Cliche Book Review: Of my own book, because I wrote it

Alright. I'm ready to do this blog thing. First, I needed some time to plan. After all, it's been a while. A lot has changed. I'm not an Objectivist. I'm barely homeschooling. My youngest is in [gasp] public school.

There goes 90% of my former audience, so who's even reading this right now? How do I entertain an audience of total strangers without being cliche or self-indulgent? With a book review of a book that I wrote, obviously.

Yes, it is.

I first read 100 Things To Do In Jackson, MS, Before You Die as I wrote it. And again as I proofed it. Then countless times while making changes. Several more times while praying before sending it in as a final draft. And once more through my fingers when the final copy was sent prior to publication. Suffice it to say that there is no one more familiar with this book than I. 

I made this for you. I hope you like it.

100 Things To Do In Jackson, MS, Before You Die is a handy, concise local guide to 100 places and events primarily in Jackson, Mississippi. People often ask me, "But are there really 100 things to do here?" I tell them: No. This is a book of lies.

Just kidding.

This selection was actually narrowed down from a list of over 350 things, and that was just an arbitrary stopping point. We could have added more. Take that, cynical haters.

In the preface, I defend explain how selections were carefully edited down to help readers get over it understand the criteria: locally owned, locally relevant, affordable, inclusive, engaging and generally not lame. Yes, your favorite dive bar probably should have made the cut, but it didn't. A lot of really cool places didn't. Folks were mad.

Write your own damn book. 

And now, a review:

100 Things To Do In Jackson, MS awkward comma Before You Die is broken into five parts with 20 entries in each section: Food & Drink, Music & Entertainment, Sports & Recreation, Culture & History, and Shopping & Fashion. 

Interspersed among the entries are photos, tips and trivia. For example, if you want to sit in the original part of Walker's Drive-In, be sure to tell them when you make a reservation or you may end up sequestered on the upper level. The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum has the largest collection of Dizzy Dean memorabilia in the world. Parts of Fondren and Belhaven, two Jackson neighborhoods, were featured prominently in The Help (take a tour). And, Ole Tavern on George Street is totally haunted. So is Fairview Inn. 

Each entry includes the address, phone number, and website along with an honest assessment. That last part is important. To keep it authentic, I wanted to have the same experience anyone walking through the doors might have.

Before visiting, I didn't contact business owners or event organizers.  Most didn't know there was a book much less that they'd be included in it until after it dropped. The whole team did a great job of keeping it quiet. I'm terrible at keeping secrets, so I'm proud of that.

100 101 Things!

So, what would a typical weekend be like in Jackson? Where should you start? These entries are like my children, and I love them all equally. Don't make me choose. Besides, there are no simple answers to those questions. It depends. What do you like to do? 

Do you drink? Me, too. We have local beer, vodka, wine and bourbon. How do you feel about art? Me, too! Fine art, emerging art or street art? Are you a theatre buff? Would you prefer a literary tour or blues experience? Which part of Mississippi's vast history do you want to connect with and how much time do you have? On a scale of basic to bougie, how foodie are you, really? Wanna see some incredible architecture? Did you know there's a place where you can fish, camp, canoe, hike and play golf, and visit two family-friendly museums smack in the middle of the city? Do you enjoy motor sports? Collecting vinyl? Collecting fashion? Collecting vinyl fashion? 

Jackson, Mississippi is a fascinating city to visit and the book is an excellent comprehensive guide, in my humble opinion, but perhaps I should create with a flowchart to help readers distill these overwhelming options into a manageable menu. 

Stop asking me this question.

Of course, you could just buy a copy. 100 Things To Do In Jackson, MS, Before You Die was published by Reedy Press in November, 2016. Almost a year after it was published, it really caught fire. Literally. And now it's more difficult to find.

