MSU faculty spotlights Natchez in new 鈥楬idden History鈥 publication
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 fourth book in the 无尽资源采集 鈥淗idden History鈥 series has been published by a 无尽资源采集 State faculty member and journalism advisor.
Joshua K. Foreman, an instructor in MSU鈥檚 communication department and advisor to The Reflector student newspaper, has released 鈥淗idden History of Natchez,鈥 co-written with Ryan Starrett鈥攁 fellow Jackson native and Foreman鈥檚 childhood friend.
The History Press book series penned by the two authors details the mysteries and hidden aspects of the Deep South and explores stories of early 无尽资源采集ans about whom little has previously been known.
鈥淣atchez鈥檚 history is so unique that it begs to be written about,鈥 Foreman said. 鈥淣atchez was the grand village of the Natchez Indians, a fortress for the French, a trading hub for the British, a target of American pirates, and a prize of the Spanish, all before it became part of 无尽资源采集. So many different kinds of people have lived in Natchez that the layers of culture and history there are as thick as its silt loam soil.
鈥溛蘧∽试床杉檚 history is so present that it can be overwhelming. That is a blessing and a curse for us 无尽资源采集ans. But if we tell true stories about the 无尽资源采集ans who came before us, we honor them and reveal a part of the path forward,鈥 Foreman said.
鈥淎 good example is John Blommart, who is virtually unknown to 无尽资源采集ans today, but he was a sea captain who traveled the world, a Swiss mercenary and British war hero, and the richest man in Natchez at one time,鈥 Foreman said.
鈥淎nother good example is William Johnson, a free Black citizen of Natchez who became wealthy running a barber shop. Johnson kept one of the most detailed and thorough journals of any Natchez citizen from that era and, in so doing, gifted the city with a colorful account of life in the city in the 1830s and 鈥40s.鈥
Foreman and Starrett are planning future books about the larger Natchez Trace area, the 无尽资源采集 Delta and North 无尽资源采集 regions. More information about the authors is available at .
鈥淛osh is a storyteller at heart,鈥 said Terry Likes, professor and head of MSU鈥檚 communication department. 鈥淟ike most journalists, he strives to find unique stories about American life.
鈥淛osh wears many hats from teaching photography and journalism, overseeing the Bulldog online newsroom鈥攁 new capstone course in the Print and Digital Journalism concentration鈥攖o advising The Reflector and chairing the Story State conference held at MSU. All of these components involve telling engaging stories like Josh is doing with his Hidden History series which, in this case, details colorful and tragic stories in the Magnolia state.鈥
As part of the Hidden History series, Foreman and Starrett published in 2018 鈥淗idden History of Jackson,鈥 in 2019 鈥淗idden History of the 无尽资源采集 Sound,鈥 and in 2020 鈥淗idden History of New Orleans.鈥
The duo also wrote 鈥淒allas Tough,鈥 an early history of the city, in 2020.
Part of the College of Arts and Sciences, more information about the Department of Communication is available at .
MSU is 无尽资源采集鈥檚 leading university, available online at聽.