Literary Love in the City with Soul: Ellen Daniels
For Ellen Daniels, books and stories have always pervaded her life.
As a kid growing up in Rolling Fork, she delighted in the opportunity to hit up beloved Jackson bookstore Lemuria. “I have been coming here since I was a small child,” she says. “Living in a small town like Rolling Fork, we had to drive for a lot of things. When we came to Jackson, I would visit Oz in Lemuria so I could get the latest book I’d seen on Reading Rainbow.”
Fast forward to adulthood and Ellen was determined to work at her treasured bookstore. “My dad was an early member of the First Editions Club and a big supporter of the store, so when I went in and told them I was Drick Rodgers’ daughter, they asked if I could start on Monday,” she says.
Ellen spent a decade at Lemuria while also honing her fine art photography skills. She went on to work as a gallery assistant at Fischer Galleries. “Books and art - that’s what I love.”
In 2018, Mississippi Book Festival Executive Director Holly Lange approached her about coming on staff with the festival as Literary Director. “I came into a situation where incredible relationships with publishers were in place,” says Ellen. “I was responsible for working with publicists and really pitching the festival to them. Then, I got to work on logistics, travel, panels, and everything that the authors would need to know before walking in. That’s the part that I love. I’m a big reader and authors are my celebrities.”
In September 2021, Ellen had the opportunity to step into Holly’s shoes as Executive Director, where she continues to draw on and cultivate her love of literature and relationships in the publishing industry. In 2022, Ellen ran her first in-person festival following the pandemic. “After a two-year hiatus, it was a challenge,” she recalls. Now, the well-oiled machine of the Mississippi Book Festival is back and better than ever. The festival celebrates its 10th year on September 14, 2024. “My favorite part is that people come from all over the country that have never been here before. They are expecting one thing and we show them something different. If I’ve gotten one email saying that, I’ve gotten a hundred.”
Ellen’s Literary Go-Tos in Jackson
Lemuria Books
“Lemuria is my place, always and forever. I have loved this place since childhood.”
Eudora Welty House & Garden
“Miss Welty is a national treasure and a titan in American letters. With the premiere of a new documentary on Eudora Welty that will premiere at the Mississippi Book Festival, people can see the significance of her contributions. But she was also just a regular person you’d see shopping at the grocery store. And, Lemuria was her bookstore.”
Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University
“Margaret Walker was not a native Mississippian, but chose Mississippi as her home. She did the work here. Jubilee has been lauded as the first true African American novel and her legend lives on through JSU’s campus.”
Marshall’s Music & Books
“This store on historic Farish Street is the oldest independently owned African American bookstore in the country.
The Mayflower Cafe
“We are so lucky that The Mayflower is being restored to its former glory. Alice Walker lived here for a time with her husband Melvyn who was a Civil Rights attorney and a white man. This interracial couple went and ate in that restaurant and wouldn’t get up. I just love that story.”
