Arts Council Launches Book Project

Please contact CaCera Richmond
Project Coordinator
601-212-7506
lrichmon@olemiss.edu

October 1, 2008

Celebrities and 6th graders Write Book Together

A star like Parker Posey and a 6th grader are writing a book together? It is the hope of Yoknapatawhpa Arts Council (YAC) and the Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library in their new project to raise awareness about the literature & literacy. Celebrities, students, and citizens of Oxford, MS are being invited to become authors when they participate in Southern Sketches, a project hosted by the Arts Council. Participants will receive a page of a book containing a beginning and ending sentence. They will then fill in details of the story and autograph the bottom of their page. The pages will be combined to form a book whose story is about a fledgling author who is obsessed with the hope of finding the missing manuscript of William Faulkner’s last novel.

“We hope that by giving children the opportunity to write with celebrities it will encourage them to become readers and learn about the rich literary heritage of the region,” states YAC director Wayne Andrews. A study highlighted that the biggest challenge in fighting illiteracy is when young children come from a home where people don’t read and reading materials from are not in the house. The celebrity connection in this project is designed to get the family interested in the children’s desire to read transforming the family into readers.

The Arts Council has started asking a diverse range of celebrities to complete a page of the story. “We are asking authors, actors, civic leaders, and musicians.” shared project coordinator CaCera Richmond. “ The idea has generated a lot of interest especially from small publishers located in the Southern United States.” The project calls for duplicate pages to be distributed so that several versions of the book will be created and auctioned off to support the Arts Council and Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library. The book is designed to contain twenty five pages offering a point of view of Oxford, MS from various backgrounds, ages, and status. Most important, the council hopes it gives the children of Oxford the chance to be apart of a once in a lifetime opportunity that will start a lasting habit of reading.

Established in 1975, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is the official arts agency for Lafayette County and the City of Oxford. The YAC is a non-profit organization that is committed to bringing diverse and extraordinary artistic and cultural opportunities to the community and artist of the region. The arts council’s partner in the project The Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library serves the community with it’s extensive book collection in addition to adult and children’s programs.

To learn more about the project or to find out how you can submit a page contact the Arts council at 662-236-6429 or by email at yacoperations@gmail.com

Media Contact: CaCera Richmond
Tel: (601) 212-7506 (cell)
E-mail: crichmond2009@gmail.com


Spice up Your Winter Favorites

Oxford, Miss. – The winter season and the South are synonymous for one thing, comfort food. Who doesn’t love snuggling up on the couch with a big bowl of chili or your favorite chocolate concoction while watching television or entertaining friends? While we may not see one drop of snow or pull out our winter clothes until after the New Year, all Southerners love the thought of a nice fire and good food.

What many of us do not realize is that many of our favorite Southern dishes have been around for years. Some Southern food dishes have survived for hundreds of years through civil wars, great depressions, and many health food revolutions. Even more important, Southern comfort food over the years has begun to include adaptations from many neighboring cultures such as Mexican, Creole, and French.

So how should you add some spice to your favorite winter dishes? Maybe add some cayenne pepper or celery and cumin seeds to your flavorless bowl of chili. Or instead of just shrimp in your seafood gumbo, add oysters and crabmeat, bacon grease and Worcestershire sauce. For the veggie lovers, try Creole Butter Beans by adding crushed tomatoes, bell peppers, and chopped celery.
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And while no winter season is complete without a heap of mouth-watering desserts, make chocolate dishes the center of your meal by whipping up delicacies such as Kahlúa Mocha Parfait Pie, Raspberry Brownies, or Pecan Squares.

For the local entertainer who wants to try to spice up their favorite winter comfort foods, Square Table, a collection of recipes from Oxford residents and business owners, preserves the dishes we are used to while infusing them with other cultures. All of these recipes and many others can be found in this publication that won the 2006 National Tabasco Community Cookbook award.

Square Tables is a publication of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, the hub of everything artistic in Oxford. The arts council, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has worked everyday since 1995 to enrich and empower the lives of the town’s citizens through the arts. Over the years, the arts council has hosted art camps to introduce students the significance of art, elevated regional artists into nationally recognized artists, and provided resources to the community to enhance the role of art in everyday lives.

To purchase a copy of Square Table, please visit the online store at http://www.oxfordarts.com or contact the arts council at 662-236-6429.

Southern Cookbook with History

NEWS RELEASE

Media Contact: Maggie Brown, Public Relations Intern

Tel: 662-236-6429 (W)

E-mail: mebrown4@olemiss.edu

Art Council cookbook reflects Southern tradition

Oxford, Miss.-- Nothing defines the image of the South quite like food. For as long as there has even been a ‘South,’ food has been the most distinct aspect of the region. Sharing food and drink with family and friends is a lasting tradition in the South and is the ultimate reflection of Southern hospitality. For generations, the foods of the South have provided nourishment and bonding for even the largest of families, especially around holidays. 

Whether it be a memory of a 4th of July barbeque, or a Thanksgiving dinner at grandma’s house, Southern meals have a way of leaving a lasting impression. The recipes for all great Southern meals are often compiled into community cookbooks that are passed down from generation to generation. In today’s world, cookbooks help maintain a Southerner’s sense of identity. 

In Oxford, MS, the love for all things Southern is unmatched. With restaurants dating back to the 1800’s, Oxford is one town where food is undeniably part of its history, past and present. The variety of Southern delicacies spans across any of the many restaurants located in Oxford’s historic downtown area, known to locals as ‘The Square.’  Oxonians, like all Southerners, prize their generations-old recipes. So it’s no surprise that when the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council began compiling a fundraising cookbook, local  Southerners jumped at the chance to become involved. The cookbook, titled Square Table, has continued to celebrate the culture and history of Southern food since its release in 2005. Compiled from over 200 artists, cooks and authors, Square Table not only offers mouth-watering recipes like Brown Sugar Pound Cake and Caramel Cobbler, but also serves as an ode to all things Southern. Sales for Square Table have even gone beyond just the South and have been gradually expanding to other states. Square Table has introduced the taste of the south to numerous food lovers across the nation as the perfect ‘go-to’ cookbook for Christmas meals, Thanksgiving feasts,  and all the celebrations in-between. Winner of the 2006 National Tabasco Community Cookbook Award, Square Table continues to be a best-selling cookbook beloved throughout Southern kitchens.

Square Table is a fundraising publication created by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council.  The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization functioning as the official arts advocate for Oxford and Lafayette County. Since 1995, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council (YAC) remains committed to an extraordinary and diverse offering of artistic and cultural opportunities for its members and constituents. The Arts Council is headquartered at the Powerhouse, a 2,800 sq. ft. exhibition hall that hosts more than 300 artistic events of all types throughout the year.

To purchase a copy of Square Table, please visit our online store at www.oxfordarts.com or contact us at 662-236-6429.

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