Page 19 - John Currence News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

>> anthony: is there a distinctive barbecue style in the state of mississippi? >> john currence: no, not that -- that we can really discern at all. and it's part of the reason that we wanted to do this. we got our hands on this place and sort of been puzzled for years, you know, what mississippi barbecue is all about. and the more i dug into it, the less and less i could find. so what we wanted to do is sort of take a look at barbecue that surrounds us and see if we could sort of frankenstein barbecue. >> anthony: there isn't really any fixed idea of mississippi barbecue. and other than this p...

Now this is a not-for-profit establishment? >> john currence: yeah. >> anthony: is that right? >> john currence: yeah, it sure is. >> anthony: what kinda socialist, communist -- are you up to, currence? what's going on here? this is the state of mississippi. >> john currence: well, i'm just a feel-good kind of guy. >> anthony: me too. i've been here only a week. my sentences, they're starting to change already. 'cause it's not just a physical, a rhythm to the speech, but the way i'm organizing my thoughts is starting to change. some of the oxford writers from last night managed to make it out ...

And swamps. after the passage of the cheerful sounding native removal act of 1830, the delta became open for settlement by any white people crazy enough, hearty enough, determined enough, or just plain mean and greedy enough to come here. >> julia reed: there's no way to make up for our bad racial past, but you do, you know, the sense of community that keeps people here is evidenced in this place. >> anthony: julia reed is greenville born and raised. the daughter of a political family. a writer, author, and as delta as it gets. how long you been in the city? >> john currence: 22 years. i came ...

Whole hog, sweet jerk chicken, and brisket. hell, i feel better already. >> man: the mississippi that i've received is not the mississippi that i've had in my head. i was surprised on how sold i was off the bat. if you wanna write, you come to oxford. >> anthony: do you think that's true? well, apparently yes. >> jack pendarvis: like that line in "barton fink," "you can't throw a rock without hitting a writer." and then he says, "do me a favor, throw it hard." >> john currence: it's easy to just look at mississippi and go, "that just happens down there, so we're good, our hands are clean." it'...

And opened first one, then many more restaurants and businesses in the town of oxford. >> john currence: i've stayed busy. >> anthony: and this is doe's eat place in greenville. >> julia reed: this is the great florence signa. >> anthony: oh, it's so good to meet you. >> julia reed: florence is in charge of the salad bowl and has been for -- this is -- florence is doe senior's sister-in-law. uh, when did y'all open up for us? 1930? >> florence signa: 1941. >> julia reed: '41. close enough. >> anthony: like a lot of folks around here, dominick "big doe" signa got his start selling hot tamales t...