Gavin Guynes
A Tablet PC with WIFI—that's 28-year-old Gavin Guynes' current favorite piece of the technology pie. Excitement spilled over as he explained: "There's no keyboard. You use a pen to draw and write on it. And it recognizes my handwriting—I write horribly, too." It'll even recognize his voice, minus the Mississippi drawl.
Jackie Richmond
Jackie Richmond, 32, took Jackson by storm these last few months as the hip, young campaign manager for Mississippi Supreme Court Justice James Graves, who was re-elected in a run-off election on Nov. 16, defying conventional political wisdom that he could not win a run-off. As her work with Graves neared its end (yes, there's still work to be done after Election Day), Richmond took a few seconds off to chat.
Tyrone Davis
Remember that old saw, "the clothes make the man"? In Tyrone Davis' case, it's most definitely the man who makes the clothes.
Rene Paul Barilleaux
Even as a child, Rene Paul Barilleaux knew he wanted to work in the arts. "Before first grade, I was always interested in drawing, making stuff and doing visual things," he says.
Denise Krause
When Denise Krause, 40, graduated from the Monterey Institute of International Studies with a Masters in Russian, it was likely that neither the dentistry nor the technological field was on her mind. She was on her way to post-graduate school in Moscow, then to other parts of Europe, where she saw the Berlin Wall fall.
Nathan Glenn
When Nathan Glenn, now 29, was growing up, his parents would check him out of school to "help toast bread or wash dishes" at one of their restaurants. After graduating high school, he went to Hinds Community College for a few years to pursue a business degree, but quickly realized that the restaurant business is his calling.
Malcolm White
One might think you'd get to know someone after living for 40 nights in a five-by-seven-foot tent, a 15-foot canoe by day, bathing in the river, fending off crawling critters, heat, cold, solid sheets of rain for just under 500 miles through the heart of a state that runs right through the middle of my heart. However, it's just not that simple.
Montrel McClenton
Madison Central sophomore Montrel McClenton, 16, looks right at home seated in front of the computer monitor, TV screen and editing equipment at Back Porch Film & Video, at the Mill Street end of Keener Avenue. He should. For the past few years, McClenton has been learning the ropes from his step-dad Ted Davis, owner of Back Porch. On its colorful business card, the company's motto says, "We help you tell your story." That they do.
Clarence Lovelady
Clarence Lovelady, 58, came to Jackson 40 years ago to attend Jackson State University from his hometown of Forest. Lovelady majored in English Education, and later returned for a masters in public policy and administration and then a PhD from Ole Miss.
Tambra Cherie
Tambra Cherié, local television personality and host of "Admission Granted," which airs on CBS affiliate WJTV, says her job is a perfect combination of all that she loves: "I like public relations, music and fashion. The show has combined them all."
eZra Brown
With a soft voice laced with traces of his native South Carolina, eZra Brown speaks earnestly about the positives he's found in Mississippi since coming here in 1992. "I'm excited about the way Mississippi is actually growing. Young fire is a good thing. … There's gold everywhere."
Jay Losset
When Jay Losset, 28, talks about Jackson, you can tell he's excited. When I interviewed him, he moved to the edge of his seat when he mentioned the changes going on in Jackson, rocking back and forth and moving his hands wildly as he discussed the city.
James Anderson
James Anderson's favorite phrase is "theater begets theater." He loves to get others excited about theater by doing it himself. "Theater is all about intentions and getting the right wig if you do a period piece," says Anderson, who is a veteran of theater in Mississippi at age 55. And good intentions are exactly what he has for the stages here in Jackson.
Kirti Naran and Rina Patel
In a corner shop at the Bel Air Shopping Center, 1999 Highway 80 West, there's a quiet—yet totally unintended—sociological experiment underway, wrought at the skilled hands of Kirti Naran, 31 (pictured, left) and Rina Patel, 26 (right).
London Branch
Photo and story by Lynette Hanson
The day I sat down to talk with London Branch, 67, he was dressed in a kelly green and old gold retro-style knit shirt with a collar, tucked neatly into his slacks.