With contributions from Elizabeth Aydelott, Fred Banks, Jimmy Buffett, Edward Cohen, Maggie Wade Dixon, Ellen Douglas, W. Ralph Eubanks, Richard Ford, Gwendolyn Gong, Carolyn Haines, Lorian Hemingway, Samuel Jones, Robert Khayat, B. B. King, John Maxwell, Alberto Mora, Donald Peterson, Noel Polk, Jerry Rice, George Riggs, Robert St. John, Sid Salter, Constance Slaughter-Harvey, Elizabeth Spencer, Clifton Taulbert, Keith Tonkel, Sela Ward, Wyatt Waters, Jim Weatherly, and William Winter Growing Up in Mississippi shares experiences and impressions from a multifaceted group representing all areas of the state and many professions, talents, and temperaments. Parents, teachers, churches, communities, landscape, and historical context profoundly influenced these men and women when they were young. In his revealing foreword, Richard Ford explores the very essence of influence and illustrates his conclusions by recalling an indelible incident between his mother and himself in the front yard of their home on Congress Street in Jackson, Mississippi. The volume then showcases poignant memories of other distinguished individuals: a governor and statesman, journalists, a news anchor, a playwright, novelists, memoirists, a publisher, a minister, educators and scholars, judges and lawyers, a test pilot and astronaut, a renowned watercolorist, a celebrated actress, and many more. Spanning more than five decades, these essays give us a glimpse of the people and places that nurtured these outstanding individuals and their remarkable gifts. An anthology describing the unique experience of childhood in the South's most storied state; includes contributions from a multifaceted group of well-known celebrities and history-makers as well as local notables; spans over fifty years of Mississippi history This anthology describing the unique experience of childhood in the South's most storied state - Gives readers a glimpse into the experiences and memories of successful Mississippians - Offers an inspiring anthology for school-age children and a nostalgic look back for older readers - Features a beautiful cover painted by Wyatt Waters - Includes photographs and brief bios of each contributor - Offers contributions from: Elizabeth Aydelott Fred Banks Jimmy Buffett Edward Cohen Maggie Wade Dixon Ellen Douglas W. Ralph Eubanks Richard Ford Gwendolyn Gong Carolyn Haines Lorian Hemingway Samuel Jones Robert Khayat B. B. King John Maxwell Alberto Mora Donald Peterson Noel Polk Jerry Rice George Riggs Robert St. John Sid Salter Constance Slaughter-Harvey Elizabeth Spencer Clifton Taulbert Keith Tonkel Sela Ward Wyatt Waters Jim Weatherly and William Winter An anthology describing the unique experience of childhood in the South's most storied state; includes contributions from a multifaceted group of well-known celebrities and history-makers as well as local notables; spans over fifty years of Mississippi history An anthology describing the unique experience of childhood in the South's most storied state; includes contributions from a multifaceted group of well-known celebrities and history-makers as well as local notables; spans over fifty years of Mississippi history Judy H. Tucker (1939-2022) coedited (with Charline R. McCord) numerous books, including A Year in Mississippi , Coming Home to Mississippi , Christmas Stories from Mississippi , Growing Up in Mississippi , and Christmas Memories from Mississippi , all published by University Press of Mississippi. Charline R. McCord has coedited (with Judy H. Tucker) numerous books, including A Year in Mississippi , Coming Home to Mississippi , Christmas Stories from Mississippi , Growing Up in Mississippi , and Christmas Memories from Mississippi , all published by University Press of Mississippi. Wyatt Waters has illustrated numerous books featuring his watercolors, including Another Coat of Paint and Painting Home . Richard Ford is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist.