Delta Bohemian

Richard Grant – Hooked on the Mississippi Delta

By Magical Madge More and more and more semi-fixtures, those who visit the Mississippi Delta over and over and over from far away places, leaving a piece of themselves each time, which nags and perplexes, drawing them back to find whatever it was they left, are taking a blind leap of faith and following that inner voice that beckons them to move here. Permanently. … [Read More...]

Woman holding flowers in mountain meadow.

Aspen Wedding – by Mims Graeber

Publisher notes Holy Matrimony is very personal and intimate. Wedding videos help document but seldom capture the essence of the moment in time. However, I have never seen one like the Aspen : Wedding film Mims Graeber made. The emotion it evokes is authentic and that is rare. The young Mississippi filmmaker gives us a taste of what it was like to be at his mother's wedding without … [Read More...]

Tall pine tree in a forest with green foliage.

Who Defines Crazy

By Poor William "Me thinks the whole world is crazy except me and thee; and sometimes I wonder about thee." -- Old Quaker saying Irv: “Do you think there ought to be background checks before someone can purchase a weapon?” Me: “Yes.” Irv: “Do you think crazy people should be able to buy weapons?” Me: “It depends. Who defines crazy?” The above conversation with my friend … [Read More...]

Man playing electric guitar in red light.

Classic ROBERT BILBO WALKER at Reds Blues Club

By Magical Madge CLASSIC VIDEO If you have never seen this unique performer, then you need to go to Red's Blues Club and hear Robert "Bilbo" Walker live, Saturday, September 19, 2015 in downtown Clarksdale. In the words of Roger Stolle, "Don't miss the wig, suit, duckwalk and one-handed guitar playing." … [Read More...]

Mississippi Delta Sunset with Delta Dog Gunny

By Poor William VIDEO and PHOTO GALLERY “Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.” -- Mila Kundera, Czech writer I doubt Kundera ever visited or even heard about the Mississippi Delta, but he sure understood what makes many … [Read More...]

Man standing in a restaurant called Southbound.

Kathryn’s Restaurant Owner Opens Southbound in Helena

By Poor William VIDEO INTERVIEW and PHOTOS John Mohead, Numba One Cooka, fine musician, and owner/chef of Kathryn’s Restaurant on Moon Lake is opening a new version of his Southbound Pizza, formerly located in Tunica, MS. Magical Madge and I were in Helena yesterday, visiting several iconic spots, before swinging by the King Biscuit Blues Festival office … [Read More...]

Woman playing an electric violin on stage.

ALICE HASEN – A Poet and We Didn’t Know It

By Poor William VIDEOS in post The Delta draws a multitude of people, mostly tourists who love the blues in the birthplace of the blues, but we also draw folks for many other reasons. We have some serious socioeconomic and educational issues here and are fortunate to have Teach For America (TFA) vested in helping us out. TFA picks some of the best and brightest college grads from … [Read More...]

Lightnin Malcolm Holdin’ Down the Root with Hill Country Blues

By Poor William VIDEO The basic groove has been here all along…it’s the root of everything…it will always be there…you can go a long ways if you have that root…but if you lose the root, then you take a chance; some people lose the root and make a lot more money than the people holding down the root. Holding down the root ain’ gonna make the money, but you’re holding down the root, and you … [Read More...]

Susan McPhail & Nick Nolte – The Pantyologist

By Poor William VIDEOS and PHOTOS (34 images) Madge and I were thrilled this week to attend a pre-screening of the hysterical comedy, A Walk in the Woods, starring Nick Nolte and Robert Redford with appearances by Emma Thompson and Mary Steenburgen. Tuesday evening's sold out event was held at Malco's Oxford Commons Theater, replete with adult beverages and some mighty fine vittles. Why were … [Read More...]

Law and Order Matters

By Poor William “At his best, man is the noblest of all animals: separated from law and justice he is the worst.” -- Aristotle, who was not a dumbass :-) The worm has turned in the United States, and not for the better. No pretty butterflies exiting cocoons here! Too many folks with shit for brains taking matters into their own ignorant hands: ignorant of history, ignorant of the importance … [Read More...]

