Melinda Haynes

Melinda Haynes (born December 3, 1955) is an American novelist known for her close relationship to Mississippi in the 1950s and 1960s. Born and raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Haynes initially pursued a career in painting. In 1999, she published her first novel, Mother of Pearl, which became a New York Times Best Seller and was selected for Oprah's Book Club. Her second novel, Chalktown, was published in 2001, followed by Willem's Field in 2003. Haynes currently resides in Mobile, Alabama with her husband, Ray. She continues to write and her works explore themes of Southern culture and history.