Jackson Free Press

Tell Me the Truth, JoAnne

If nobody e-mails any questions to me (see below) or gives me any when they see me around town, I have two choices: (1) harass friends, neighbors and total strangers …

[Ask Joanne] Think Big, and Small

Q. What is the single most obvious opportunity for a citizen to assist the City of Jackson in addressing a community problem? By this question, I am referring to all …

Cochran and Lott: Sign On Now

In the wake of the Edgar Ray Killen trial and the media spotlight on Mississippi, another tumult over race and politics boiled to the surface last week when the U.S. …

Tell Me the Truth, JoAnne

Q: What should I do about a partner who snores? —Sleepless in South Jackson

A Republic Without Citizens

Thomas H. Keane and Lee Hamilton conclude the preface to the 9/11 Commission Report with these words: "All of us have had to pause, reflect, and sometimes change our minds …

[Ask Joanne] Eureka, She Found It!

Q. I've noticed for years the signs at Fortification and Monroe Streets pointing south indicating some sort of "Community Children's Theater." And I've hunted for it, but I can't seem …

[Ask JoAnne] Avoid Shopping Hangovers

Q. Do you think rampant consumerism is ruining the true meaning of Christmas?

A. My dear, dear one, whoever you are, how do I begin? Rampant consumerism can ruin anything, of course, particularly one's pocketbook. But whose rampant consumerism are we talking about? …

[Stauffer] Movin' On Up

Read about the JFP's exciting moves—from moving into new offices in Fondren to hiring a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter.

[Ask JoAnne] The Dreaded Sentence Prayer

A. You're right, nobody really sent in that question. But it's not totally made up. It's a question I get all too often—the dreaded question. It's the dreaded question because …

HIGHTOWER: Buy Organic, Buy Local

When 90 members of the Wampanoag tribe joined 50 Pilgrims for the first Thanksgiving back in 1621, they had a cornucopia of food. For three days, they feasted on venison, …

[Stiggers] Afrocentric Ghost of Kwanzaa Present

"Terminator 2003: No More Token Minorities" is an exciting sci-fi-reality-docu-drama starring Gov. Arnold Swarzenegger as he attempts to terminate college prep courses in predominately minority schools. Michael Jackson makes a …

[Ask JoAnne] Because I Said So

A. It's column time again, and I have not received any bona fide questions to answer lately. (It's not difficult, by the way, to have your questions qualify as bona …

[Ask JoAnne] The Free and the Grave

Sure, there are many faults in Bush, just as there are in any politician. I am the first to admit it. But in the JFP "Donkeys Have a Shot?" you …

[Ladd] Just As I Am

I was baptized when I was 13 in a Southern Baptist church in Neshoba County. I wasn't particularly spiritual; there was more anger and selfishness and confusion in my heart …

[Cohen] Never Mind All That

It's official. The decision was made some two and a half years ago, but the first airings of the Bush campaign's television ads brought the strategy fully into play. The …

Your Name In Lights

You gotta love the folks who decide to do something instead of just complain about it. Last year, in response to the common refrain "We never get any decent independent …

Jane, You Ignorant Snit!

The other day, an e-mail popped up with the subject line, "tired of insults." I grimaced a bit and opened it. The correspondent first told me that she reads my …

Franklin Advocate Editorial and Thomas Moore Response

Franklin Advocate, July 28, 2005

This letter appeared in The Franklin Advocate, the weekly newspaper in Meadville, Miss, the week after Thomas Moore's story appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It is reprinted verbatim; below …

[Ask JoAnne] Donkeys Have a Shot?

Do the Republicans have a lock on the state of Mississippi? Does a Democrat, or even just a non-elephant like myself, have a chance of voting for the winning candidate …

[Ask JoAnne] A Girl and Her Hat

Q. I need a hat. Where can a girl get a hat? Is it appropriate to wear a hat to a wedding? Thanks.

A. I need one, too! And I'm sad to learn that the amazing Christabelle, who designed and made fabulous hats in Jackson*, has passed away. (But don't you know the …