THE
Daily
MISSISSIPPIAN theDMonline.com
Thursday, August 31, 2023
Greenfield Farm to revitalize Southern storytelling
Volume 112, No. 2
Presley packs town hall in Oxford
PHOTO: HAL FOX / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
PHOTO COURTESY: KEVIN BAIN / THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Philip Jackson’s art class at William Faulkner’s Greenfield Farm.
CAROLINE MCCUTCHEN
N
thedmfeatures@gmail.com
estled between William Faulkner’s home of Rowan Oak and his birthplace of New Albany, Miss., Greenfield Farm served as the author’s agrarian observatory. Amidst farmers and mules harvesting corn and cotton, Faulkner gathered creative inspiration for his world-renowned novels. Currently owned by the University of Mississippi, Faulkner’s mule farm will soon be transformed into Greenfield Farm, the first stipend-supported nonprofit writer’s residency in the Deep South. Spearheading the residency’s creation is John T. Edge, director of the Mississippi Lab, a UM initiative that generates and supports creative projects. The Mississippi Lab aims to provide a secluded sanctuary for Southern writers and build upon the rich literary legacy of Mississippi. “What we’re doing is a natural accompaniment to Rowan Oak. It’s the laboratory to Rowan Oak. It’s the place to do the work to drive change and progress in
Brandon Presley, the Democratic nominee for governor, held a town hall in Oxford on Aug. 30. The former mayor of Nettleton talked about fiscal policy, school funding and the state welfare scandal.
Mississippi,” Edge said. “This is a humanities laboratory for people to do deep thinking and deep writing to get removed from the nature of everyday life.” However, Edge shared, Greenfield is not aimed strictly towards writers in the traditional sense. Rather, it welcomes anyone who wishes to write, including songwriters, poets, nonfiction writers and novelists. Expected to host its first cohort beginning in mid2025, the writer’s residency plans to open its doors to 50 to 60 writers each year between its commuter residency and stipend-supported overnight program. The latter entails providing $1,000 per week to writers staying in overnight cabins. Thanks to this support, writers of all socioeconomic backgrounds will have the opportunity to pursue their craft without financial constraints. “We have the best writing in the nation, and it’s time for Mississippians to get that fact out there and for Mississippians to tell their stories,” UM professor and former Mississippi poet laureate Beth Ann Fennelly said. “And the fact that this residency is going to be funded means that it’s really open to all Mississippians.” Fennelly, along with Ralph Eubanks, UM faculty fellow
SEE GREENFIELD PAGE 6
SEE PRESLEY, PAGE 3 HOTEL FICTION Indie-rock bands Hotel Fiction and Trash Panda held a show Aug. 26 at Proud Larry’s SEE PAGE 5
PETE GOLDING Golding is a great defensive mind walking into an average defense with a lot of potential, which is a formula for top-25 upside. SEE PAGE 8
Rebels likely to snag Mercer win in first game IAN SPARKS
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It’s that time of year again. Football season is finally upon us, and the Rebels’ roster looks to be one of the most talented they have had in a while. Entering the season ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press poll, Ole Miss starts the season with lofty aspirations. The Rebels are returning a large number of playmakers from last sea-
son. Freshman running back sensation Quinshon Judkins is entering his second year at Ole Miss with potential Heisman shouts nationwide. Junior quarterback Jaxson Dart, the presumed starter, is coming into his second year in Coach Lane Kiffin’s system, looking to make that same leap Matt Corral did under Kiffin. As for new faces, Kiffin did what Kiffin does: hit the portal hard. Adding two elite-level quarterbacks in Oklahoma State trans-
fer Spencer Sanders and former five-star recruit Walker Howard has put Kiffin in another quarterback decision-making process. Along with some key additions on defense in Monty Montgomery, Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste and more, the proclaimed Portal King brought in a top-five portal class in the country. Not to mention adding the top two high-school recruits in the state with five-star Suntarine Perkins and four-star Ayden Williams,
both of whom are shaping up to be early contributors for the Rebels. Ole Miss is playing host to Mercer out of the FCS for the season and home opener at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2. The Rebels, playing at home in front of what should be a good crowd, are heavily favored to be too much for the Bears. Mercer started its season on a
SEE PREVIEW PAGE 9