Mississippi Expat: Harrison Scott Key

"Home is both the place you leave and the place you stay. Mississippi will always be the place I left. And I keep leaving, every time I go back."

What does it mean to call Mississippi home? Why do people choose to leave or live in this weird, wonderful, and sometimes infuriating place? Harrison Scott Key now lives in Savannah, Georgia, but he grew up in rural Mississippi. In his first memoir, The World’s Largest Man, published in 2016, Harrison writes about his upbringing, including his larger-than-life father, “a great man, [who] taught me many things: How to fight, how to work, how to cheat, how to pray to Jesus about it, how to kill things with guns and knives and, if necessary, with hammers.” Harrison’s most recent memoir, How to Stay Married, tells the spiritually profound story of the author’s journey through hell and back when infidelity threatens his marriage. How to Stay Married is also our Rooted Book Club pick for April. We’ll be talking with Harrison TONIGHT at 5:30 CDT. Join us!

Harrison Scott Key grew up in Mississippi and now lives in Savannah, Georgia.

Where are you from?

Earth, generally. Specifically, Puckett, Brandon, Jackson, Oxford, Starkville, Port Gibson. I have enemies in most every county.

When did you move to Savannah and why did you move there?

My wife Lauren and I moved from Mississippi to Savannah, Georgia, in 2007 when I took a job at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), the world's biggest design school. I was hired to write speeches for the president of the college. I'd never written a speech for anyone. I don't know why they hired me. I've had many jobs at SCAD over the years: professor of writing, chair of liberal arts. I'm now the executive dean. I don’t even know what that means.

What does “home” mean to you? How does Mississippi fit into that definition?

Home is both the place you leave and the place you stay. Mississippi will always be the place I left. And I keep leaving, every time I go back.

How to Stay Married tells the spiritually profound story of Harrison’s journey through hell and back when infidelity threatens his marriage.

What do you miss most about Mississippi?

The systemic poverty.

How have you cultivated community in Savannah?

I wrote a story about finding friends in Savannah, called "I Can Feel God's Presence in this Portable Toilet," which addresses that question. You could just google it.

Do you still feel rooted to Mississippi?

Oh yes. I come back a lot, for the gas station food.