I'm a critic and journalist who lives in Brooklyn, but I left my heart in the place I grew up: Down South in Birmingham, Alabama.
In 2006, my parents moved from Birmingham to Jackson, Mississippi, four hours further south and west. When I visited them, I always gravitated towards the bookstore, of course, and soon developed a fascination with Jackson's patron literary saint, Eudora Welty. I had read her books before, but being in the place that she wrote about and lived felt different to me. There was a connection between her home and her writing that was almost tangible in Jackson, particularly...
Margaret Eby
I'm a critic and journalist who lives in Brooklyn, but I left my heart in the place I grew up: Down South in Birmingham, Alabama.
In 2006, my parents moved from Birmingham to Jackson, Mississippi, four hours further south and west. When I visited them, I always gravitated towards the bookstore, of course, and soon developed a fascination with Jackson's patron literary saint, Eudora Welty. I had read her books before, but being in the place that she wrote about and lived felt different to me. There was a connection between her home and her writing that was almost tangible in Jackson, particularly...
Melissa Weller
MELISSA WELLER received a James Beard Award nomination for Outstanding Baker in 2016. A French Culinary Institute graduate, she trained at Babbo and Sullivan Street Bakery in New York City. She was chef-partner at High Street on Hudson; head baker at Per Se, Bouchon Bakery, and Roberta's; an owner and founder of Sadelle's; and the head baker at Walnut Street Café in Philadelphia. Melissa was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania, and now lives in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from Bucknell University with degrees in chemical engineering and international relations and worked as an engineer for ten years...