Senate Concurrent Resolution 666

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS OF MISSISSIPPI-BORN AUTHOR LEWIS "BUDDY" NORDAN OF ITTA BENA.

WHEREAS, Lewis Nordan, a Mississippi-born writer whose fiction conjures a dreamlike world that straddles the whisker-thin margin between a legend and a lie, but whose best-known novel was based on an historical murder of national import, passed away on April 13, 2012. He was 72 years old; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Nordan, who did not begin writing until he was in his mid-30s and did not publish his first book until he was in his mid-40s, was the author of four novels, three volumes of short stories and a memoir Boy With Loaded Gun in 2000. Although he was also known as a teacher of writing — before his retirement in 2005, he had taught for more than two decades at the University of Pittsburgh — his work attracted critical praise and a cult following; and

WHEREAS, Lewis Alonzo Nordan, familiarly known as "Buddy," was born on August 23, 1939, in Forest, Mississippi, and raised in Itta Bena, Mississippi. His father, a letter carrier, died when Lewis was 18 months old, and he was reared by his mother, a schoolteacher and his stepfather, a housepainter. Emmett Till's murder in Money, Mississippi, less than 20 miles from Itta Bena, would haunt Mr. Nordan all his life; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Nordan earned a bachelor's degree from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, followed by a master's degree from Mississippi State University and a Ph.D. from Auburn, where he wrote his dissertation on Shakespeare's dramatic poetry. He taught at the University of Arkansas and elsewhere before joining the Pittsburg faculty; and

WHEREAS, his best-known book is the 1993 novel Wolf Whistle, based on the murder of Emmett Till in 1955. It concerns a black teenager who, like Till, is murdered by Southern whites for allegedly making a suggestive remark to a local white woman. His other books include the novel Lightning Song (1977), the story collection Sugar Among the Freaks (1996), and his memoir; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Nordan is survived by his loving wife of 25 years, Alicia, and his devoted sons: Lewis E. Nordan (JoAnn)of Gaithersburg, Maryland; Josh Conn of State College, Pennsylvania; and Adam Conn (Colleen) of Columbus, Ohio. Two sons, G. Russell Nordan and John Robert Nordan, preceded him in death. He was the beloved "Papa" to six grandchildren: Julian, Erinn, Justin, Lewis Edward, Armond and Jonas; and

WHEREAS, it is with sadness that we note the passing of this Mississippi author whose books were critically acclaimed and added to Mississippi's literary legacy:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commend the literary contributions of Mississippi-born author Lewis "Buddy" Nordan of Itta Bena, Mississippi, and extend our sympathy to his surviving family.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be transmitted to the surviving family of Mr. Nordan, forwarded to the Mississippi Arts Commission, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.