A Letter from Your Friendly MLC Archivist

Miranda Vaughn

Reference/Archives Librarian

Dear Reader,

Don’t you just love when your favorite hobbies and interests collide? Today’s letter is all about two of my favorite things: libraries and film.

Movie poster for
The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag

The state of Mississippi is famous for birthing some of the world’s great artists and entertainers, but did you know that our beautiful landscape has been featured in a number of films over the years? One of those films is The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag (1992). This movie stars Penelope Ann Miller, who has been in dozens of movies over the years, but who I will always affectionately remember as the teacher and love interest of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop. Miller plays the title character, Betty Lou Perkins, a small-town librarian who finds herself caught up in a murder mystery adventure after she and her loyal Boston terrier discover a gun near the river. This screwball comedy also features well-known actresses Julianne Moore and Alfre Woodard. 

Front page news for The Greenwood Commonwealth

The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag was filmed in Oxford, Greenwood, Clarksdale, and parts of Louisiana. Filming in these areas provided a great opportunity for locals to work in character roles and as extras, as well as work behind-the-scenes. It also provided a great opportunity for the Mississippi Library Commission to feature some our assets as props for the movie. According to an agreement between then Library Services Director, Sharman Smith, and Set Director, Meredith Charbonnet, we loaned the production 

Check out this movie
stationary from our archives.

• 14 busts of authors
  
• 3 dark wood tables
• 4 metal book trucks
• 3 wooden book trucks
• 1 atlas stand
• 1 CBI stand
• 1 library ladder
• 3 kick stools
• 5 single-faced shelving – 5 sections
• 1 AV projection stand
• 8 double-faced wood shelving – 8 sections
• 2 USPS corrugated plastic mail containers
• 3 metal rolodexes
• 3 metal card-size file boxes
• 10-15 brown cardboard film boxes
  

 

 

In return, In the Bag Productions donated $3,000 worth of microfilm cabinets to the Library Commission. 

Same author busts, same microfilm cabinets? We think so!

To watch the trailer for The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag, click here.

All the best,

Your friendly MLC archivist

Recreating What You Read and Watch

Kristina Kelly

Administrative Services Administrative Assistant

For everyone who is feeling down because the Con circuit has been shut down this summer, this post is for you to plan for next year.

You may not realize it, but all of us have probably dressed as a someone from pop culture at some point in our lives, specifically on Halloween. We dressed up as our favorite cartoon character or our favorite horror movie monster or even our favorite rock star. I remember dressing as the Pink Panther, Boy George from Culture Club, and Lestat, from Interview with a Vampire. I guess a lot of us outgrow "playing dress up." Alas, I have not.

Cosplay, which is short for costume roleplaying, is a brilliant way to show how much you love a topic and an outlet for creative talent. Cosplay has become so popular that people are now making a living at it.

Cosplaying has many levels to it. You can take it as far you want or keep it simple. One of my favorite types of Cosplay was created so adults could "dress up" without breaking Disney’s rule of no costumes for guests over the age of 14. Adults dressed as characters could cause confusion for children. These rules are relaxed only during select special events, like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, but even these select events have specific costume guidelines. So, one creative person created DisneyBounding. “Bounding” is creating a set of regular, everyday clothes inspired by your favorite character. It is not wearing a costume and can be done on a very limited budget.

I participated in a Quarantine-Oween celebrating Halloween, and we had to post different costumes. This was my subtle Bounding outfit for Wonder Woman.

I thoroughly enjoy taking a book I love and creating a costume to wear based on it. There are times when a young person (or young at heart) sees you and instantly makes a connection with you because they too love the same thing.

Cosplay is also something that can be done at your local library. There are several topics on integrating it into your programming! Here are some links:

• http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/03/new-workshop-programming-cosplay-embracing-costume-play-your-library
• https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=plan-cosplay-workshop-teens
• https://www.slideshare.net/ellyssa/cosplay-in-libraries
• https://clermontlibrary.org/cosplay-101/

Many of our own Mississippi libraries host events where people can cosplay. The one in my area is the Central Con, hosted by the Central Mississippi Regional Library System.

My Top Cosplays from Books and Movies

Dr. Jones and Jr. – The first time I was able to get my husband into a cosplay event, he and my son were mobbed in the parking lot. My son wore his scout uniform and, if you look closely, carried the Cross of Coronado. My husband carried his briefcase, the journal of the grail, and an umbrella.

