Mississippi
Langdon and Maude Schuyler Clay capture the culture of Mississippi through the lens of a camera
- The two have spent a lifetime documenting the world around them.
Watching documentaries and reading memoirs and other works of creative nonfiction has become almost an obsession with me. My fascination is probably due to the fact that the stories being told are real and true. Learning how people overcome obstacles or create a life for themselves that is vastly different from the expected trajectory ignites my own imagination. That is especially true of creative endeavors or lives that are rooted in the pursuit of creative storytelling in one way or another.
In Mississippi, a couple living in Sumner, Mississippi, has created a life that is full, and rich, and filled with stories they’ve collected in their forty-plus years of marriage. Langdon and Maude Schuyler Clay are professional photographers who have spent a lifetime documenting the world around them, whether in an ancient cemetery in the middle of Paris or a dog on a log in a cypress swamp deep in the Mississippi Delta.
Thanks to mindless scrolling on Facebook recently, I came across a post by Maude where she mentioned that several people had asked her where they could watch Thad Lee’s documentary about them called “Two Lives in Photography.” It seems Thad is set to get a special award from the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters for the film on June 14. Maude also included a link to the documentary, which can be viewed on YouTube.
I have been a fan of Maude Schuyler Clay since I interviewed her years ago for an article I wrote on photographer William “Bill” Eggleston. I was somewhat familiar with Eggleston’s work. My editor gave me a list of contacts, and Maude was on that list. During our conversation, she realized I had no idea she and Eggleston were first cousins – their mothers were sisters. She explained their relationship and gave me wonderful insight for my article.
Curious, I clicked the link to the documentary and spent the next hour and a half transfixed. “Two Lives in Photography” showcases not only the work of Langdon and Maude but also the love of place that is reflected in their work as well as their love for each other.
Oxford Film Festival veteran Thad Lee directed the film, which focuses on a photography retrospective by the same name at the Mary Buie Museum on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford. The exhibit was curated by Melanie Munns Antonelli. The pieces in the exhibit feature photographs taken by the couple over a span of decades, including some taken before they married.
In the film, Langdon says the couple met in 1976 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
“We were at a show for Bill Eggleston – his first ever color photography show.”
Maude had spent time in New York interning for Eggleston.
Lee spent three years producing the film. It begins in 2020, with Landon and Maude walking through the gallery, each relaying the stories behind the photographs, as well as describing how they, as photographers, were able to capture the photos with their respective cameras.
“Somehow you see something and you snap it, and you know you’ve got the prize,” says Langdon. “Other times you’re on a hunt. It could be for months or even years. Then you’ll see a special thing.”
Langdon is a master at seeing the symbolism in seemingly ordinary things, and that adds an interesting dynamic to his work. Maude says she has always been a proponent of photography being very much connected to literature.
“All these photos are stories,” she says in the film. “I like the idea of marrying words and images.”
She had three prominent Mississippi writers write the foreword to her books. Lewis Nordan wrote the foreword to Delta Land, Brad Watson wrote the foreword to Delta Dogs, and for Maude’s portrait book called Mississippi History, the foreword was written by Richard Ford.
The film was artfully shot by cinematographer Gregory Gray, and the hauntingly beautiful score was by Delta native Jim “Fish” Michie, best known in these parts for being one of the founders of The Tangents.
At the end of the film, Maude says, “As freelance photographers and artists, we set out without any real guarantee that our work was ever going to be shown or any of it was ever gonna be published. I think one of the commonalities that Langdon and I have is that we believed that was what we were going to do, no matter what. It has paid off, because, you know, it’s kept us occupied for the past forty years.”
For a teaser to the film, take a moment to watch this trailer. If you’re a person who enjoys learning about the stories behind the artist and their work, you will probably enjoy “Two Lives in Photography” as much as I did.
Mississippi
Thompson defeats Turnage to highlight U.S. House primaries in Mississippi – SuperTalk Mississippi
Political newcomer and Capitol Hill attorney Evan Turnage proved no match for longtime U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, who defeated him and one other challenger to earn the Democratic nomination for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday.
Some politicos thought Turnage – who went to Yale and later worked for some of Thompson’s Democratic colleagues, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) – wouldn’t necessarily win but could make waves as one of the more viable candidates to challenge Thompson in recent years. However, that wasn’t the case as Thompson garnered approximately 85% of the vote when the race was called.
