Mississippi State’s College of Arts and Sciences is inviting the campus community to sample something new this month with its first “book tasting” event, a creative showcase that pairs faculty literature with iconic Mississippi State flavors.
“The book tasting is designed to celebrate the scholarship, creativity and range of voices within the College of Arts and Sciences while offering a relaxed, social way to engage with faculty and increase collegiality,” said Karyn Brown, the college’s assistant dean for communication and media. “Guests are encouraged to circulate, sample and discover something unexpected.”
The event, “A&S Book Tasting: A Showcase of Authors,” will be held Thursday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the John Grisham Room of Mitchell Memorial Library.
The free, “come and go” event features faculty authors from across the college, each hosting a table where guests can browse books, meet the authors and enjoy selections of Mississippi State cheese. The university’s famous Edam cheese will be featured alongside other varieties made by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.
In addition to the literary pairings, guests can enjoy MSU muscadine grape juice along with a selection of other boutique beverages and snacks.
The showcase features nine authors representing a wide array of disciplines, including history, anthropology, psychology, and creative writing. Participating authors and their featured works include:
■ Ryan P. Semmes: “Exporting Reconstruction: Ulysses S. Grant and a New Empire of Liberty” (2024)
■ Josh Foreman: “Hidden History of Vicksburg” (2025) and “Hidden History of New Orleans” (2020)
■ Candace Lukasik: “Anthropologies of Orthodox Christianity: Theology, Politics, Ethics” (2025)
■ Michael R. Nadorff: “The Nightmare and Sleep Disorder Toolkit” (2025)
■ Ted Atkinson: “Monumental Designs: Infrastructure and the Culture of the Tennessee Valley Authority” (2025)
■ Marty Lang: “The Self-Sustaining Filmmaker” (2024) and discussion of his feature-length film “Stay With Me”
■ Courtney E. Thompson: “Do Less Harm: Ethical Questions for Health Historians” (2025)
■ Samyak Shertok: “No Rhododendron” (2025)
■ Kemeshia Swanson: “Conversations with Jesmyn Ward” (2025)
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
