Gathering of Greatness Front Porch conference brings history, arts together

Published 6:00 pm Friday, August 31, 2018

TAYLOR – The Conference on the Front Porch, the nation’s only gathering focused exclusively on the significance of the front porch in society, has announced 2018 dates, list of speakers, and underwriting sponsors. This year will mark the third annual Conference and will take place Oct. 25-26 at the Plein Air neighborhood in Taylor. (www.pleinairtaylor.com)

“The front porch is an iconic symbol of American culture. It symbolizes the conversations that happen across the nation about the challenges we face in our daily lives, the establishments of friendships, and the congregation of families coming together as one. This Conference is the embodiment of American culture, with conversations from some of the greatest minds of our generation speaking literally from the front porch to the guests,” states Campbell McCool, founder of the Conference.

The Conference started in 2016 with a stated mission of “celebrating the significance of the front porch, both from an architectural as well as a sociological perspective.” The proposed topics conveyed are how, when, and why the front porch scenery began to slip away from the American culture. McCool says, “As years have passed, we have found that the front porch lifestyle left a huge impact on the lives of many Americans and we thought, ‘Why not bring that historical feature back? Why not start a conference celebrating the front porch and all that it represents?’”

Keynote speaker will be John Barry, author of the seminal book on the Mississippi River “Rising Tide,” which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Additional speakers will include Erin and Ben Napier of HGTV’s “Hometown,” Wyatt Waters and Robert St. John from MPB’s “Palate to Palette,” Mississippi Poet Laureate Beth Ann Fennelly, CJ Lotz with Garden & Gun Magazine’s, Mike Stewart, CEO of Wildrose Kennels, and Suzanne Stern, president of Our Town Plans.

Evening activities will include a private concert with Nashville’s Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, and a one-man porch play featuring HBO’s Johnny McPhail as Big Daddy from Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”

In addition to the lineup of speakers, concerts, and plays, the Conference offers optional afternoon tours of historic Oxford homes and porches, tours of the history archives at Ole Miss, and evening meals in a field accompanied by local musicians and storytellers.

“This Conference has established itself as a vital forum for discussing important and intriguing topics,” said Mike Dolan, editor of American History Magazine and author of “The American Porch: An Informal History of an Informal Place.” Dolan has spoken at the Conference for the past two years.

McCool added, “We have a saying that a front porch isn’t just lumber – it’s a way of life.”

For additional information or to register, visit The Conference on the Front Porch website:

www.theconferenceonthefrontporch.com

About Conference on the Front Porch

The Conference on the Front Porch is the nation’s only gathering focused on the significance of the front porch in society. Held each fall at the Plein Air neighborhood in Taylor, the Conference brings in historians, architects, writers, musicians, and lovers of all things front porch.