USM Osher Lifelong Learning Institute to Host Presentation by Renowned Mississippi Authors
Tue, 09/05/2023 - 02:39pm | By: Van Arnold
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at The University of 51逗奶 Mississippi (USM) will host esteemed Mississippi authors Rick Cleveland and Neil White for special presentations next week on the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses.
Cleveland and White will discuss the book they co-authored: 鈥淭he Mississippi Football Book鈥� on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 10:30 a.m. in Hattiesburg and Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 11 a.m. on the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach.
The event is free and open to the public, but those interested in attending are asked to register by emailing or calling 601.266.6554 in Hattiesburg, and 228.214.3277 on the coast.
鈥淭he Mississippi Football Book鈥� includes more than 100 profiles of players, coaches, and teams. And more than 500 players and coaches are listed in the records section.
鈥淭he excitement at OLLI on both USM campuses, Hattiesburg and Long Beach, is building as we look forward to hosting award-winning writers Rick Cleveland and Neil White and learning more about their book on Mississippi鈥檚 greatest football players,鈥� said USM OLLI Director Paula Mathis.
Cleveland, a native of Hattiesburg and resident of Jackson, has been Mississippi Today鈥檚 sports columnist since 2016. A USM graduate with a bachelor鈥檚 in journalism, he has worked for the Monroe (La.) News Star World, Jackson Daily News, and Clarion Ledger. He was sports editor of the Hattiesburg American, and executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. His work as a syndicated columnist and celebrated sportswriter has appeared in numerous magazines, periodicals, and newspapers.
Cleveland has been recognized 14 times as Mississippi Sportswriter of the Year (his first was in 1973 at age 20; his fourteenth 50 years later in 2023). He is also the recipient of multiple awards and honors for his reporting and writing.
White lives in Oxford where he operates Nautilus Publishing, writes essays, and teaches memoir writing. His New York Times bestselling memoir, In the Sanctuary of Outcasts (Morrow/HarperCollins), garnered critical acclaim. He has written, edited, or published over 50 books, including co-authoring memoirs with football greats Robert Khayat and Larry Csonka.
About the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at USM are active adults who share a love of learning. Members enjoy innovative and enriching programs in an inclusive environment with others who share their interests. OLLI is one of 125 such institutes across the country and is the only lifelong learning institute supported by The Bernard Osher Foundation in Mississippi. Learn more about the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.