Mississippi Native: Michael Williams

"I feel a sense of duty to live openly as a queer, free-spirited creative in a state like Mississippi. This is my home, and I should feel comfortable to live and thrive here."

What does it mean to call Mississippi home? Why do people choose to leave or live in this weird, wonderful, and sometimes infuriating place? Today we hear from gardener, filmmaker, and entrepreneur Michael Williams who lives in West Point, Mississippi.

Featured contributor Michael Williams lives in West Point, Mississippi. Photo by Cody Moore / Babble House

Where are you from?

West Point, MS

How long have you lived in Mississippi?

I’ve lived in Mississippi 36 years (my entire life).

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

Home is a place of comfort. That was actually a major theme that I explored in my first feature film OzLand. The two characters, Emri and Leif, wander a bleak world with no home and each are on their own journey to find what home means to them. As a writer, both of the characters, though each different in many ways, are both reflections of who I am and what I think and feel. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found that I am connecting more to Emri than I did when I originally wrote the film. Emri thinks home is a place of comfort. For me, I feel most comfortable at home with my garden. It’s my own little slice of The Shire within Mississippi where I feel comfortable to create, recharge, and allow myself to discover peace and personal fulfillment. 

Michael at work on Mississippi-based film projects.

How have you cultivated community in Mississippi?

As a queer creative in Mississippi who isn’t religious, it can be challenging to feel comfortable within a community that can often make us feel unwelcome or misunderstood. However, I don’t need a big community of people to feel rooted. There are great people in West Point and the surrounding areas, and for the most part, I feel very fortunate to live in an area where I can create a happy life for myself despite being in such a conservative state. I think Mississippi is quickly becoming more progressive despite the historically conservative mindset we are known for. Our politicians may not be that progressive, but the people are progressing.