Matt Hopper’s blog

I guess I should tell you why I went to the Delta. My classmates and I are making a documentary for our Southern Studies 334 field work class. We are interviewing folk artists. We're not really sure what our subject is. Essentially, I think it will be a running narrative of folk artists and their definitions of their work. 

We went to Greenwood. Ate at the Crystal Grill. Then to Itta Bena, where we interviewed Mr. Fisher and filmed his pink house and lions and cherubs. We visited Robert Johnson's grave. Folklore tells that you have to leave something and take something. We left a red bandana. And took an old plastic flower like the ones you find in a funeral wreath. After that we stopped at this crazy folk-decorated church. It's in Vicksburg on Old Hwy 61. I can't describe so I'll let you look at it. We interviewed Ms. Lesley at the Attic Gallery in downtown Vicksburg. What a neat place! Then we played on Charlie's farm in Rolling Fork. That night we ate at the original Doe's. Heavenly. Next morning, we attended Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Rolling Fork with the Weissinger family. We enjoyed a nice potluck lunch. We had an afternoon interview with Mr. Lee Washington. He makes figures out of used cotton spindles. He gave us one to keep. He was incredibly genuine and generous. Jen and I had to be back in Oxford for a meeting, so we had to skip our interview with Micah the muralist from Rolling Fork. Apparently she had to throw her father-in-law in the river so we couldn't do our interview. She later specified that she had to throw his ashes in the river, not his body. I really hate that we missed her because I'm sure she would've provided some great footage. 

It was a great weekend.

And now I'm sick. I think it's a sinus infection/allergies. I'm going to the ENT tomorrow.