On the cover: Little Miss Cornshucks. Photograph courtesy the family of Mildred Jorman.

FRONT PORCH
Hello Stranger; Box Full Of Letters; Field Reportings; Farther Along (Johnny Paycheck, Bill Carlisle, Otha Turner, Howie Epstein).

Mark Zingarelli's Lunch Counter Diaries

MIKED
Live reviews
Folk Alliance Conference in Nashville, TN; Lee Ann Womack with the Buddy Miller Band in Austin, TX; Robbie Fulks’ 40th Birthday Party in Chicago, IL; Salute To The Blues in New York City, NY; Alejandro Escovedo in Nashville, NC; Kasey Chambers in Los Angeles, CA; Jayhawks in Minneapolis, MN; Iron And Wine in Los Angeles, CA.

TOWN & COUNTRY
Brief regional features
Janet Bean (Chicago, IL); Jimmy Ryan (Boston, MA); Verlon Thompson (Nashville, TN); Eleni Mandell (Los Angeles, CA); Lizzie West (Brooklyn, NY); Brothers Cosmoline (Toronto, ON); Legendary Shack Shakers (Nashville, TN); Robinella & the CC String Band (Knoxville, TN).

A PLACE TO BE
Regional portrait
The Magnolia Cafe in St. Francisville, Louisiana.

DON’T ASK ME NO QUESTIONS
Q&A
Maria McKee (interview by Erik Flannigan).

THE LONG WAY AROUND
Extended features
Gibson Brothers (by Roy Kasten)
Evan Dando (by Matt Ashare)
Vic Chesnutt (by William Bowers)
Little Miss Cornshucks (by Barry Mazor)
      Hear a clip: "Tenderness" (240k mp3)
Ray Wylie Hubbard (by John T. Davis)

SITTIN’ & THINKIN’
Essay
The missing years of bluegrass (by Jon Weisberger).

NOT FADE AWAY
Reissues
Willie Nelson; O.C. Smith; Townes Van Zandt; Doc Watson; Warren Zevon; Johnny Cash; Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers; Al Kooper/Mike Bloomfield/Stephen Stills; Greenbriar Boys; Henry Flynt; Uncle Tupelo.

WAXED
Reviews
Jay Farrar; Daniel Lanois; John Hiatt & the Goners; Rhonda Vincent; White Stripes; Pete Yorn; Amy Rigby; Bonnie "Prince" Billy; Holopaw; Crooked Fingers; Tom House; Malcolm Holcombe; Wanda Jackson; M. Ward; Fruit Bats; Thorns; Patrick Street; Neilson Hubbard; Emory Joseph; Mark Insley; Jeff Black; Iguanas; Last Train Home; Stephen Dawson & Diane Christiansen; Minton Sparks; Martin’s Folly; Virgil Shaw; Steve Ripley; Patty Larkin; Kate Campbell; Cathy Rivers; Beverly Smith & Carl Jones; Chatham County Line; Mark Johnson & Emory Lester; Tammy Faye Starlite & the Angels Of Mercy; Glossary; Lost John Casner; Eric Hisaw; Baptist Generals; South San Gabriel; Black Keys; Cracker/Leftover Salmon. Tributaries: Waylon Jennings; John Hiatt; Gene Pitney. Fiddlesticks: James Price/Randy Howard/Glen Duncan/Aubrey Haynie; Andrew Bird; Caitlin Cary; Soozie Tyrell; Lisa Germano; Jessy Greene. Bound: Songbook (by Nick Hornby); Elvis Presley; Chuck Berry. Film At 11: Ryan Adams; Dixie Chicks; Steve Goodman; Kinky Friedman; Wilco; Muddy Waters; Last Of The Mississippi Jukes; Clarence Gatemouth Brown; Johnny Cash.

THE NO DEPRESSION TOP 40
A retail chart for January-February 2003.

SCREEN DOOR
Stuff we like
An editorial cartoon by Michael Dougan.