Hometown Mississippi

I grew up in a small Mississippi town. That upbringing echoes in my soul. It has never left me. As the world expands, divides, homogenizes, Melody Golding's photographs are a vivid reminder that quality life still exists on the quieter roads of the Magnolia State. That life where neighbors are truly neighbors, handshakes are more binding than any contract, and the better parts of ourselves are to be found in the company of those we truly love. The pictures in this book remind me to slow down, get in the hometown groove, and breathe.--Marty Stuart, Congress of Country Music, Philadelphia, Mississippi I was raised in a small town in Mississippi. I went to school there. I graduated from there. My values, my morals, my ethics all come from there. It's who I am.--Morgan Freeman There is no question that we have scars and bruises from a rough, cruel, and many times inexcusable and unexplainable past, but those are the burdens of the entire country, too. All nations have scars. What defines us as a culture is how we move past those tragedies. I believe Mississippi has risen above our past. I believe I am a son of the new Mississippi.--Robert St. John, restauranteur and author When a Mississippi treasure like Melody Golding aims her lens toward our hallowed state, there's no surprise that she would capture the romance and authenticity of what small-town Mississippi is all about.--Steve Azar, Music and Culture Ambassador of Mississippi