On the Road Again
I’ll be hitting the road again for a book tour for the trade paperback of Mississippi Sissy from Picador that’s in stores now. Below are the dates and cities and locations. Come see me if you live nearby and have the time.
March 15th
Literay Feast Festival/Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Nova Southeastern University’s
Alvin Sherman Library
Davie, Florida
1:30 p.m.
March 19th
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Barnes & Noble
Hub Building
University of Southern Mississippi
1 - 2:30 p.m.
March 20th
Atlanta, Georgia
Barnes & Noble
Georgia Tech University
48 Fifth Street, NW
6 - 7:30 p.m.
March 21st
Pawleys Island, S.C. (Outside Charleston)
Litchfield Books
14427 Ocean Highway
11 - 3 p.m.
March 30th
Tennessee Williams Literary Festival
New Orleans, Louisiana
Panel Discussion
Eudora Welty: First Lady of Fiction
with John Lawrence and Suzanne Marrs
Moderator: Rebecca Mark
Muriel’s Jackson Square Restaurant
Festival Pass or $10 at the door
10 a.m.
March 30th
Tennessee Williams Literary Festival
Panel Discussion
Truths Stranger than Fiction: Lives Revealed in Memoirs
Panel Discussion
with Betsy Carter, Joshua Clark, and Stephanie Elizondo Griest
Moderator: Bev Marshall
Bourbon Orleans Hotel
St. Mary Salon
Festival Pass or $10 at the door
11:30 a.m.
March 11th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Have fun! And don’t worry, I’ll hold down the latte fort while you’re away.
March 16th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Kevin has hit the nail on the head with this book. I’m a little older than Kevin and grew up in Hattiesburg, MS. I also felt that I was a spy, but thought of myself as an alien that had been placed on the strange planet of Mississippi. I kept hoping that I would be taken back home some day. This was not because of my sexual orientation, but because of my ’strange’ lack of racial prejudice. He gives a quote about recognizing a freak when you see one, but to me almost everyone around me seemed to be freaks. It was my ability to recognize the contradictions in the people in Mississippi that I knew; the social, racial, political, religious contradictions that were somehow integrated into the fabric of everyday life that they had become invisible to everyone around me. I was seventeen and in college at Southern before I met someone that could see as I saw. I left MS when I was twenty and knew I would not return except to see family. It would be great if Kevin could find the time to correspond with me for just a bit. I understand his need to write this book as I would write one too if I thought I could write as beautifully as he. This is a “must read” book for anyone wanting to understand why so many great writers come from MS, and I have certainly found a wonderful writer in Kevin.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:16 am
Kevin, as the grandson of one of the “warhorse senators” mentioned in Chapter 8 and a current sissified Castro resident, Mississippi Sissy struck me on deeply personal levels and as such was both a joy and a terror to read. At certain points, I remembered the exact smells of Delta cotton fields and the acrid humidity of beastly Mississippi summers. I don’t think I have ever read a book that hit so close to home that it evoked olfactory reactions in me. Thank you so very much for writing it.
By the way, I’m usually not one for blog comment posting, but I have just finished reading your book this evening and I hesitantly contemplated contacting you somehow to let you know how much it meant to me. A bit later, after buying a few things at an uppity market nearby, I noticed a quote from Flannery O’Connor printed on my receipt. I considered this coincidence to be a sign from the Universe, so here I am. Thanks again, and I look forward to reading more of your works.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Hi Kevin. On the road again. And Hattiesburg and New Orleans. That is the ying and yang of the South for sure. If you can find the time please give up a running account of your trip like you did last time. It was fun to read.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Kevin, Mississippi Sissy blew me away. Could not put it down. Just finished it and had to join your blog to let you know. Hurry up and write another book. I’m going through withdrawals already. Please come to Minneapolis/St. Paul! What does one have to do to get you here?
March 19th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Hi Kevin…
It was great seeing you at Nova University on the 15th. I’m sure the whole book signing/traveling thing can be a little dreary after a while. I mean, how many times can you answer the same question? And I’m sure you get tired of the hotel rooms and the eating out and having thousands of people stare at you as if you were a zoo animal. Although, personally I’d scratch myself and swing from a tree for dinner out all the time, I’m glad you made it to our little town here in Ft. Lauderdale
Well, thanks anyway. It was the highlight of my year so far to see you and I’m looking forward to your next project!
March 25th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Kevin,
I just finished reading your book and was deeply moved by it. I attended Millsaps from 1980 to 84 and new of you from the pictures Lance put up of your performances. I also heard great stories of you from Ward Emling. I received The Frank Hains Award at Millsaps and knew little of what he meant. No one would talk of it.
I too was a Mississippi Sissy and had many similar experiences at Millsaps. I was doing a lot of photography at the time and was drawn to the the antebellum house that was falling apart on Webster. My companion, a fellow with the name of Channing Brenholtz who looked like the child of James Dean and Paul Newman was posing for me that day. We went into the abandoned house which had now been stripped to the studs and took several pictures. The lighting combined with the youth of Channing, and the dilapidation of the home cast a timeless quality to the photos. I realized the pictures were now taken in Mr. Hains home. Here is a link to the pictures in what I believe were the last of the house before it was torn down.
http://web.mac.com/rob.williams/Site/Lost_Generation.html
I briefly met you at Crunch gym here in Los Angeles and we had a nice chat. Congratulations on the success of your book and let me know if you are going to do a reading in the area. I’ll make you some Mayflower dressing.
