Jackson Free Press

Support Your Local (Mall) Record Store

At a New Year's Eve potluck, James Crow (aka Herbert Brown) told me a tale of buying records at the FYE music store at Northpark Mall. He captivated me with …

Motorcar Man

If you've lived in the metro area for at least six months, then more than likely you've seen local singer/songwriter Larry Brewer's name pop up frequently in the JFP's music …

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Sure, summer is not officially over. In fact, it is nowhere near being over in any real sense of the word. As those of us who have spent sizeable amounts …

Think You're Not Creative?

"You're so creative," they'd say. "I wish I could be creative."

Back in my last life, I worked as a professional marketer, writing and designing advertising and materials to sell stuff. It used to make me totally nuts when people would …

Cause of Private Prison Melee Disputed

What we know about this past weekend's events at the Adams County Correctional Center, a private federal prison in Natchez, is that a group of prisoners briefly took control of …

More Than Alright, in the End

"The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," based on Deborah Moggach's novel, "These Foolish Things," meditates on life after retirement. The movie blends touches of Eastern philosophy with British wit and irreverence.

Invitational Delights

Franklin Sirmans, the curator of contemporary art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, was out of his element a few months ago in the woods outside Oxford. He …

Liquid Themes

Maybe it's all those lit classes in college, but theme is important to me—whether it's in writing, in one's wardrobe for the season or for a party. The past few …

The Student-Loan Maze

I distinctly remember when the first wave of payments for my student loans arrived. I cringed at the amount, immediately wishing I hadn't been so shortsighted as a student. Did …

Tracey Clemons-Frazier

Tracey Clemons-Frazier knows that Jackson's McWillie Elementary School is something special. A 10-year veteran teacher at the school, Clemons-Frazier believes that committed parents, dedicated teachers, a strong administration and an …

Cornelius "C" Turner

Cornelius "C" Turner adds another honor to his accomplishments. Last week, Gov. Haley Barbour honored Turner and 10 other people with the Mississippi Medal of Service for significant contributions to …

Gov. Calls Special Session, Commemorates Katrina

Gov. Haley Barbour is calling a special session of the legislature Friday to approve one or two large economic development projects.

[Hightower] More Bark Than Bite

After Bernard Madoff confessed in December to looting some $50 billion from investors through a long-running, widespread Ponzi scheme, Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-Pennsylvania, complained that this massive fraud "fell through …

[Talk] Let It Shine

It probably goes back to his babysitter on the southside of Chicago who was a deejay. As he grew older, Corio Thomas continued to fall in love with the music …

Lobbying for Arts

"Give us a dollar, we'll give you a dime." That's the main refrain of the Motion Picture Incentive Act (House Bill 1780), which won the endorsement of the Mississippi House …

Buck Abbey

Buck Abbey says he coined the phrase "green laws" in the '70s, although he did not know what a White Pine tree was before going to college. As a matter …

MAMAS WHO THINK: We're Not ‘Broken'

Maybe it is the historian in me or rampant narcissism, but I examine my life through my daughter's eyes 30 years from now. For instance, when she is 36 (my …

Building Community: Perception vs. Reality

At age 14, Joshua Dedmond had one thing on his mind: starting Jackson’s next big megachurch.

Creating The Music for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is a day for partners to share their love for one another. Some people prepare romantic evenings at home by candlelight or plan a night on the town …

Judge Excludes Informant's Statements

U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate denied a motion last Wednesday from prosecutors in the James Ford Seale federal kidnapping trial to admit statements from Ernest Gilbert, a deceased FBI informant …