Thompson, 78, is seeking an 18th term. The civil rights leader who chaired the Jan. 6 Committee was first elected in 1993 and serves as a ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee. He will face either Ron Eller or Kevin Wilson on the Republican side, a race yet to be called as of late Tuesday night, and independent Bennie Foster in November’s general.
All of Mississippi’s U.S. House seats are up for grabs this year.
In the 1st Congressional District, Republican Rep. Trent Kelly ran unopposed, while civil rights attorney and University of Mississippi School of Law professor Cliff Johnson beat former state lawmaker Kelvin Buck in the Democratic primary. Libertarian challenger Johnny Baucom awaits Kelly and Johnson in the general.
In the 3rd Congressional District, both Republican Rep. Michael Guest and Democrat Michael Chiaradio ran unopposed. They will meet Libertarian Erik Kiehle in the general.
In the 4th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Mike Ezell had over 80% of the vote when his race was called against former Mississippi Department of Marine Resources officer and political staffer Sawyer Walters. State Rep. Jeffrey Hulum easily won the Democratic nomination over Paul Blackman and D. Ryan Grover. Ezell and Hulum will face independent Carl Boyanton in the general.
Arguably the most watched races of the night occurred in the state’s lone U.S. Senate seat in this year’s cycle. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith had no problem with Ocean Springs doctor Sarah Adlakha, seeing her name bolded around 30 minutes after the polls closed. It wasn’t long after that when Lowndes County District Attorney Scott Colom was announced the winner of the Democratic primary over Priscilla Till and Albert Littell. Independent Ty Pinkins will meet Hyde-Smith and Colom in the general on Nov. 3.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mississippi
Mississippi First Congressional District Primary 2026: Live Election Results, Buck vs. Johnson
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Staff
Sunday, March 15, 2026
1. (tie) “The Irish Goodbye,” Beth Ann Fennelly, Norton; and “Vigil,” George Saunders, Random House
2. “Theo of Golden,” Allen Levi, Atria Books
3. “The Widow,” John Grisham, Doubleday
4. “The Correspondent,” Virginia Evans, Random House
5. “When It’s Darkness on the Delta,” W. Ralph Eubanks, Beacon Press
6. “Eradication,” Jonathan Miles, Doubleday
7. “Neptune’s Fortune,” Julian Sancton, Random House
8. “The Dean,” Sparky Reardon, The Nautilus Publishing Company
9. “Kin,” Tayari Jones, Random House
10. “Brawler,” Lauren Groff, Riverhead
Children and young adults
1. “The Bear and the Hair and the Fair,” Em Lynas, Little Brown
2. “The Hybrid Prince,” Tui T. Sutherland, Scholastic Press
3. “One Mississippi,” Steve Azar,Sarah Frances Hardy (Illustrator), The Nautilus Publishing
4. “If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone,” Gideon Sterer, HarperCollins
5. (tie) “Fancy Nancy: Besties for Eternity,” Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator), HarperCollins; and “The Dark is For,” Jane Kohuth, Simon and Schuster
Adult events (Sunday, March 15–Saturday, March 21)
Amy McDowell in conversation with Jodi Skipper for “Whispers in the Pews,” 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Off Square Books, 129 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2262
Tayari Jones on Thacker Mountain Radio Hour for “Kin,” 6 p.m. Thursday, Off Square Books, 129 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2262
Children’s events (Sunday, March 15–Saturday, March 21)
No Cap Book Club (kids 10-13) will be reading “A Kid’s Book About…,” 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207
Storytime, “Clifford: Dream Big,” 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207
Chapter Captains Book Club (kids 6-9) will be reading “Princess in Black: Bathtime Battle,” 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207
Storytime, “What a Small Cat Needs,” 10:00 a.m. Saturday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207
Story Time, “Very Hungry Caterpillar” Day! 10 a.m. Saturday, Lemuria Books, 202 Banner Hall, 4465 I-55 North, Jackson, 601-366-7619
— Sales and/or Events Reported by Lemuria Books (Jackson); Lorelei Books (Vicksburg); Square Books (Oxford).
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