Water Valley writer Hubert Creekmore would have turned 119 on Friday, Jan. 16. To mark the occasion and celebrate his literary accomplishments, the Water Valley Literary Society invites the public to a birthday celebration featuring cake and beverages, followed by a disco dance party.
The celebration will take place at Bozarts Gallery. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the event is free. Hubert Creekmore (1907–1966) was a published writer of poetry, short stories and novels. He was a contemporary of Mississippi writers William Faulkner, Eudora Welty and Richard Wright. Born in Water Valley in 1907, Creekmore was only two years older than Welty, to whom he was related. The two shared a lifelong friendship and a passion for the arts, photography and literature.
After World War II, Creekmore published three groundbreaking novels set in the North Mississippi town of “Ashton,” modeled after Water Valley, where he was born and raised. One of those novels, The Welcome, is now back in print, with an introduction by Dr. Phillip Gordon, and is available at Violet Valley Bookstore and elsewhere.
Judging by his large and lively correspondence, Hubert Creekmore loved a good party. Friday’s hometown birthday celebration — now in its second year — is very much in his spirit. For questions or more details, visit creekmorelit.com.
