The Henry Herschel Birckell Memorial Yazoo Literary Walkway is situated between the Triangle Cultural Center and the Ricks Memorial Library on Main Street in Yazoo City, Mississippi

The Henry Herschel Birckell Memorial Yazoo Literary Walkway is situated between the Triangle Cultural Center and the Ricks Memorial Library on Main Street in Yazoo City, Mississippi

Henry Herschel Brickell, 1889 – 1952, was born in Senatobia, Mississippi on September 13, 1889.  He grew up in Yazoo City attending the local schools, and no doubt visiting the historic Ricks Memorial Library.  He went on to attend the University of Mississippi, where he began his career as an editor, writer and literary critic.  He served as editor and critic in cities across the US – Montgomery, Alabama; Pensacola, Florida; Jackson, Mississippi; New York City, New York.  Writers such as Arthur Palmer Hudson, Stark Young and Eudora Welty were encouraged by Brickell at different times during his career.

In 2010 the Yazoo Historical Society, the Brickell Family Foundation, and the Ricks Memorial Library joined efforts to create the Henry Herschel Brickell Memorial Yazoo Literary Walkway.  Joining the old Main Street School (now the Triangle Cultural Center) once attended by Brickell to the Ricks Memorial Library, this walkway now honors the memory of over 100 Yazooans who have gone on to contribute to the literary world.  Ranging from local history, fiction, biography, literary criticism and photography and beyond, many of these published Yazoo authors’ works can be found in the Ricks Memorial Library today.

List of honored authors:

