"This funny thing happens when people ask where I am from...
'Mississippi,' I say.
'Oh wow!' They say.
I can tell they've never seen a real live racist before.
--Harrison Scott Key
November's postcard is out and I am already getting responses about assumptions about the south. I received the Oxford Americans "Best of the South" issue and have been slowly reading. I want to send copies to all my friends because I think it exemplifies some of the best things about the south. With a sense of humor. But I wonder how this humor, self-deprecating as it is, such as the above passage about Mississippi, translates to those who haven't spent much time there. I want to know what other people think. I am a northern for sure, but after ten years in Louisiana, there are things I miss that I didn't understand before. I'm not going to be able to figure it out here; that is for another day in another medium.
But today is for inspiration. Some times I don't hear from friends or penpals for a while. And then my mail comes in a flood and includes a series of postcards from a friend in New Orleans, Lorraine. She also sent this awesome book about sending letters and the importance of communication. Such a good envelope to open and enjoy while I have been so tired and unsure of myself.
New postcards getting printed Friday. You will hear from me soon.
