Book Bazaar at Mississippi College Expands to Three Days

Autographed copy of "Another Coat of Paint" by Clinton artist Wyatt Waters

Mississippi College’s Book Bazaar expects to sell over 15,000 items, with all proceeds during the expanded three-day event to benefit the Leland Speed Library.

Book lovers from all over Central Mississippi are invited to the October 10-12 event at Alumni Gym on the Clinton campus.

The book fair raised as much as $12,000 two years ago. Most of the books are going for bargain prices in the $1 to $2 range.

Mississippi College Mathematics Department Chairman John Travis has bought some of Tom Clancy’s spy novels at the book fair, and always enjoys looking. “It is interesting to find rock n roll eight-track albums,” he said. The book fair was also a must stop for his kids growing up in Clinton.

And, Travis noted, the 6^th annual event is for a good cause at Mississippi College.

At the bazaar two years ago, MC mathematics professor Melinda Gann purchased a crime drama audio book for her husband, Don, plus terrific cookbooks for her kitchen shelf.

The audio book for her husband was well worth the investment. “It was very inexpensive – he loved it,” Gann said.

The event will also feature a collector’s silent auction, including books of special or historic interest and thousands of vinyl records.

A few of the auction items include the O’Henry Prize Stories of 1943 bearing the signature of literary icon Eudora Welty. The Jackson, Mississippi native signed her name on the table of contents.

A copy of the Willie Morris classic “The Courting of Marcus Dupree” about the former University of Oklahoma football star of the early 1980s from Philadelphia, Mississippi is signed by the author. Others showcasing the signatures of the authors: John Grisham’s “The Firm” and “The Client.” Award-winning Clinton artist Wyatt Waters signed “Another Coat of Paint” and his “Christmas Stories in Mississippi” poster.

Hours of the sale are from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Mississippi College faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends and the general public are cordially invited.

Leland Speed Library Director Kathleen Hutchison says she’s encouraging people to donate books and other items for the bazaar.

MC library staffers run the sale with help from students and several Mississippi College faculty spouses. Over the years, funds raised have helped purchase computers, pay for faculty and staff chairs and other needs for the library along College Street.

For more information, contact Paula Brown at the Leland Speed Library at pbbrown@mc.edu or 601.925.3432.