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228 Acknowledgments The editors are deeply indebted to each of the writers represented in this collection who responded promptly to our various requests for memories,bios,and photographs.We understand all too well that they had to make time in their packed schedules to pause and reflect, pull and reassemble the past, shape into words and share on paper their very personal stories about the circumstances that led them to leave Mississippi and the series of events that led them to“come on back,” as Willie Morris says. In addition, we thank Craig Gill, Lelia Salisbury, and the outstanding staff at University Press of Mississippi for their excellent counsel, guidance, support, and skilled involvement with this project. We also wish to thank James Patterson for his willingness to share his talent and expert help in all things related to photography. Special thanks are due to Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper for their permission to reprint from Wyatt Cooper’s classic work, to JoAnne Prichard Morris and David Rae Morris for allowing us to use Willie Morris’s fine essay, to William O. Luckett, Jr., for obtaining Morgan Freeman’s permission to reprint his work, and to Jeffrey A. Varas for allowing us to reprint Barry Hannah’s work. ...

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