Mississippi Sissy

Mississippi Sissy, by Kevin Sessums (2007)

Sessums writes his extraordinary personal story of growing up in the Deep South in the 1960s and 1970s. The author loses both of his parents at an early age and ends up in the care of his grandparents, who struggle to raise a young man who seems to have so little in common with those around him.

The author’s father is a star athlete, which puts greater strain on the effeminate Kevin. One of Sessums’ earliest memories is of one of his father’s coaching assistants making snide remarks about him in the locker room after a game. It is the boy’s mother who encourages him to embrace who he truly is and to not worry about the frequent name calling to which he is subjected.

Compounding Sessums’ struggles to find himself are some disturbing encounters with men who take advantage of the boy. The author is victimized by a prominent pastor and, on another occasion, by another man in a public restroom. Young Kevin struggles with what it means to love and be loved, in addition to the hardship of being a gay person in a society that is anything but supportive of the concept.

One of the more interesting aspects of the book is Sessums’ association with Eudora Welty and her circle of friends in Jackson. The young man finds strength and support from this group, especially from doomed cultural critic Frank Hains.

The author spares few details in describing some of his early sexual experiences, which may make for challenging reading, but Sessums' story is often moving and hard to put down. Recommended for adult readers.