This was a painting showing a line of what Mississippians used to call tenant shacks, but what Miss Alice elegantly renamed Condominiums on the Yocana, a river in North Mississippi. William Faulkner created a mythical town of Yocana in some of his novels. This river runs through Oxford , Mississippi, home to Mr. Faulkner and ends at Enid reservoir, the location of Miss Alice's former home at the Plum Point Retreat. Miss Alice gave this painting to her neighbors, Bruce and Mary Lou Wickham and was donated by Ms. Wickham to the museum. A couple of years ago, my mom received a Sara Isom award honoring Mississippi Women of Achievement. While in Oxford, we visited Rowan Oaks, home to Mr. Faulkner. The house was closed for renovation at that time, and it looked lonely and a little worse for wear. As you approach the house you walk down a dirt driveway littered in cedar debris and wide enough for only a horse and carriage or a 1920's width automobile. Along the driveway, on either side, stand stately cedar trees that look old enough to have been present during the Civil War. I understand renovations are complete now, and the house is open, but on that day, Rowan Oaks looked and felt very eerie and made one fear they had been caught up in a Stephen King novel rather than a Faulkner one. It was a nice day with my mom and, that night, though she was one of 10 or so women honored, she stole the show, as usual. During the presentation everyone was standing in an oval-shaped congregation except for my mom who was given a chair, seeing as she was in her 90's. When it was her time to speak, she said it was so nice to be honored with the Isom award, but she was even more touched by the standing ovation she was receiving. Of course, the room broke out in laughter. She always found a way to stand out in a crowd. One of her favorite sayings was that"I just don't believe in hiding my candle under a bushel basket." Alice Moseley was just a big ole showoff and people enjoyed seeing her show off at her age.
