The Writers series on Mississippi Public Broadcasting will feature two programs on Welty over the statewide television network, thanks to work produced by filmmaker Richard Moore nearly 40 years ago. The hour-long programs will air at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 4, and Sunday, May 11.
The May 4 program will include Welty reading “Petrified Man” and excerpts from Losing Battles and “The Wanderers.” The May 11 program will include readings by Welty of “A Worn Path” and “Why I Live at the P. O.”
Moore interviewed and recorded Welty reading from her works in her home in 1975. Some of the filming Moore did was broadcast at the time as part of The Writer in America series on PBS, but much of it was not aired. The films were archived at the National Endowment for the Arts until rediscovered during a decommissioning in 2006 and donated to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
The Welty Foundation produced an educational packet for teachers including the readings of “Petrified Man,” “A Worn Path,” and “Why I Live at the P. O.” in the Welty and the Craft of Writing resource kit. The kit also contains a CD with photographs by Welty relating to the subject matter of the stories and a teachers guide. See Resources for how to order a free copy of the DVD/CD Rom package.