AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON: "LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI, 1969" BY DELL FRANKLIN
Almost a century after Mark Twain wrote Life on the Mississippi, the legendary river imparted different lessons to a young Dell Franklin, fresh out of the army in 1969. Most of the lessons a young Samuel Clemens learned came from the captains of the boats he served on, helping him to become a pilot with the knowledge to navigate the snags and tricky currents of the Mississippi. But during Dell Franklin's brief but colorful life on the river the lessons came from the lower decks, the galley, storeroom, and sleeping quarters he shared with Black crew members and the Black chef, Henry Joyner Sr., a master of his galley and a true life character who is unforgettable.