  1. N.S. Adams, 1894-1966, Local history
  2. Frances Andrews, Diarist
  3. Dr. Curtis Austin, Black history studies
  4. Gov. Haley Barbour, 1947-  , Political analysis
  5. Ethelbert Barksdale, 1824-1893, Newspaper editor
  6. Hermand Bennette, Jr., Poetry
  7. Frank Birdsall, 1859-1930, Newspaper editor, publisher
  8. Judge Robert Bowman, 1827-1915, Civil War and Reconstruction history
  9. Henry M. Brickell, Educational development
  10. Melvertia Brookins, Juvenile fiction
  11. Frances DeBra Brown, W.A.C. memoirs
  12. Marion Brown, Photograpy
  13. Paul T. Brown, 1949-  , Natural history photography
  14. Viola Campbell, 1909-1995, Poetry
  15. Rev. Beverly Carradine, 1848-1931, Religion
  16. Henrine Carter, 1914-1996, Education
  17. Paul C. Cartwright, 1964-  , Local history
  18. Rev. Robert Certain, Local church history
  19. Charles Chiplin, Black social studies
  20. Jerry Clower, 1926-1998, Humor
  21. Michael Cochran, Fiction
  22. Linda Coleman, Poetry
  23. Robert Coleman, Poetry
  24. Owen Cooper, 1908-1986, Finance, Religion
  25. James L. Cox, Mississippi almanac
  26. Linda Crawford Culberson, Archaeology, Catfish
  27. Helen Dick Davis, Literary editor
  28. Reuben Davis, 1889-1966, Novels, Short stories
  29. Harris Dickson, 1868-1946, Novels, Biographies
  30. Adelaide S. Dimitry, 1843-1911, Civil war history
  31. John E. Ellzey, 1947-  , Genealogy and local history research
  32. James Ewing, Tennessee lore
  33. William Ewing, Newspaper editor (Hawaii)
  34. Jon Foose, Musicology
  35. Martha Foose, Cuisine
  36. Barbara Ann Garrett, Geriatric nursing
  37. Spivey Guion, Firearms
  38. William C. Hall, 1840s, Local short stories
  39. Jack Harper, Dog breeding, training
  40. “L.C.H.” (Laure C. Hill), 1850s, Autobiography
  41. Gerard Helferich, 1954-  , Book editor, non-fiction
  42. Dorothy Hogue, Lyricist
  43. Dr. William F. Holmes, Jr., Biography, Georgia history
  44. Arthur James, Business, Black bankers
  45. William L. Jenkins, Local stories
  46. Barbara Johnson, Biography
  47. Ronald Johnson, Black poetry
  48. May Jones, Education
  49. Mary Jones, Editor, journalist
  50. Massena Jones, Casey Jones story
  51. Allyssa Killebrew, Children’s fiction
  52. Keath Killebrew, Children’s ficiton
  53. Harriet DeCell Kuykendall, Local history
  54. Caroline Langston, Short stories
  55. John A. Langston, Jr., 1954-  , Book design and production
  56. Sharon Leigh, Poetry
  57. Henry Clay Lewis, 1823-1890, Humorous sketches, poetry
  58. Leo N. Lewis, Poetry
  59. Dr. Sim C. Liddon, 1935-2006, Religious psychology
  60. Sherry Lucas, Newspaper feature stories
  61. Major J. McGuire, 1868-1951, Newspaper editor, publisher
  62. Rev. Albert Martin, Local church history
  63. Carolyn Martin, Historical novels
  64. Lenda F. Matthews, Poetry
  65. Judge Robert B. Mayes, 1820-1884, Religion, poetry
  66. J.S. Michie, 1820s, Early newspaper reporting
  67. Albert T. Morgan, 1843-1922, Local history, Reconstruction
  68. Willie Morris, 1934-1999, Fiction, non-fiction
  69. JoAnne Prichard Morris, Local history, book editor
  70. Sarah Lear Morrisette, 1919- , Journalism
  71. Norman A. Mott, 1856-1920, Newspaper editor, publisher
  72. Susanna E. Mott, 1866-1956, Newspaper editor, publisher
  73. N.A. Mott, 1893-1955, Newspaper editor, publisher
  74. Mary L. Mott, 1896-1969, Newspaper editor, publisher
  75. Norman A. Mott, 1924-  , Newspaper editor, publisher
  76. Melany Neilson, 1958-  , Biography
  77. Elma F. Nelson, 1904-1979, Local history
  78. Teresa Nicholas, 1954-  , Memoirs, journalism
  79. Sam Olden, 1919-  , Travel for children, local history
  80. Andrew Patterson, History
  81. Sue Patterson, History
  82. Harriet Prewitt, Newspaper editor, publisher
  83. Jo G. Prichard, Local history
  84. Evelyn Purvis, Poetry
  85. R. M. Rice, Finance
  86. Charlemae Hill Rollins, 1897-1979, African-American children’s books
  87. Lamar Selby, Yazoo County short stories
  88. Maggie Shaw-Fullilove, Alcoholism
  89. Dorothy Smith, Education, religion
  90. Dr. Charles Summer, 1924-1974, Industrial management
  91. Paul Stewart, Newspaper editor, publisher
  92. Nathan Swayze, Guns, gun collecting
  93. Joseph C. Thomas, African-American local history
  94. Mollie Kinkead Turnage, Newspaper owner and editor
  95. Demothenes Walker, 1800s, Newspaper editor, novels
  96. Dr. Wilse B. Webb, Scientific studies of sleep
  97. Jennie N. Wheless, poetry
  98. U.S. Senator John Sharp Williams, 1854-1932, Politics, history
  99. Ruth Tuttle Williams, Autobiography
  100. Zig Ziglar, 1926-2012, Motivational and religious books

2012 Additions to the walkway:

  • Gary Andrews, Newspaper editor
  • Ted Adkinson, Literary criticism
  • Rev. Ceasar Felton, Religion
  • Harold Fisher, Civil War history
  • Mary Beth Gokee, Yazoo weddings
  • Nina Pepper, local history
  • Omie Wall Parker, Brickell biographer
  • W. Charles Parker, African-American issues
  • Brenda Waters, Fiction
  • Rev. James F. Yates, Biography