Sanderson Sisters – cult classic/fan favorite. I had the best time putting this look together. With Disney+ hiring a director for a sequel, this costume set may make a comeback.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen graphic novels – Some of the best parts of these is looking at the paintings in the background for easter eggs of previous LXG members. My family did this as a cosplay at a Con not too long ago.

Aquaman and Mera – For my daughter and her friend, I made feudal Japanese clothing based on these characters.

My Top Book Cosplay Ideas

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – Elf or hobbit? Ranger or Rider of Rohan? The costume possibilities are wide and there is much to love. If I were to make something from this book, it would be Aragorn & Arwen (or Beren & Luthien).

The Old Guard – Recently made into a movie pilot by Netflix, I foresee many a female cosplayer with a Scythian Axe. The clothing would also be very easy to upcycle from finds at thrift stores and flea markets.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman – I am dying to make a Medusa headdress out of data cords.

The Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan (and finished by Brandon Sanderson) – These are currently being turned into a series by Amazon. I admit to having a bit of excitement to see how this plays out on screen. I am also looking forward to seeing the Aiel on screen. Who is your favorite character?

Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind – Wizards galore, and who doesn’t want a Mord-Sith costume?

Any book on Greek mythology – by 5th grade I had read all the books in my school's library on mythology, with my favorite being the Greek/Roman myths. This borders on another hobby of mine – historical reenactment. Thinking about all the mythos of the world, I went downstairs to look at MLCs collection and this is one of the shelves I discovered.

Dune by Frank Herbert – “Soon to be made into another motion picture”. I love Dune, I love the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood (the litany against fear is a go to for hand washing chant for me), and I love the possibility of making a still suit.

Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman – yeah, yeah. Gaiman is on here twice, but this is awesome! I attended a medieval superhero ball a couple years ago. Participants combined their love of medieval history and their love for superheroes. It was an inspiring night of creativity!

Now you know that your love for a book can be expressed through cosplay, we want to hear from you about what fandom you are recreating, whether movie, book, or comic!

Holiday of a Lifetime

What do you get when two state agencies partner to host a holiday event? Holiday of a Lifetime!
The Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) recently partnered with the Mississippi Film Office (MFO) to screen the Lifetime holiday film Christmas in Mississippi at three of the state's libraries.

The partnership came about when Library Consultant Louisa Whitfield Smith brilliantly reached out to Nina Parikh with MFO to see if there was some way to show off Mississippi communities that go all out during the holidays. Christmas in Mississippi was filmed in Gulfport in 2017, and highlighted the annual event Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival. Featuring an all-star cast, the feel-good Lifetime Channel holiday movie even addressed the challenges of dealing with the aftermath of a devastating hurricane and the resilience of Mississippi coastal residents. It is hoped that this partnership will serve as an opportunity to secure another Lifetime Channel holiday movie that will be filmed in the state

The three Mississippi libraries that agreed to participate were the Canton Public Library, the Laurel Jones County Library, and the Columbia-Marion County Public Library. MLC worked with library staff to create special promotional graphics, and facilitated a community question and answer time  about what makes their town special during the holidays that was held after the film screenings.

The Canton Historic Courthouse on the Square

Madison County Library System Director Tonja Johnson and her team were excited to showcase their lovely town decked out for the season. They partnered with Canton Tourism and used it as an opportunity to draw visitors into local businesses by offering discounts from participating merchants. The film was shown in beautiful Canton Historic Courthouse located on the square.

The Laurel-Jones County Library was decked out for the holidays!

A large group of kids from Laurel enjoyed the screening.

The community of Laurel has experienced a great deal of notoriety since the HGTV show Home Town began and the library has been a bustling place ever since! This booming community makes the holidays a very special time for their residents, and the library is no exception. Popcorn and warm apple cider made watching the film an even more enjoyable experience.

Showtime at the Laurel-Jones County Library

The Marion County community of Columbia was the third location for a film screening. Called the "Most Magical Christmas Town in Mississippi," Columbia goes the extra mile when it comes to getting into the holiday spirit. Train rides, ice skating rinks, and visits with Santa himself are all a part of this fun and festival holiday treat. The film was shown at the Marion Theater and a community gathering was held afterward at the Marion County Development Partnership offices.

Nina Parikh with the Mississippi Film Office capturing the beauty of Columbia all decked out for the holidays.

Special thanks to MFO for partnering with MLC to celebrate the holidays by bringing families together and to the libraries that participated in the fun and festive film screening.

