As amazing as the 2nd Annual Mississippi Book Festival’s panels were (and they were very good), the author’s lounge was a little piece of heaven. It was a refuge from the hustle and bustle out in the Capitol’s hallways. And it was well-stocked with pastries and fresh fruit.
It also was well-stocked with authors. I got to catch up with long-time friends and met a few new ones. Several of my Twitter friends were there, too. I was like a literary family reunion. But that’s how Mississippi works. And it is one of the reasons I’ve really enjoyed living here. You can bump into talented people nearly daily. And they are glad to see you when you do.
One person who I wasn’t so sure would be glad to see me is former Senator Trent Lott. My cartoons were fairly tough on him back in the day (and rightfully so). I got his attention, he introduced himself (like he needed, too) and I said my name. A look of recognition washed over his face.
“Oh. You used to draw me with a helmet head.”
Well, yeah.
Anyway he told me this story that I’ll share. Back when Bill Clinton was President (probably around 1999 or so), Senator Lott slipped a piece of legislation into an appropriations bill that would have extended duck season. Many years, duck season would end before the ducks made it to Mississippi. Clinton threatened to veto it. So I drew a cartoon with Lott explaining to a wide-eyed Clinton why it was important, “Imagine if intern season ended before any interns showed up.”
Senator Lott found the cartoon amusing and asked for the original. I figured it was the most I could do, so I gave it to him. The good Senator promptly framed it and hung it in his Senate office’s bathroom in the U.S. Capitol.
Most artists hope to end up in the Louvre. I end up in the darn loo.
When Hillary was sworn into the Senate, President Clinton needed to hit the bathroom. So he popped into Lott’s office to use his. When he came out of the bathroom, he was laughing because of the cartoon. He promptly gave Senator Lott another cartoon (by another cartoonist) as a present as a payback.
The part of the story I didn’t know is that both original cartoons were lost when Katrina washed Senator Lott’s home out to sea.
I’m going to look in my electronic archives and find that cartoon so I can make a copy of it for Senator Lott. If for no other reason, he gave me a good story. But that’s what the Mississippi Book Festival was all about — good stories. And that’s what Mississippians do so darn well.