Writer Ellen Morris Prewitt Blog

Don’t Call Me Miss Ellen

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 10, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. 6 Comments on Don’t Call Me Miss Ellen

When I was practicing law, I frequently appeared before an administration judge. This one trial, the old dude who the agency hired to act as the judge would call me Miss Ellen. He called the opposition Mr. Cockrell. Me, Miss Ellen. I was a lawyer. The male person on the other side of the case was a lawyer. But I was being talked down to every...

But for Randall Kenan

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 7, 2025. Posted in Featured, Racism to Reconciliation. 2 Comments on But for Randall Kenan

I would never have known what literary journalism was but for Randall Kenan. When I saw the subject matter he was teaching, I groaned. I could not imagine something I wanted less to do with. But Randall was at the University of Memphis as a visiting professor. I couldn’t believe I had the chance to learn under him, even if I would only...

My Tennis Role Model

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 5, 2025. Posted in Featured, Racism to Reconciliation. 10 Comments on My Tennis Role Model

I played competitive tennis as a child. That’s a fancy way of saying I played in tournaments, traveled to regional cities to compete, and followed my rankings in the Southeast. I began playing at a young age. I was seven years old when my sister began at eight–my mother wanted us to take lessons at the same time, so the pro let me...

Right to Serve

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 4, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. No Comments on Right to Serve

Twice, I’ve been called to jury duty. The first time, I was dismissed because my ex-law partners were trying the case. The next time, I refused to agree to convict someone if it meant an automatic life sentence without chance for parole. Both times, I was ready and grateful to be on the jury. I wanted to exercise the right to serve. A...

Black History Month by Me

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 2, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. 8 Comments on Black History Month by Me

Okay, guys, I missed February 1st. But they say don’t sacrifice the good-enough to the perfect. This year, 2025, as the Federal government works tirelessly to pretend no merit resides in anyone but straight white males, I will during Black History Month blog on how extraordinary Black Americans have impacted my personal history. Short...

2025 So Far

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 1, 2025. Posted in Featured, General. 8 Comments on 2025 So Far

Sometimes, WordPress logging me out is enough to put me off posting. Blame passwords, which I can’t remember, because I have different ones if WP logged me out or I’m trying to comment on someone else’s blog post. I hate passwords. I follow healthy passwording guidelines and use a different password in every instance. Then I...

New Year’s Resolution or Epiphany?

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on January 4, 2025. Posted in Featured, General. 4 Comments on New Year’s Resolution or Epiphany?

I didn’t take a nap today. I swam 950 yards in the pool. That’s a fairly big turnaround for someone who has been napping like a demon for months now. My poor Apple watch has given up on me. It whimpers, You closed one ring today—good job! We’ll see what it has to say about today. Maybe it will blink its little self on and...

The Blank Spot in our Brains.

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on January 4, 2025. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. 6 Comments on The Blank Spot in our Brains.

Thank you to Tod Davies and Exterminating Angel Press for publishing this excerpt from my as-yet unnamed memoir-in-progress. “The Blank Spot in our Brains” opens with a story about my mother and veers off from there. The short piece explores how hard it is to accept information we don’t want to be true. I now have four...

Weekend of Remembrance

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on December 16, 2024. Posted in Featured, General, Racism to Reconciliation. 6 Comments on Weekend of Remembrance

Please enjoy these photos from the recent Weekend of Remembrance in Vicksburg. Dr. Albert Dorsey, Jr. at Bethel AME Church discussing the Massacres at the Weekend of Remembrance Dr. Beth Kruse at the church speaking about the impact of the Massacres Rev. Andy Andrews at the Vicksburg National Park Libation Ceremony on Saturday of the...

Rest

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on December 4, 2024. Posted in Featured, General. 8 Comments on Rest

“Rest,” the doctor said. And I thought, what is rest? Not bed rest. That’s different. Just simple rest. Like sitting on the back porch waiting for the squirrels to appear on the squirrel highway where they jump from the Chinese Golden Rain Tree to the flat frond of the palm tree. The most amazing feat, to land on that...