Conversation with Julian Rankin (WA Museum, 2020)

I recently joined writer Julian Rankin for a conversation about the Mississippi Delta, the blues, and my book I Don't Like the Blues: Race, Place, and the Backbeat of Black Life. Rankin is the Executive Director of the Walter Anderson Museum in Ocean Springs, MS. The conversation was apart of the museum's "Southern Art/Wider World" series, which explores a variety of themes through the lenses of Walter Anderson’s art and the southern landscape.

The theme that Julian and I discussed was the river, in particular the Mississippi River. In the course of our conversation, I define the blues, talk about how I use the "backbeat" to help talk about black American life, and tell a story from my book, I Don't Like the Blues.

Click here to view the full conversation!