Spring 2022 Showcase Benn

Lily-Pearl Benn

Toccopola Grocery

This documentary photography project focuses on Toccopola Grocery in Pontotoc County, Mississippi. The store’s slogan is “from farm fuel to food, we got you covered!” – words that reflect the groceries’ multifaceted role as gas station, country store, and lunch spot. More than a grab-and-go, the space functions as a community center of sorts: exchanges over the counter are more than transactions and the back of the store opens into a dining room, where regulars chat well into the afternoon. Locally owned and operated since 1994, it is central to Toccopola’s community.

Lily-Pearl Benn is an MA student in Southern Studies. From Hull, UK, she came to the University of Mississippi as the British Association of American Studies 2021 Graduate Assistant. She holds a BA in English and American Literature and Culture from the University of Hull.