Ole Miss Alums Release “The Lion & The Lyceum” Children’s Book

Mascot Books announces the release of Lion and the Lyceum, written by Alex Beene and Taylor Wiedemann.

Beene is an author and educator from Tennessee. He has been featured on ABC, CBS,

ESPN Radio, and an array of print publications for authoring his two children’s book, Lessons from a Southern Mother and The Journey of the Paper Heart.

“The Lion & The Lyceum presents a timeless experience that alumni and children alike can enjoy. Alex & Taylor take you back to some of your best memories at Ole Miss —spring games at Swayze Field, RUF at Paris-Yates, night games in the football stadium—and have you envisioning your children walking around campus and excitedly inventing their own Ole

Alex Beene

Miss alphabet. Even as landmarks pointed out in the book come and go over time, this book will remain a classic and a must-have for all Ole Miss families,” Patrick Woodyard, Co-Founder & CEO of Nisolo said.

Taylor Wiedemann, an artist, sculptor, and graphic designer with a degree in fine arts from The University of Mississippi, did the illustration. She concentrates on still-life paintings, but when she became a mother, she was eager and excited to use her talents to illustrate children’s books to help stories come to life for her children and others.

Wiedemann approached Beene about publishing an Ole Miss children’s book after seeing his first book, “Lessons from a Southern Mother.”

“I got to work on a story, and her brilliant artwork went from there,” Beene said.

His columns have appeared in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Clarion Ledger, Mic.com, and other prominent media outlets. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Ole Miss and is a lifetime member of the University of Mississippi Alumni Association.

“Alex has the uncanny ability to take a complex subject, Ole Miss, and make it readily understood by a child. As I read and view this wonderful literary and artistic work, I find my mind and heart drifting to a peaceful place that captured me some eight years ago and never released me from its gentle grip.” Cy Rosenblatt, Former Mississippi State Senator & Ole Miss Instructor said.

The Lion and the Lyceum is now available on Amazon, and by next month will be available in 70 different countries digitally via Kindle, iBooks and other digital services.

A stuffed lion to go along with the book will be unveiled at a signing in the Grove during the Georgia game weekend.

For more information about Lion and the Lyceum, please email aabeene@gmail.com.

By HottyToddy.com staff report and Russ Jones.

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