A Mississippi Holiday of a Lifetime

December is here, and so is the frantic rush toward one of the biggest Christian holidays of the year. To help slow things down, give us all time to reflect on the meaning of the season, and create space to spend some special time with family, friends, and community, the Mississippi Library Commission and the Mississippi Film Office have partnered to offer a free screening of Christmas in Mississippi in three Mississippi communities. After each film screening, guests are invited to participate in some lively discussion about what makes their community special during the holidays.

This feel-good Lifetime movie, which was filmed on location in Gulfport, Mississippi, is produced by Daniel Lewis and stars Jana Kramer, Faith Ford, and Barry Bostwick, and provides holiday fun for the entire family. Three Mississippi library systems are serving as hosts for the screening along with their community partners. The dates and locations are as follows:

• December 7
  6:00pm
  Canton’s Historic Courthouse on the Square
  hosted by the Madison County Library System and Canton Tourism
  Facebook event
• December 12
  2:00pm
  Laurel-Jones County Library, 530 Commerce Street, Laurel, MS
  hosted by the Laurel-Jones County Library System
  Facebook event
• December 12
  6:00pm
  The Marion Theater, 604 Courthouse Square, Columbia, MS
  Hosted by South Mississippi Regional Library System, Columbia Main Street, Marion County Development Partnership, and the Marion Theater

The leaders of each agency were quick to share their thoughts about this important partnership that will bring families together during the holidays. Mississippi Library Commission Executive Director Hulen E. Bivins stated,

In the hustle and bustle of the holidays, many times what is lost is the human dimension of family, friendships, and associations. The Mississippi Library Commission cherishes the opportunity to, in this cooperative venture, promote the preservation of the many joys of the holidays and the joys of being Mississippians.

Nina Parikh, Director of the Mississippi Film Office added,

What a gift to partner with our friends at the Mississippi Library Commission to celebrate the holidays in communities across the state, showcasing the locations in Gulfport used in the Lifetime television movie Christmas in Mississippi.

We can't wait to see you and your community at these fun and relaxing Christmas-themed events!

Lights, Camera, Action

While in a previous position, I was fortunate to take a wonderful filmmaking class through Barefoot Workshops. I guess you could say I learned that I had a pretty good story to tell behind a lens. Since that time, I have partnered on an award-winning film in 2011, made several films on some great artists, and recently was the recipient of a grant that caused my newest film to show at the Oxford Film Festival. My position here at MLC has led me down that red carpet as a filmmaker. I was honored to create Big House Books: Protecting the Right to Read.


Creating this film was a gift for me. I met some of the nicest, most dedicated folks who have become an inspiration in my life. These young women are so compassionate and are intent on making a change in the lives of Mississippi's incarcerated population... one book at a time. Big House Books, a non-profit organization, strives to fight illiteracy among inmates by sending them books by request.

People come into our lives as teachers, and one thing I've learned from my new friends is that reading and learning are as vital to our health as eating and sleeping. No matter how old or how young, how poor or how rich, or how educated or not, we should all keep learning... keep striving to be better.

I have been fortunate throughout my career to have done some really cool stuff. I planned and implemented a major concert with over 10,000 people in attendance, I helped to ensure that an Indonesian tiger has a swimming pool... and he actual smiled at me the first time he stepped in the cool water, and I had the opportunity to travel to some pretty great places across the country. This film project, though, has definitely been one of the best parts of my career.

The Flight of the Hummingbirds

Way up in Holly Springs lays a natural treasure many Mississippians may not be aware of. The Strawberry Plains Audubon Center is a 2500-acre tract of Marshall County land left to the National Audubon Society by Ruth Finley and Margaret Finley Shackelford, sisters whose ancestors acquired the land in the 1830s. The sisters were raised with an appreciation of nature, especially of birds; their mother's pet parakeet could say his name and phone number: "Chuckles Finley, 63" (McAlexander).

That love of nature and birds is evident at the Strawberry Plains Audubon Center today, where visitors can attempt to check almost 200 different birds off the Bird Checklist. One bird that visitors will be certain to see in September is the ruby-throated hummingbird; as the hummingbirds migrate south for the winter, they stop to refuel on the various tasty delights cultivated for them at Strawberry Plains. From Audubon.org: "Feeders and an abundance of native plants that provide nectar and insects help the hummingbirds pack on the required weight for the 22-hour Gulf crossing." (22 hours?!) You can observe this pit stop firsthand this year at the Hummingbird Migration and Nature Celebration, held September 9-11 from 9 am-5 pm. The festival features speakers, wagon rides, a native plant sale, and all the hummingbirds you care to admire.

