THE LYCEUM

Billy Bob Jim Jones was all Mississippi.

Nobody knew why he had so many names. Aunt Julia said it was because his momma had an irrational fear of becoming a destitute widow and was always trying to please everyone, especially prominent men.

The whole family lived and died in Greenwood, properly pronounced Green-Wood, with a very noticeable pause between “Green” and “Wood” and with the O’s stretched out all the way to the Mississippi river.

There hadn’t been any big news in Greenwood for as long as anyone could remember, but that all changed the day Billy got caught with Judge Bynum’s wife.