Charlie Musselwhite plays blues guitar

By Magical Madge VIDEO IN POST Billy and I relish moments when we get to enjoy meaningful dialogue with others. The two of us rarely run out of things to discuss but we welcome when we can engage in conversation with close friends and/or new friends in an intimate setting. It always blesses us. On such occasions we like to play recorded music in the background but on … [Read More...]

Two snakes intertwined on the forest floor.

Layne Logue: Two Cottonmouths Fight For Mating Rights

By Poor William VIDEOS and PHOTO GALLERY What do ya get when you cross a river rat, civil engineer, helper and re-supplier of river paddlers passing through Vicksburg, Calvin & Hobbes aficionado and an all-around nice guy? Well, you get some wicked cool photos and videos of flora, fauna, and killa sunsets! That’s what! Delta Bohemian Layne Logue is an extraordinary Dude with an eye … [Read More...]

10-Year Commemoration of Hurricane Katrina

Quapaw Canoe Company captain extraordinaire, Mark River Peoples, is a personal friend, keeper of the waters, fellow Red’s Lounge regular and a contributor to the Delta Bohemian. Madge and I dig this Dude. He stays on the down low, is self-effacing like his mentor and friend, Driftwood Johnnie Ruskey, and is able to articulate cogent life experiences with the ease and understanding of a keen-eyed, … [Read More...]

Flooded building complex with a road bridge.

Surf the Great Mississippi River Flood of 2011 with John Ruskey

By Magical Madge With all these 10-year remembrances going on about the massive, destructive and deadly storm called Katrina, I am reminded of another storm which left it's mark on some of us here in Northwest Mississippi. It wasn't that long ago I struggled to sleep at night — I couldn't get the thought of all that water rushing by such a short distance away across a few … [Read More...]

A Bigger Belly Plate

[youtube width="600" height="350"]http://youtu.be/BfCNzYbSRp4[/youtube] By Poor William RADIOLAND VIDEO If the only thing bigger than my belly is what’s on my plate, then I see the problem! … [Read More...]

“Katrina the Mule” captures the real Carlos Elliot Jr.

By Poor William VIDEOS and PHOTOS (28) Clarksdale is blessed to have many musicians who wander purposefully into our midst, often coming back time and time again. A Delta Bohemian’s favorite is the sexy, supa suave, Carlos Elliot Jr., a jammin’ hill country blues Columbian musician who melds traditional North Mississippi Hill Country style blues with his own brand of African, Columbian … [Read More...]

A Prayer for a Friend

[youtube width="600" height="350"]http://youtu.be/BBB9n-lbdts[/youtube] By Poor William RADIOLAND VIDEO A Prayer for a Friend Friend, I am ashamed to say I hardly know you for I'm 'sposed to know you well. I call you friend but you are much closer than a friend, even closer than a brother. … [Read More...]

I Think That I Think That You Think What I Think

Another spontaneous Radioland moment with Poor William.... Won't you join and sing along with him? I Think That I Think That You Think That I Think I Think That You Think You Think That I Think I Think That You Think That You Think That I Think I Think That You Think You Think That I Think I Think That You Think … [Read More...]

The Bitter Southerner Rides Some Wild Miles with John Ruskey

By Poor William - “The wilderness is the window of our souls, and water our smoothest passage through.” -- John Ruskey, From “River Gator,” as published in I am Coyote: Readings from the Wild A timely, online publication started in 2013 called The Bitter Southerner just shared a wonderfully written, spectacularly photographed article about Delta Bohemian friend, John Ruskey, founder of … [Read More...]

Delta Roadtrip Links Clarksdale and Helena

By Magical Madge - A Delta Roadtrip is something I have done all my life. Being born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, traveling the highways from town to town is something we grew up doing over and over and over again. During high school, it was what we did when not in school. We would ride around town, be it Clarksdale, Marks, Lambert, Tutwiler, Sumner, to see who else was out riding … [Read More...]