For more information on Strawberry Fields, the Mississippi documentary film company Blue Magnolia Films has produced a gorgeous film about the center and its commitment to conservation.



Also, Hubert H. McAlexander's Strawberry Plains Audubon Center: Four Centuries of a Mississippi Landscape provides the history of the land itself-from Cherokee Indians, to the slaves that worked the land, to the family that donated it so that its treasures could be preserved and enjoyed.

Happy hummingbirding!

The Disney You Don't Know

MLC staff and Arthur Bernstein

MLC staff reading Walt Before Mickey

I have labored under the false impression that Steamboat Willie was Mickey Mouse's first appearance for years. Last Friday, I was set straight. Our neighbors across the way at the University Press of Mississippi invited us to the very first screening of a new biopic called Walt Before Mickey, which is based on a Timothy Susanin book UPM published in 2011. The movie and book both follow Disney from his early years to Mickey Mouse's real first appearance: Plane Crazy. Everyone who attended, UPM and MLC staff alike, truly enjoyed the movie; when it hits theaters, we recommend going to see it. I especially liked seeing the development of Disney as an artist. Walt, an avid sketcher and drawer from a young age, pondered that "a frame from a film print was only a picture. 'I could draw that,' he thought." I had no idea that Walt Disney had followed such a rocky road before he hit the big time. Did you know he was homeless for a while? It seems that he wasn't much of a businessman. Arthur Bernstein, the screenwriter, was available for a question and answer session after the screening. Like any biopic, it's always interesting to find out how accurate the retelling of someone's life was. Mr. Bernstein assured us that he stuck closely to Susanin's book and that they took very little poetic license with the movie. Thank you, University Press of Mississippi and Arthur Bernstein!

Flashback Fifty-Nine

Last week I used the microfilm reader to locate an obituary from the April 1959 Clarion-Ledger. Not only did I find the death notice, I also stumbled upon these ads that tickled my funny bone.

 

This stuff is like magic! I almost want to try it myself. Not only was this wonder product completely harmless, it was also cheap, easy to use, and didn't fade. It's hard to believe Canute Water is not available at all drug stores anymore.

The Lamar Theater believed in covering all their bases; they were emphatically not responsible if one looked too long at the Gamma Ray Monster. "Vicious, hideous love-killers" are pretty scary, y'all. (IMDb claims that First Man into Space isn't half bad.)

I do believe that I found the forerunner to Spanx. I wish I could read the free picture booklet, though. I'd love to find out how wearing the RelaxAcizor was fun and healthful.

Don't forget to give us a call when you need help tracking down old newspaper items. I love an excuse to pore over old microfilm!

I’ve always wondered…

…what does it mean to “run the gauntlet”?  Well, today I found out!

If a shipmate was found guilty of committing a crime, such as stealing, he “was made to run between two rows of seamen while they, in turn, lashed him as hard as they wished with a short knotted rope or ‘nettle’” (Jeans 129).

This phrase came into expression during the Thirty Years’ War around 1640.  The English term “gauntlet” was derived from the Swedish term “gatlopp.”

In literature, this phrase is the name of chapter 23, Book 3, in Markus Clarke’s For the Term of His Natural Life in which a convict, John Rex, plans a mutiny with other convicts.  “To the left was a black object—a constable’s hut; to the right was a dim white line…”. 

In pop culture, the Age of Ascension ritual, which is a rite of passage for a Klingon warrior (for all of you Trekkies), looks very similar to running the gauntlet!

Today, “to run the gauntlet” means to be attacked or criticized on all sides, or a happening that is difficult to get through, but who knew the phrase had a long, literal (and violent) history!

Would I want to “run the gauntlet”?  No thanks!

Clarke, Markus. For the Term of His Natural Life. Project Gutenberg. Retrieved from http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3424

Jeans, Peter D. Ship to Shore: A Dictionary of Everyday Words and Phrases Derived from the Sea. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1993. Print.

Okuda, Michael and Denise. The Star Trek Encyclopedia: A Reference Guide to the Future; Updated and Expanded Edition. New York, NY: Pocket Books, 1999. Print.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_ships_in_the_Seven_Years_War_before_Havana.jpg

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Painstik