Thank You Please Come Again features twenty-two photographs that document photojournalist Kate Medley’s ten-year journey through the heart of the American South. Medley’s images focus on roadside service stations and convenience stores that double as eateries—or, in the words of Mississippi-born writer Kiese Laymon, “restaurants that serve gas.” Through everyday interactions at these uniquely Southern institutions—which often function as both grocery stores and community hubs in rural areas—Medley captures the region’s local color and evolving cultures.
This exhibition coincides with the release of Medley’s book Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South (Bitter Southerner, 2023), which reproduces the complete photographic series alongside essays by Medley and Kiese Laymon, acclaimed author from Jackson and Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rice University.
The related publication will be available for sale in The Museum store and online.
Thank You Please Come Again is made possible through the generous support of Donna and Jim Barksdale, Claudia and Robert Hauberg, Ouida and Wayne Drinkwater, Center for the Study of Southern Culture Susan and Macy B. Hart, John and Morella Henegan, The Hildebrand Family, Beverly and Bill Painter, Southern Foodways Alliance, Buddy Stallings, and Frances Jean and Walter Neely.
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.
About The Bitter Southerner
The Bitter Southerner has a single aim: to uncover the American South in all its truth and complexity – and in the process to break stereotypes about the region and its people by pushing out important, difficult, uncomfortable, irreverent, witty and addictive stories online. Its work intended to keep the region honest, inspired, and moving forward.
