ‘Madam X’.”  Dr. Cybèle Gontar, Visitor Curator of The Cabildo, Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans, LA.

• Classic Trend Fashion Present:  Curated by Judy Wiggins. Meals and Libations ready by Yolanda Morgan.  Music by LLJuna Grennell Weir.  Money Bar obtainable.

• Screening Occasion:  Rhythms of the Land, a documentary adopted by Questions and Dialogue with the filmmaker, Dr. Gail P. Myers.

On the Friday agenda:

• “Altering the Narrative and Telling a Extra Full Story.”  Panel Dialogue with Dr. Jodi Skipper, creator of Behind the Large Home:  Reconciling Slavery, Race and Heritage within the U.S. South and Dr. Elizabeth Bronwyn Boyd, creator of Southern Magnificence, Race, Ritual, and Reminiscence within the Fashionable South moderated by Dr. Roscoe Barnes III of Go to Natchez.

• “Baking on the Fireside and Range:  Baking within the Southern House.”

Dr. Rebecca Sharpless, Texas Christian College, creator of Grain and Fireplace;  a Historical past of Baking within the American South.

• Ticketed Occasion: “Brunch from the Summer season Kitchen at Gloucester.”

201 Decrease Woodville Highway, Natchez, MS.  Tickets $40.

“Conserving a Wonderful Desk within the Federal Period:  from the City East to the Mississippi Territory.” Dr. Leni Sorensen, former meals historian at Monticello and creator of By means of the Seasons:  A Baker’s Dozen of Breads and Sweets from The Virginia Home-Spouse.

• “In a Home Constructed by Slaves:  African American Encounters with Abraham Lincoln.”  Dr. Jonathan White, Christopher Newport College, creator of A Home Constructed by Slaves:  African American Guests to the Lincoln White Home.

• “Girls of the Civil Battle.” Panel Dialogue with Kelby Ouchley, creator of Flora and Fauna of the Civil Battle:  an Environmental Reference Information and Shelby Harriel, creator of Behind the Rifle:  Girls Troopers in Civil Battle Mississippi moderated by Chris Goodwin, Director of Particular Tasks, Mississippi Division of Archives and Historical past.

• “The Good Lady and the Dangerous.”  Elisabeth Grant-Gibson In Dialog with Valerie Martin, creator of Property, Mary Riley, and The Nice Divorce.

• Southern Fiction.”  Panel Dialogue with Dr. Sarah Adlahka, creator of She Wouldn’t Change a Factor and Diane C. McPhail, creator of The Seamstress of New Orleans moderated by Michelle Boyd, Copiah-Lincoln Neighborhood School.

• Screening Occasion: “The Saloon,” a documentary adopted by Questions and Dialogue with filmmaker, Timothy Givens.