‘Journey in Photographs’ Lecture to be Held at MSU

STARKVILLE, Miss. (Press Release) — The College of Arts & Sciences’ Institute for the Humanities Distinguished Lecture Series is announcing Mississippi-native Birney Imes will speak at Mississippi State University.

Imes will present “Juke Joints, Rabbit Hunters and Gunshots at Midnight: Birney Imes’ Mississippi Journey in Photographs” on Wednesday [Sept. 24] at 3:30 p.m. in McCool Hall’s Rogers Auditorium.

His work focuses on the American South and has been published in several magazines, including Rolling Stone, The Village Voice and Texas Monthly. Imes has also written and published three books: “Juke Joint,” “Whispering Pines” and “Partial to Home.” His photography has been exhibited in The Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.

William Anthony Hay, director for MSU’s Institute for the Humanities and associate professor of history, said he’s pleased to have someone like Imes speak. The thought-provoking lecture should allow attendees an opportunity to broaden their perspectives and ideas, Hay said. Imes will encourage attendees to re-evaluate and think critically about their existing environment.

“Imes’ photography shows his journey through Mississippi during the civil rights era. It shows how we see through pictures,” Hay commented. “It also brings into focus the separate but parallel world of African-American culture during that period.”

The 2014 lecture series allows students, faculty and community members to learn from people whose experiences challenge mindsets and broaden perspectives in an environment of interaction and learning, he said.

“The MSU bookstore will have copies of one of Imes’ books available for purchase and include a book signing as part of his visit,” Hay said.

The College of Arts & Sciences is the largest college at MSU with more than 4,900 students and over 300 full-time faculty members. The college offers 52 degree programs in 14 academic departments and also boasts six research centers and institutes.

For more information about Imes, the Institute for the Humanities Lecture Series or the College of Arts & Sciences, contact Karyn Brown, director of communication, at (662) 325-7952 or kbrown@deanas.msstate.edu.

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