She's a Jolly Good Fellow

Honoree Mary Gay Shipley (second from left) at January 25 dinner at Arkansas State University, also attended by (l. to r.) Spirit, Minnijean Trickey's daughter; Dr. Clyde A. Milner II, director of Heritage Studies and professor of History at ASU; Minnijean Brown Trickey, fellowship recipient; and Dr. C. Calvin Smith, presidential distinguished professor, Heritage Studies doctoral program.

Mary Gay Shipley, the founder of Arkansas' 27-year-old That Bookstore in Blytheville (TBIB), has been honored by the creation of a new writing fellowship in her name at Arkansas State University (ASU). The Mary Gay Shipley Writers Fellowship for Heritage Studies was announced at a dinner at the Grand Hall of the Fowler Center in Jonesboro on January 25. The first recipient of the fellowship is Minnijean Brown Trickey.

Shipley, who is a former ABA Board member, said she was "delighted that they would [name the fellowship for] a bookseller, an independent bookseller, especially. It's wonderful. I'm really excited that Minnijean Brown Trickey will be the first recipient. It's a great opportunity for students to interact with Minnijean and whoever comes after her."

Clyde A. Milner II, director of the Heritage Studies doctoral program and professor of History at ASU, told BTW, "We're delighted to recognize Mary Gay. She's one of our most beloved and recognized figures. That Bookstore in Blytheville is a major institution for so many people." He explained that Shipley "supports writers, and writers love her. She's the person to honor." Milner also mentioned that author John Grisham, a longtime supporter of TBIB, participated in a fundraising dinner for the Heritage Studies program that helped fund the fellowship.

The three-year fellowship will provide financial support for Trickey and will be a "combination of a writers' retreat and visiting writers' fellowship," said Milner. Trickey will not be living on campus, but will visit frequently during the three years to work closely with students and faculty, he explained.

Trickey served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Workforce Diversity, Department of the Interior, in Washington, D.C., during the Clinton administration and, in 1957, was one of the nine African-American students who faced angry mobs, the National Guard, and the Arkansas governor to attend an all-white school in Little Rock. During the fellowship, she'll be working on her memoir about her lifelong fight for social justice. -- Karen Schechner