OXFORD, Miss – A two-volume anthology series titled “Mojo Rising,” edited by a University of Mississippi graduate and UM professor, will be launched Sept. 23 at Rowan Oak.
The focus of the books, published by Sartoris Literary Group, is the Mojo Triangle – most of Mississippi, Memphis, New Orleans and Nashville. This area is known for blues, country, rock ‘n’ roll and jazz, but also some of the America’s most innovative fiction writers.
“Mojo Rising: Masters of Art” was edited by Ole Miss alumnus and Sartoris Literary Group publisher James L. Dickerson. This volume includes stories by renowned writers such as William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, Richard Wright, Shelby Foote, Willie Morris and Ellen Gilchrist.
“As an art form, the short story has been shunted to the fringe of literary expression,” Dickerson said. “We want to keep the short story alive – and the best way to do that is to provide it with a loving home.
“To that end, we plan to publish each year an anthology of contemporary writers who are associated with the Mojo Triangle.”
The books are available in hardcover, paperback and e-book formats. Several family members of the authors will attend the launch event at 5 p.m. at Rowan Oak. The event is free and open to the public.
“Mojo Rising: Contemporary Writers” was edited by Joseph B. Atkins, professor of journalism. The volume contains the work of New York Times bestselling author Ace Atkins, writer Sheree Renee Thomas, author William Boyle, among others.
“Edgar Allan Poe considered the short story the highest literary art, yet the best practitioners of that art have fewer and fewer venues today to showcase their craft,” Atkins said. “Publisher Jim Dickerson had a great idea with these two volumes: a place for readers to discover some of the best short stories written by Deep South `Mojo’ writers, both past and current.
“People who read these stories will discover, if they didn’t know already, that Poe was right.”