Join us for the opening of the Thank You Please Come Again exhibition from Kate Medley’s latest book by the same name. Enjoy a conversation between Kate Medley and Kiese Laymon as they discuss Medley’s book and the intersection of culture, food, and community in the South. 

Immediately following the program, Medley will hold a book signing outside of The Museum Store.  If you would like to go ahead and purchase a copy to be put on hold for the signing, please call 601-965-9939. 

Schedule of Events:
6 PM Panel Begins
6:45 Q+A
7 PM Book Signing 

Inspired by the evening’s conversation, Eddie Wright BBQ will be providing food for purchase. A cash bar will also be available.

Kate Medley
Kate Medley is a photojournalist whose practice focuses on visual storytelling and environmental portraiture. She is deeply engaged in exploring social justice issues and evolving regional politics. Hailing from Mississippi, she has investigated Civil Rights-era cold cases, covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and examined the cultural tapestry of the Mississippi Delta. Currently based in Durham, North Carolina, Medley is a contributor to numerous national news outlets. She earned a BA in Photojournalism from the University of Montana and MA in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi. 

Kiese Laymon
Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi, serves as the Libbie Shearn Moody Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rice University. He’s acclaimed for his works, including the novel Long Division, winner of the 2022 NAACP Image Award for fiction, and the essay collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, recognized as a notable book by New York Times critics in 2021. Laymon’s bestselling memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir, garnered numerous accolades including the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, and was named one of the 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years by The New York Times. He received the 2020-2021 Radcliffe Fellowship at Harvard and founded “The Catherine Coleman Literary Arts and Justice Initiative” at Jackson State University. In 2022, Laymon was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, while currently working on upcoming books and various film and television projects.