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.
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football flipped another prospect the week of the early signing period.
Micah Nickerson, a four-star edge rusher from South Pike, flipped from Missouri and signed with the Bulldogs’ 2026 recruiting class on Dec. 3 on signing day. Nickerson was previously committed to Mississippi State, but flipped to Missouri in September.
The early signing period ends Dec. 5.
He’s the second recruit MSU and coach Jeff Lebby have flipped in the week after Hartfield Academy five-star safety Bralan Womack committed on Dec. 1.
Micah Nickerson 247 ranking
Nickerson is a four-star, according to the 247Sports Composite, He’s ranked No. 286 nationally, No. 13 in Mississippi and as the No. 29 edge rusher.
Nickerson, listed at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, is the third-highest ranked prospect in MSU’s class behind Womack and Grenada four-star tight end Zayion Cotton.
Mississippi State lands DL Tico Crittendon
Shortly after Nickerson signed, Mississippi State also landed defensive lineman Tico Crittendon, according to a report from On3.
Crittendon is a three-star from Lithonia, Georgia, according to the 247Sports Composite. He decommitted from Florida State on Nov. 5.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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Staff
Kamesha Mumford defeated Jackson attorney Letitia Johnson in the Dec. 2 runoff election for Mississippi Senate District 26.
Mumford, a municipal judge from Canton, will serve the remainder of the term through 2028 after voters across parts of northwest Hinds County and Madison County hit the polls.
According to the unofficial results, Kamesha Mumford defeated Letitia Johnson in the Mississippi Senate District 26 runoff with 3,711 votes, or 55.9%, to Johnson’s 2,922 votes, or 44,1%. A total of 22 write-in votes were cast, bringing overall turnout to 6,655 votes across both counties.
In Madison County’s six precincts, Mumford received 814 votes or 69.6% to Johnson’s 356 votes or 30.4%, with five write-in votes. In Hinds County’s 19 precincts, Mumford carried 2,897 votes to Johnson’s 2,566 votes, with 17 write-ins counted.
The District 26 seat has been vacant since former Sen. John Horhn resigned earlier this year to become mayor of Jackson. Horhn represented the district for more than three decades before leaving the Legislature. Gov. Tate Reeves called the special election to fill the remainder of Horhn’s term.
The Nov. 4 special election initially featured seven candidates before narrowing to Tuesday’s runoff, with Mumford winning the race and Johnson finishing in second.
Large donations draw attention in Senate District 26 race
But the runoff didn’t just play out at the ballot box. It also unfolded on campaign finance reports, where six-figure and five-figure donations fueled an expensive legislative race.
On Johnson’s report, her campaign lists a $150,000 contribution from the national law firm Singleton Schreiber, where Johnson serves as a managing partner. The firm is listed as a limited liability company.
Johnson’s fundraising advantage was substantial. Through Nov. 25, her campaign reported $348,674.11 in total contributions, $297,971.39 in total spending and $50,702.72 in cash on hand. Much of that money went toward a full-scale media and turnout blitz, including radio advertising, mass text messaging, direct mail and consulting services. Also included were two $25,000 payments made to political consultant firm Watershed Strategy in the final weeks of the runoff.
By comparison, Mumford ran a far smaller operation, with campaign reports showing significantly lower fundraising totals. Her October campaign finance report showed $152,948.55 in total contributions and $65,499.55 cash on hand at that point in the race. A later November runoff report showed an additional $11,413.26 in new contributions and $53,401.17 in cash on hand, reflecting continued but more modest late-cycle fundraising. Mumford’s campaign spending focused largely on printing, canvassing, limited advertising and small consulting contracts.
Mumford’s report also shows two $50,000 donations on June 1 — one from Mumford and Mumford, the law firm owned and operated by the candidate and her husband, and another from Mumford Title, which the Mississippi Secretary of State lists as a limited liability company.
Mississippi law caps donations from corporations and incorporated entities at $1,000 per year. But the Mississippi Secretary of State’s 2025 Campaign Finance Guide cites state law defining LLCs as unincorporated entities that are not subject to that corporate cap. That means LLCs may legally exceed the $1,000 limit.
As a result of that definition, the six-figure and five-figure donations that initially drew scrutiny — including the $150,000 contribution from Singleton Schreiber to Johnson and the two $50,000 donations tied to Mumford’s campaign — are permitted under current Mississippi law.
The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office confirmed that interpretation to the Clarion Ledger.
Mississippi
Governor Reeves Directs the Mississippi Poultry Association’s Charitable Donation to the Mississippi Food Network and the Salvation Army
JACKSON, Miss. – Mississippi’s poultry and egg companies this year stepped up their annual donation of chicken meat and eggs for the charities of Governor Reeves’ choosing.
Governor Reeves has directed this generous donation of 478,500 servings of protein to the Mississippi Food Network and Salvation Army. That is 87,229 pounds of meat and 129,600 eggs.
“Thank you to the Mississippi Poultry Association for once again stepping up to serve their fellow Mississippians,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “The Mississippi Food Network and the Salvation Army do a tremendous job serving those who need it most, and I appreciate them for accepting this donation to help fight hunger in our state.”
“This year’s deliveries to the Mississippi Food Network and Salvation Army began arriving before Thanksgiving. The companies started earlier because of the extra demand the two charities were reporting. The last trucks will arrive at the MFN warehouse today. We appreciate Governor Reeves coordinating this effort,” said MPA Chairman of the Board Ed Fletcher of Koch Foods.
“We are deeply grateful to the governor and the Mississippi Poultry Association for this generous donation. At Mississippi Food Network, partnerships like this make it possible for us to provide nutritious meals to families across our state. This contribution will help us meet the growing need and ensure that no Mississippian goes hungry,” said Mississippi Food Network CEO & COO Cassandra Mobley.
“The Salvation Army is deeply grateful to Governor Reeves and the Mississippi Poultry Association for this generous donation. These chickens and eggs will help us feed hundreds of families across our community. At a time when many are struggling, this gift is more than food—it is hope placed on the table. We are honored to partner together in serving our Mississippi neighbors,” said Major Timothy Delaney of The Salvation Army.
Since the program began, MPA members have donated 977,00 pounds of chicken and 2,012,200 eggs, which totals almost six million servings of protein.
In addition to the 32,000 people that work in the industry and the 1,700 farm families that raise these chickens and eggs, another 66,400 jobs are generated because of the poultry industry. Mississippi’s largest agricultural industry, poultry’s total economic impact is $27.8 billion.
These products raised on Mississippi farms come from Amick Farms, Cal Maine Foods, Koch Foods, Mar-Jac Poultry MS, Peco Foods, Tyson Foods and Wayne-Sanderson Farms. Each company individually donates products throughout the year to various charities, but they come together through the Mississippi Poultry Association once a year to make this donation.
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