In The 'Velvet Ditch': HuffPost's Listen To America Tour Goes To Mississippi

HuffPost is driving across the country for our Listen to America road trip. We’ll be visiting 25 cities along the way.

“Listen to America: A HuffPost Road Trip” made its third stop in Oxford, Mississippi, a city rich in charm, literature, and history. Oxford is the home of the famed Ole Miss, acclaimed authors William Faulkner and John Grisham, and a vivacious music scene.

While in Oxford, HuffPost organized an event in the city’s geographic and cultural center, known locally as “the square.” We listened to the stories of locals in Off Square Books, ate at Ajax, and learned what makes Oxford work from Mayor Robyn Tannehill, and journalist Curtis Wilkie.

There’s a phrase that crops up all over Mississippi, particularly in Oxford, that describes life there as a “velvet ditch.” A local business owner tells us the expression means “a comfortable place that’s hard to leave.”

Suffice to say, we found ourselves deep in the velvet ditch and not in any rush to leave. Take a look at our time there for yourself:

Check out if we’re coming to your town here.