Patricia Neely-Dorsey, author of Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems is a 1982 graduate of Tupelo High School in Tupelo, MS. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston, University in Boston, Massachusetts. She currently lives in Tupelo with her husband, James; son, Henry and Miniature Schanezer ,Happy. 
The author states, "There are so many negative connotations associated with Mississippi and the south in general. I want to show a flip side of the coin. In my book, using childhood memories, personal thoughts and dreams,I attempt to give a positive glimpse into the southern way of life."