Title: Mississippi Sissy
Author: Kevin Sessums
First published March 6, 2007
320 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9780312341015 (ISBN10: 0312341016)
Rating: 3.62
Overview
Kevin Sessums’ Mississippi Sissy is a poignant memoir that chronicles his journey from a scared and secretive child to a confident young man who defied societal norms. Growing up in Forest, Mississippi, Kevin found solace in the company of Mattie May, the family maid, who taught him to embrace his true self.
Despite facing taunts and bullying for being a “sissy,” Kevin refused to conform and instead, found himself befriended by literary icon Eudora Welty and journalist Frank Hains. However, tragedy struck when Hains was murdered, propelling Kevin towards a path of fame and fortune.
With echoes of The Liar’s Club, Mississippi Sissy is a captivating account of a boy’s journey towards self-acceptance in the deep south of the 1960s.
Editoral Review
In his debut memoir, Mississippi Sissy, Kevin Sessums delivers a tender and heartfelt account of growing up gay in the deep south, where traditional gender roles and heteronormative values are the norm. Sessums, a renowned journalist and author, builds his story on a foundation of honesty and vulnerability, inviting readers into his life and experiences with remarkable depth and sensitivity.
Part autobiography, part coming-of-age tale, Mississippi Sissy is a poignant exploration of identity, self-acceptance, and resilience in the face of adversity. Through vivid descriptions and poignant recollections, Sessums paints a vivid picture of his childhood, from his earliest memories in the dirt roads and bayous of Mississippi, to his eventual move to New York City to pursue a career in journalism.
The memoir follows Sessums’ struggle to reconcile his innate gender nonconformity with the expectations of his conservative, religious family and community. From being called “sissy” and “faggot” by classmates, to being subjected to conversion therapy, Sessums endured pain and trauma throughout his formative years.
But despite the harsh realities of his surroundings, he found solace in literature, music, and art, which helped him cultivate his own creative sensibilities and eventually led him to a life of greater fulfillment and purpose. Sessums’ honest and vulnerable storytelling invites us into his world, allowing us to experience his emotions and perspectives firsthand.
His prose is lyrical and poetic, and often evokes the natural beauty and mystique of the southern landscapes. But his story is not just a celebration of the south, it is also an indictment of its intolerance and bigotry towards marginalized communities.
While the memoir offers a compelling insight into Sessums’ personal journey, it also offers a lens through which we can view larger societal questions about gender, sexuality, and identity. Sessums’ experiences expose the ways in which rigid gender norms restrict individual freedoms and perpetuate discrimination and exclusion.
Overall, Mississippi Sissy is a memoir that is both deeply personal and socially significant. It is a testament to the power of authenticity in the face of adversity, and the importance of community and self-love in the pursuit of happiness.
For those who have struggled with identity or felt marginalized in their own communities, it is a story of hope and inspiration. For those who seek to understand and empathize with the experiences of others, it is an invaluable literary contribution.
While there are occasional moments where the memoir feels repetitive or overly sentimental, Sessums’ poignant prose and compelling narrative more than make up for any minor flaws. It is a must-read for fans of memoirs, coming-of-age stories, or anyone seeking to understand the complexities of identity in contemporary America.
Rating: 4.5/5
