Hey y'all, trying to get some advice and whatnot. In June, I will be moving to the Mississippi Delta to teach middle schoolers. Anyone live, ever lived, etc in the Delta? Any advice, places to go, places to avoid? Any advice is much appreciated!
Big Joe Williams will have all the advice you need for living in the Delta. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uROgPzxH6ds" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I'll be honest, I've never heard anybody say they were moving to the Mississippi Delta. I mean, is there a specific city or something? Not that I have any specific advice. Have not spent much time at all east of New Orleans on the gulf coast. In the very little I've seen and read, though, I'd imagine like every other place if you have a positive attitude and put in effort to explore and get to know your surroundings, that the region is full of its own unique history and culture. Plus, as a whole, I think the gulf coast is underrated as a coastal destination. Clearly, the Caribbean it is not, but its cool nonetheless.
I would probably head down to the crossroads, kneel, and beg for intervention from above....or maybe even...below* *there may be strings attached if forthcoming)
It's south of NOLA. Yes, south. Where all the sediment comes out of the Mississippi. That protrusion that is growing out of Louisiana. Swamp land, right? I think all the towns service the oil industry.
Nah, it is north of NOLA. I'll be somewhere in northwest Mississippi or southeast Arkansas. The organization that hired me (Teach for America) has yet to tell me what town or school I'll be teaching in, just that it'll be in the Delta.
Go visit Ground Zero, the blues club owned by Morgan Freeman in Clarksdale. You'll thank me later. http://www.groundzerobluesclub.com/
You're a saint for wanting to do that. Hope you find it a rewarding experience. One of these days I want to go Clarksdale for the reason mentioned by Rocketman Tex.
Clarksdale, and Ground Zero, are just one of many things to explore in the Delta if you love blues music. You can easily make a weekend out of exploring all of the sites from Memphis to New Orleans.
Also, check out the Mississippi Blues Trail. A friend of mine has a marker on the trail.... http://www.msbluestrail.org/blues-trail-markers/two-steps