There are no plans for a second edition at this time, but I already have something new in the works. In the meantime, there are still a few copies available at Lemuria Bookstore, the King Edward Hotel downtown (behind the lobby reception desk) and Barnes & Noble in Ridgeland. There are also new and used copies available online at Amazon (also available on Kindle). Once those are gone, it's gone. 

I hope you enjoy 100 Things To Do In Jackson, MS, Before You Die as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for reading my review. 5/5 stars. Would definitely recommend.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Punxsutawney Bill: HB 464 (updated)

It's that special time of year again, when two men dressed in outdated suits wake me from my bloggy slumber and force me into the bright sunshine. Unfortunately, I've seen the long shadow of Judge Joe Dale Walker on pending legislation, which means we'll have several more weeks of homeschool activism in Mississippi. Congratulations.

HB 464 is essentially a bill that spells out the qualifications and duties of school attendance officers. Section 1(4)(j) instructs school attendance officers to:

...collect and maintain information concerning each compulsory-school-age child who is being educated in a legitimate home instruction program, as defined in Section 37-13-91, which shall be provided only to the youth court judge or the chancellor of a court of competent jurisdiction for the purpose of exempting such children from the truancy laws of this state.

Sound familiar?

Representative Bob Evans authored the bill and serves House District 91 (Copiah, Covington, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence and Simpson counties). His office is in Monticello. Judge Joe Dale Walker presides over Chancery Court District 13 (Covington, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, Simpson and Smith counties). His office is also in Monticello. I live in Simpson County, which is part of both districts. It's like the circle of life or something.

Recall that the MS Supreme Court vacated Judge Walker's court order forcing local school attendance officers to turn over information on all homeschoolers registered in District 13. This is clearly an end-around to get the names of homeschooled students, except it would affect all homeschoolers in the state of Mississippi, not just District 13. But, why go to so much trouble?

According to the bill, the purpose of collecting the information is "exempting such children from the truancy laws of this state." According to Miss. Code. Ann. 37-13-91, we are currently exempt.

(4)  An "unlawful absence" is an absence during a school day by a compulsory-school-age child, which absence is not due to a valid excuse for temporary nonattendance.  Days missed from school due to disciplinary suspension shall not be considered an "excused" absence under this section.  This subsection shall not apply to children enrolled in a nonpublic school. [emphasis added] 

What exactly is a nonpublic school?

(2)(i)  "Nonpublic school" means an institution for the teaching of children, consisting of a physical plant, whether owned or leased, including a home, instructional staff members and students, and which is in session each school year.  This definition shall include, but not be limited to, private, church, parochial and home instruction programs. [emphasis added]

HB 464 seeks to:

"...amend Section 37-13-91, Mississippi Code of 1972, to require the parent, guardian or custodian of a compulsory-school-age child to enroll the child in a public school or legitimate nonpublic school at the point the child is no longer receiving instruction in a legitimate home instruction program..."In other words, if HB 464 passes, homeschooling families would be exempt from truancy laws as long as we are engaged in what the youth court deems a legitimate home instruction program. Otherwise, the youth court judge can order a child to attend a public or private school for violating truancy laws.

Judge Walker has found a friend in Rep. Evans. This bill would create a legal basis for targeting and prosecuting "fake homeschoolers" by placing us all under the scrutiny of school attendance officers and youth court judges. There is no surefire way of determining who in the homeschooling community is doing what and how without creating standards, employing intrusive tactics and applying them universally to the whole. Is it worth putting us all through the wringer to catch a delinquent few? The answer is NO.

If you'd like to call Rep. Evans and ask him why he thinks homeschoolers are so suspicious that our information should be kept on file in youth court, his number at the capitol is 601-359-9393. He can be reached at his Monticello office at 601-587-0615. His email address is bevans@house.ms.gov.

Since Evans has no qualms over-reaching into our homes, you can "over-reach" him at home by calling 601-587-9313. I'm sure his family won't mind the intrusion.

UPDATE: HB 464 died in committee on March 6, 2012. Great news for homeschoolers in Mississippi!