Browsing: Living

Belhaven University is once again searching for aspiring writers to award a full-ride scholarship. In honor of well-known author and alumna Angie Thomas ’11, the University will present the Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship to one incoming creative writing major.

When people talk about the soundtrack of America, Mississippi is always playing in the background. The Magnolia State gave birth to the blues, nurtured gospel and soul, and shaped the rhythms of country and rock. You can’t talk about American music without talking about Mississippi.

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) School of Leadership will host the fourth annual Southern Miss Cruisin’ on Monday, Oct. 6, from 3 to 5 p.m. on the Gulf Park Campus South Lawn in Long Beach.

For nearly a year, I lived in Goodman Mississippi without ever stepping foot inside the little brick building on Main Street. I’d drive past it, see the sign out front with some message about story time or a craft night, and think nothing of it. Downtown Goodman isn’t flashy. There’s a post office, one restaurant, town hall, and that library tucked into what used to be a Presbyterian church. Nothing about it seemed urgent enough to stop for.

Mississippi has always been known for its rich cultural heritage, its stories, and its people who turn everyday life into something extraordinary. Now, that legacy will take center stage on a national level as our state heads to Pasadena for the 137th Rose Parade on January 1, 2026. The theme? “Where Creativity Blooms.” And if there’s one thing Mississippi knows well, it’s creativity.

This week, as I sat down to write, I started out looking for an event to cover. There’s always something happening along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but I kept circling back to the thought that we don’t always have to wait for an event to get out and do something. One of the greatest gifts of living here is that our waters are always open—ready for us whenever we are.

Every October, the Mississippi Gulf Coast hums with more than just the sound of waves rolling in. It hums with engines—deep, steady, and proud—as classic cars roll down Highway 90 like old friends returning home.

Over the last couple of weeks, anyone who has stepped foot outdoors in Mississippi for more than a few moments has surely seen them: The hummingbirds are everywhere, and these beautiful creatures are busy, very busy.

Every September, Jackson’s historic streets and stately trees come alive with one of my favorite celebrations of the year—the Mississippi Book Festival. Known affectionately as the “literary lawn party,” this gathering is more than an event; it’s a love letter to stories, storytellers, and the people who cherish them.

Mississippians, the weather has finally begun to cool down. The brutal heat of the summer has slowly started to subside, and coffee shops are boasting their pumpkin spice induced beverages. Now that the weather is finally more pleasant, this is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of all of the unique fun that Mississippi has to offer. Below are three pre-fall activities that will keep you engaged and anticipating the fall. 

As the Mississippi Gulf Coast marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29, 2005, HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division is recognizing the resilience demonstrated by its workforce and honoring those who played a key role in restoring operations after the storm.

When Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005, the Mississippi Gulf Coast changed forever. Few places felt the storm’s wrath more than Waveland in Hancock County, which was nearly wiped off the map. Former Governor Haley Barbour once remarked that after Katrina’s 30-foot storm surge hit, there were “no inhabitable structures” left in the city.

When people ask where I was during Hurricane Katrina, the memories come rushing back. Like many along the Mississippi Gulf…

August 29, 2005, was an unforgettable day for most Mississippians, even for those of us who lived way up in the Northeastern corner of the state. 

People were not the only creatures impacted by Hurricane Katrina. And although helping people recover was the priority, we soon turned to helping our feathered friends. As it turned out, these efforts provided folks with a diversion from their toils at home, and a reason for hope, that normal could return, including their own backyards.

I was sixteen when Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast. At that age, I didn’t fully understand the weight of what had happened. I knew my parents were devastated — so many adults around me carried an exhaustion and grief that I couldn’t name at the time. Entire neighborhoods had been flattened, jobs and routines disappeared overnight, and the world I’d always known suddenly felt unrecognizable.