We're in the town where Faulkner grew up

And listening to lots of folk music No Images? Click here     We’ve rolled into Mississippi While in Oxford, we spent a lot of time in Off Square Books, a literary haunt for locals and tourists alike. Employee Al Morse spoke to HuffPost about what she loves about her city. "Someone once said that working at Square Books is better than getting a B.A. at [Ole Miss] because you learn just as much. It's really magical to have this literary center in Oxford," she said. "I'm from Mississippi, on the coast. I wasn't expecting when I moved here for it to be a destination. I'm so impressed with the people here. It's a big opportunity to meet people who can teach you." Morse also said she's been happily surprised by the number of people in Oxford looking to effect change. "There's a lot of activists coming out of Mississippi that people are able to overlook because they assume we are all very much a red state," she said. "Which is not wrong. But people will discard us not knowing that there's people who love this place and that we want it to be a place for everyone. I love that young people here are doing that. It's one of my favorite things about Oxford." And how could we talk to someone who works in a bookstore and not score a reading rec? "I want young girls to read the 'Abhorsen' trilogy by Garth Nix," Morse said. "It's a high fantasy series, but every single character that does something of value is a woman. I read that as a kid. It was my first tattoo. It was a very empowering series for women. I think it's vital to give young women the opportunity to see that you are more than what society tells you that you are." Oxford is also incredibly photogenic Instagram user @journey.starts.now Check out the 15 most Instagrammable spots in town. MORE PHOTOS It's the perfect day for some Kurt Vile. And Yo-Yo Ma. Spotify made us a custom Oxford playlist.  START DANCING Very Different Communities Show What It Can Look Like To Accept Trans Kids   Beth Claussen of Illinois and Jamie Bruesehoff of New Jersey are fierce parents who help their trans kids through the hard times. They told HuffPost about their families and their journeys.  READ MORE Midwest vs. Chinatown Phillip Cheng (left) grew up in Illinois. Kai Ng grew up in New York’s Chinatown neighborhood. They each talked to us about their childhoods and what it was like to be the first person in their family to go to college. THEIR STORIES   Aunjanue Ellis: Grandma Taught Me To Love Mississippi, But Our Flag Represents Hate   The rest of this nation ― who stood up and insisted the Confederate flag be removed in South Carolina ― for some reason has little interest in Mississippi, with its millions of flags. With its official state flag bearing the Confederate symbol. MORE FROM THE 'QUANTICO' ACTRESS Flourishing in a food desert Betsy Chapman works with the Oxford Community Market to make healthy food available to everyone in town. “We always think of hunger as an issue,” she told HuffPost. “But food insecurity isn’t always accompanied by hunger. Food insecurity has more to do with your access to quality food. So, there could be a family with a house full of cheap, processed food. No one is going hungry, but the food is nutritionally inadequate.” One week down, six to go We’ll catch you next week in Memphis, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; and Atlanta, Georgia. CHECK OUR SCHEDULE     Join us virtually on the bus! Ride along with our editor-in-chief, Lydia Polgreen, as she dispatches news from the road via Facebook Messenger. Learn more about what it really means to be an American by signing up for our morning news brief.  Did a friend send you this? Subscribe here. For more politics news, check out our HuffPost Politics email. ©2017 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe   - - Preferences  |  Unsubscribe