Mississippi Native: Max Hipp

"In [Mississippi] I feel close, somehow, to the pulse of music and literature. If you want something to happen here, art-wise, you have to make it happen."

What does it mean to call Mississippi home? Why do people choose to leave or live in this weird, wonderful, and sometimes infuriating place? Mississippi native Max Hipp is a teacher, writer, and musician who lives in Oxford. He teaches literature and creative writing at the University of Mississippi and his fantastic collection of short stories titled What Doesn't Kill You Opens Your Heart was published this year. (We’ll be talking with Max about the book at our book club discussion on December 4 at 7 pm CT.) In his interview Max writes, “I’ve learned that despite my love for Mississippi, it’s a heartbreaker.” Read on to learn what keeps him rooted to his beloved and heartbreaking home state.

Max Hipp lives in Oxford, MS.

Where are you from?

I was a child in the ‘80s in and around Jackson, MS, but I claim Oxford, where I live, because it claimed me. I wasn’t born here, but my ancestors are in cemeteries all over Lafayette County. They’ve lived here since the Chickasaw were run out by Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act. 

How long have you lived in Mississippi?

Forty-four years.

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

For me, Mississippi means family and friends and connection to the past. I heard Dolly Parton say on a podcast that her familial roots in her homeplace connect her to eternity. I like that. Maybe home is wherever you feel connected to eternity.

How have you cultivated community in Mississippi?

This is a tough question, really, because I spent my younger days thinking I had to make art alone, that nobody was on my side, despite there being great people all around me. Great people are everywhere in Mississippi. And they want to help. 

Who are the people who have made you feel rooted here?

Community is a work in progress, but some of my oldest friendships stem from a shared interest in music and songwriting. I’d say my community of writers in Mississippi is centered around Square Books and Lisa Howorth, who is part owner and a fine writer. At University of Mississippi, we continue to have a remarkable English Department community that’s full of kind and inspiring folks.