You have a great affection for the American South
– and even have a “Mississippi” tattoo on your
neck. Why do you have such a special feeling for
this part of the world?
Mississippi is hard to describe. I think it’s something
about the air; it’s sort of heavy and sweet. But I find it
very peaceful. It’s like my second home even though
I’m not from there. So the tattoo refers 1) directly to
the state and 2) to the river which reminds me of
Huck Finn and childhood. So it sort of has a double
meaning.
tour which took me to Austin, Memphis, Nashville
and Little Rock, I fell head over heels in love with
The South. I fell in love with the people, the accents,
everything! Nobody in Australia could understand me
leaving home as a teenager and running off to
Mississippi, but I did it anyway! I hadn’t decided if I
wanted to go to university, but I knew college would
be an amazing opportunity to make friends and really
become integrated in the US. That’s honestly why I
did it. My major was Southern Studies so I clearly
wasn’t thinking about future career prospects! But I
already considered writing my career and attended
college merely for “the experience.”