Jackson Free Press

DRIVE: Tennis, er ... Golf, Anyone?

"Oh, they have an orange one!" cried Ms. D, the delight in her voice crackling through the early evening air. "I've never seen that color of orange driving around, have …

[Chickdom] Exactly Where We Ought to Be

Life had become overwhelming. I truly believed the children had fed my cleverness to the cat, which explained why the cat puked on my Swiffer every day for a solid …

Portrait Of A Black Man

The other day, I stepped into a place that was quite familiar to me. It felt comfortable, forgiving, consoling, almost like home. There was a faint smell of old cologne …

Snake Charming

My mother says that when I was a toddler in diapers, I almost picked up a water moccasin in our Jackson backyard. Branson legend has it I was "saved" by …

Rich Enough

I've heard it all my life: America is the best country in the world. Within that framework, it's nearly impossible to understand why conditions for many Americans are so bad.

Threading Our Path

Sixty-one-year-old Gwen Magee grew up surrounded by arts and crafts, immersed in her mother's passion for knitting, crocheting, ceramics—anything except sewing. "She hated anything to do with sewing. I took …

[Arts] Viva La Revolution!

I moved to Belhaven a little over three years ago from The Country Club neighborhoods of Northeast Jackson. I had discovered the unique and somehow unknown appeal of downtown a …

[Dance] Very Special Dance

A new type of dance show is coming to Belhaven College Friday, May 20. Belhaven's dance department has teamed up with Methodist Rehabilitation Center, the USA International Ballet Competition and …

Beyond Bizarre

I was recently reminded of a dinner incident from when I was a kid. My mother, her friend Bill and I went to eat at my grandparents' house. In the …

[Business] Dreaming Is Free

Congratulations to Chane—his clothing lines are now represented by a New York showroom.

[Wine] The New Face of Chardonnay

When Merlot was such a big deal back in the early '90s, I didn't think it was such a big deal. When Pinot Grigio began its run en vogue in …

CONTROL Issues

As an American over the age of six, I understand that the answer to why Hollywood does anything is almost always "money."

Greenwood Black Magic

Carolyn Haines' newest book, "Bone Appétit" (St. Martin's Minotaur, June 2010, $24.99), is reminiscent of the classic Nancy Drew mysteries, but with a whole lot of southern sass and kick-ass …

[BeerTalk] Beyond Cheap Brews

Most students tend to stop at the suitcases of beer and seldom venture into the possibilities that are out there for the thrifty (but not necessarily cheap) spender who seeks …

Buy Fresh, Buy Local

Photos by Lynette Hanson

Mississippians take pride in their fruits and vegetables. The soil, the climate and hard-working farmers produce a bountiful mix of favorites that pack roadside stands and markets across the state.

[Greenstyle] Sympathetic Activism

Mary Jane Butters, owner of Mary Janes Farm Inc., recently visited Jackson to promote her line of organic bedding at Belk. Butters' company produces organic food, organic textiles, books, magazines, …

[Gospel] All In The Familly

In an industry that is home to stellar artists such as Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin and Donnie McClurkin, another male vocalist has stepped over the threshold—Dathan Thigpen.

Passing The Bar

There's a day in your life when staring at a rope swing hanging from a tree limb, you are content just to watch others fling themselves with glee off the …

Intellectual Delinquency

"The Beats: A Graphic History" (Hill and Wang, 2009, $22) is a graphic biography of the close-knit group of avant garde macho writers of the 1950s and '60s like Jack …

Mississippi Blues: A Pictorial History of Poverty in the Rural South

The photographs from the "Mississippi Blues: A Pictorial History of Poverty in the Rural South" provide an insight to life in the Delta that is virtually unknown to outsiders.