Memphis was the starting line, born there—a city of sweating streets, gospel choirs, and barbecue pits billowing thick smoke. But Mississippi was the proving ground, the mean-spirited heart of a South that thrives on its own venom. I survived the South: it’s no mythic garden of Gone With the Wind nonsense. It’s a brutal machine, grinding out misery with unrelenting precision. The magnolia trees may bloom, but they bloom against a backdrop of ruin. This place revels in its darkness, wears its cruelty like a badge of honor. Beauty? Hell, no. The South doesn’t give you beauty—it gives you ghosts and demands you call it charm.
I'm so happy you did finally publish this piece!! I want to keep using my notebooks, and in recent times, I have been drifting away - there is a giant distinction between analog and digital thought recording.
Thank you! I published it a little while ago but wanted to get it out again. Just because. You're spot on when it comes to the difference between analogue note taking and the digital version. You may find the use of a device quicker, but you also lose part of the magic and mysticism and everything else that happens when you just write by hand. I think that part cannot be included. I love typing away on a computer but the handwriting is on a whole other level. I hope you find your way back to your note books.
Fascinating review!
Memphis was the starting line, born there—a city of sweating streets, gospel choirs, and barbecue pits billowing thick smoke. But Mississippi was the proving ground, the mean-spirited heart of a South that thrives on its own venom. I survived the South: it’s no mythic garden of Gone With the Wind nonsense. It’s a brutal machine, grinding out misery with unrelenting precision. The magnolia trees may bloom, but they bloom against a backdrop of ruin. This place revels in its darkness, wears its cruelty like a badge of honor. Beauty? Hell, no. The South doesn’t give you beauty—it gives you ghosts and demands you call it charm.
Love reading your perspective without the frills and right on straight up with the reality you faced. Thank you 🙏 Do you ever go back to visit?
I'm so happy you did finally publish this piece!! I want to keep using my notebooks, and in recent times, I have been drifting away - there is a giant distinction between analog and digital thought recording.
Thank you! I published it a little while ago but wanted to get it out again. Just because. You're spot on when it comes to the difference between analogue note taking and the digital version. You may find the use of a device quicker, but you also lose part of the magic and mysticism and everything else that happens when you just write by hand. I think that part cannot be included. I love typing away on a computer but the handwriting is on a whole other level. I hope you find your way back to your note books.