Anne Moody featured on Mississippi Literary Map

She joins more than 20 other writers recognized 
for their achievements

By Roscoe Barnes III
Chairman, Anne Moody History Project
Copyright (c) 2017

#AnneMoody

Civil rights pioneer Anne Moody is taking her place among other famous writers in the great state of Mississippi. Thanks to the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC), she is now featured on the Mississippi Literary Map.

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Anne Moody's portrait on the 
Mississippi Literary Map

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Moody, who died at the age of 74 in 2015, is the author of Coming of Age in Mississippi. She was a native of Centreville, Miss., in Wilkinson County. This is her first time being featured on the map, which was unveiled Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, at the third annual Mississippi Book Festival at the Mississippi State Capitol. She joins more than 20 other authors on the current literary map. The last map was created in the mid-1990s.

Moody’s book is an autobiography. It chronicles her life as a poor black girl growing up during segregation in rural Mississippi. The book tells a heart-breaking story of how she fought racism and poverty, faced death threats, and became a pioneer in the civil rights movement. The book was first published in 1968 and has reportedly remained in print since that time. According to Library Services Director Tracy Carr, Moody’s book is a “wonderful” read that bears an important message. She noted: “Moody’s powerful, unwavering voice of her life and experiences provides readers—especially Mississippians—with a descriptive portrait of a specific slice of history.”

Announcement of the new literary map came in April by the Mississippi Center for the Book, which is located at the MLC. The project was funded by a Bicentennial Grant through the Mississippi Humanities Council (MHC). 

An MLC press release noted 21 Mississippi authors are featured on the map by portraits illustrated by Mississippi artist Ginger Williams Cook, who is “known for her illustrative, whimsical portraits.” Some of the featured authors are represented simply by text. According to Carr, the list of authors includes both prominent and “undervalued Mississippi writers.” Each of them was chosen by a selection committee, she said.

Although many authors are recognized, the purpose of the map is not to offer an exhaustive list of writers. Instead, it presents a good sample of the authors who have gained national notoriety and won prestigious awards, such as the Nobel Prize and the Pulitzer, according to the MLC.

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Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, unveiled the literary map at the third annual
Mississippi Book Festival on August 19, 2017 at the Mississippi State Capitol.
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Carr, who also serves as the director of Mississippi Center for the Book, suggested the map is a good way to recognize the state’s writers and their contributions. “This being Mississippi’s bicentennial makes it the perfect opportunity to look back and celebrate the state’s literary treasures as well as recognize some overlooked authors,” she said.

Carr was a staunch supporter for including Moody on the Mississippi Literary Map. “I was part of the committee that selected the names, and she was a unanimous pick,” Carr said. The author selection committee voted in February of 2017.

“I really wanted her on the map,” Carr said, adding she was “so impressed” with Moody’s contribution to Mississippi history and literature. She also was surprised at the lack of attention given to her contributions.

“I was a little shocked that she hadn’t gotten the recognition she deserved,” Carr said.

Carr's family is from Centreville, Moody’s hometown. She said her family once owned a drug store in the small town, which is situated between Woodville and McComb.

“I just read Coming of Age in Mississippi about six months ago and it was wonderful,” she said. “It made my hair stand up on my head. I couldn’t believe I’d never read it before, and I found the experience pretty transformative.”

Writers on the Mississippi Literary Map

List of writers featured (with portraits) on the Mississippi Literary Map: Anne Moody, Barry Hannah, Beth Henley, Brad Watson, Donna Tartt, Elizabeth Spencer, Ellen Douglas, Ellen Gilchrist, Eudora Welty, Jesmyn Ward, Kiese Laymon, Larry Brown, Lewis Nordan, Margaret Walker Alexander, Natasha Trethewey, Richard Ford, Richard Wright, Tennessee Williams, Walker Percy, William Faulkner, Willie Morris

Additional names (without portraits) include: W. Ralph Eubanks, John T. Edge, Greg Iles, Ida B. Wells, Beth Ann Fennelly, Tom Franklin, John Grisham, Mildred Taylor, Jack Butler, Shelby Foote, and W.A. Percy.

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Tracy Carr

Tracy Carr is the Library Services Director at the Mississippi Library Commission. She also is the director of the Mississippi Center for the Book.

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References/Resources:

Mississippi Library Commission

http://mlc.lib.ms.us

Mississippi Literary Map

http://msreads.lib.ms.us/mslitmap

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Editor's Note:

Questions about the Anne Moody History Project may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com For updates on Anne Moody history and the on-going work of this community service project, simply follow this blog or follow AMHP on Twitter (@AnneMoodyHP). #ComingOfAgeinMississippi