Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi (September 9, 2024)

First Edition. Signed.

As new in dust jacket.

In this poignant and introspective dual memoir, Marion Garrard Barnwell embarks on a deeply personal journey. Inspired by the memoir of her maternal grandmother, Mary DuBose Trice Clark, affectionately known as “Ganny,” the narratives, though separated by decades, are brought together to offer readers a unique and moving exploration of growing up in Mississippi and the intersections of family, motherhood, and self-discovery.

Clark’s memoir, penned in 1956, offers readers a glimpse into the past, telling the story of her life in Mississippi with unwavering commitment to “just plain facts.” Her narrative traverses the landscapes of Okalona, Nettleton, Verona, and Tupelo, revealing their histories and the vibrant tapestry of her life while artfully sidestepping the complexities of her relationships and emotional vulnerabilities. Reflecting on an era when discussions of emotion and self-awareness were often shrouded in reticence, Clark’s story leaves a void in which Barnwell seeks to uncover the unspoken truths that shaped their family dynamics.

Written at the age of seventy-seven, the same age as her grandmother when she wrote her memoir, Barnwell’s writing emerges as a response to the enigmatic silence within her grandmother’s narrative. It paints a vivid and expansive picture of her own life in the Mississippi Delta while also addressing profound themes of alcoholism, racism, shared family history, and the intricate dynamics between generations of women. As Barnwell weaves her own memoir into the fabric of this book, she takes readers on her emotional journey of self-discovery and truth-telling that leads to healing. All the Things We Didn’t Say: Two Memoirs is a testament to the power of storytelling and a captivating ode to the enduring human spirit and the timeless pursuit of understanding the intricate threads that connect us across generations.

Marion Garrard Barnwell grew up in the fabled Mississippi Delta. Her writing life began at age thirteen with a column in the town newspaper. For twenty- five years, she taught writing and literature classes at Delta State University. Her 2024 book, All the Things We Didn’t Say, includes her grandmother’s 1956 memoir (published for the first time), which Barnwell both reveres and laments, and which challenged her to write her own memoir. Barnwell is editor of A Place Called Mississippi: Collected Narratives, which won a Special Achievement Award from the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters. She is coauthor of Touring Literary Mississippi and coeditor of Fannye Cook: Mississippi’s Pioneering Conservationist. All four of her books are University Press of Mississippi publications. Her play, Rats!, was performed by her Delta State colleagues for a variety of audiences. Her essays and articles have appeared in Delta magazine and Portico, among others. Her fiction has been published in such collections as What Would Elvis Think?, Fireflies in Fruit Jars, Christmas Stories from Mississippi, and Tapestry, a Delta State literary magazine which she co-founded. Barnwell has led writing workshops across a wide spectrum of ages and stages.