Robert Williams
March 25th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Kevin, my stepfather coached your Dad and would love to get in touch with you. His name is Arno Vincent. He thought you might like to hear some of the stories he remembers about your Dad. Arno is 92 years of age - celebrated on 29th of February. He saw your write-up in the Hattiesburg American and did not know how to get in touch with you. Please contact me via email and I can give you additional information on Arno. Make sure the subject line contains ARNO’S Name. Thanks, Lynda
March 26th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Kevin, I just finished Mississippi Sissy and absolutely loved it. Easily the best book I have read in a long, long time. I had to keep interrupting my writer wife in order to read her passages so she could marvel along with me at the beauty of your writing. I hope you make it to a Charlotte, NC book signing in the near future. I’d love to own an autographed copy.
We are about the same age so your unique memories of television shows of the 50’s and 60’s had me in stitches. Thanks for a wonderful book.
March 28th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
OK I was on vacation in Venice, CA on spring break and noticed the picture of someone familiar from my youth. Your name brought recognition. I bought the book, seeing it was about growing up where and when I was. I was in Mrs. Johnson’s class, as well as Mrs. Thompson’s (man, the bones of the body and Winken,Blinken,and Nod); also I participated on the 8th grade football team (you ran a kickoff for a TD against Pelahatchie 36-6).
My experience was not as yours, therefore I don’t recall things as you write. I was raised to respect every race, creed, and belief. The people I grew up with didn’t use the “N” word with disdain nor were we interested in politics until high school.
I will admit that your style of writing is to my liking (reminds me of some of John Faulkner’s). I own the paperback. My twin brother and played 2 years @ Mississippi College with Dave Marler before he walked on @ Mississippi State
March 31st, 2008 at 11:25 am
Kevin, the paperback cover in color is very striking. Was the original photo in black and white or color? Hope your paperback sales exceed expectations. Has Oprah called, yet? Although methinks she’s probably done with memiors at the moment.
April 1st, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Hey Kevin-
First of all, “Happy Birthday!”
Secondly, I enjoyed your participation in Bev Marshall’s panel at the Tennessee Williams Festival - and meeting you briefly afterward. As you were speaking about your book, I became aware of why I had not yet moved it to the top of my stack,even though I had owned it for a while: I grew up a sissy in a minuscule community in the panhandle of Texas a couple of years ahead of you, and guess I knew some of your stories would be similar to mine - and was putting off dealing with them. So I have now read your book, many of the stories were similar to mine, and they were not nearly as painful as I feared. I wanted to say “Thank you” for putting yourself ‘out there’ by writing ‘Sissy’ - and also to tell you that I enjoyed it very much! I hope we have the opportunity to visit again- perhaps next time they will have an adequate supply of your book and you can sign it for me.
Have a great year and sell lots of books!
April 1st, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Hey Kevin-
First of all: “Happy Birthday!”
Secondly, I enjoyed your participation in Bev Marshall’s panel at the Tennessee Williams Festival - and meeting you briefly afterward. As you were speaking about your book, I became aware of why I had not yet moved it to the top of my stack, even though I had owned it for a while. I grew up a sissy in the panhandle of Texas only a couple of years ahead of you, and guess I knew some of your stories would be similar to mine - and was putting off dealing with them. So since returning to Dallas I have now read your book, many of the stories were similar to mine, and they were not all as painful as I feared. I wanted to say “Thank you” for putting yourself out there with ‘Mississippi Sissy’ - and also to tell you that I enjoyed it very much! I hope we have the opportunity to visit again - perhaps next time they will have an adequate supply of your book and I can have a signed copy after all…
Have a great year and sell lots of books!
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:42 am
Kevin,
Will you be coming to Atlanta, GA anytime on your book tour. I just picked up Mississippi Sissy in the Book store and absolutely loved it! I was brought up in the small town of Pearl, MS and I know what you are talking about in this book. It was so great to see the personalities you spoke of and the people and places. It was so close to home. I now live in Atlanta, GA and even though I love the southern hospitality that I learned in a small town, I see the racism that still lives in Mississippi especially because I have met so many people from different backgrounds while living in Atlanta and it is hard to go back to that when I visit my family in Mississippi.
Please keep me posted on future book tours! Would love to meet you in person.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Hi, Kevin:
I am not through with the audiobook yet am already a huge fan. I just can’t say
enough wonderful things about this work.
You brought Mississippi back home for me and that is not easy to do. After I finish it
I will be listening to it again and again.
Thank you for the audiobook…it is a hoot listening to you!!!
Also, wanted to let you know that the Detective Fondren is my cousin retired Det.
“Tootie” Fondren or Dave Fulton Fondren.
His sister, Trevor Hailey (Evelyn Fondren)
was a gay icon in San Francisco. She started the tour “Cruisin the Castro”. She too fled Mississippi.
Anyway, looking forward to your future works!
April 9th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
preston gaddis
damn
stacey stegall, what a time
hi
after kevin I went out with or dated gip, friend of yours
time passes
now i’m a granny
Mr. Sessums remains the epitome of “all that’s nice”
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I am almost halfway through your book and I LOVE it so far. Are you
coming to Madison, WI? I hope so!