At the end of May, I left Sydney and the kids for a conference in Oxford, MS. I realized I’ve been there four times in the past decade, mostly because Ole Miss is both William Faulkner’s hometown and the site of the annual conference on his work. This time, though I did go on a Faulkner tour of town, led by a colleague, I was there for a conference on British writers. I felt a bit like I’d brought the wrong dress for the venue (I gave a paper on an English WWI soldier), but I enjoyed the mix of Deep South and British accents when everyone mingled after the talks.
Mom drove down (from Iowa!) to spend the week with me–and to visit one of her favorite places. We enjoyed food at a number of the restaurants around the courthouse square.
We also hit all three locations of the independent bookseller, Square Books, and she humored me with a trip out to Faulkner’s house.
Most of the time, though, we just enjoyed walking the area: large old homes, lots of history, and gorgeous gardens. I hear the tailgating’s remarkable, but you won’t find me within a hundred miles of Ole Miss once football season arrives.
Erin
Alan Schmierer