Learn About the Old Ozarks, Panama Canal and Gardening this Week at the Library
Many of us living in the Ozarks have a romantic fascination with the region and how its history influences us today.
Author Brooks Blevins, the Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies at Missouri State University, has delighted us with multiple books about the Ozarks. Now comes his first volume of a three-part history of the region and its inhabitants: “A History of the Ozarks, Volume 1: The Old Ozarks,” published by University of Illinois Press. It’s described as “essential for anyone who cares about the highland heart of America.”
Blevins, whose vivid storytelling draws large crowds at his library programs, will return to the Library Center auditorium at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, to talk about what he loves and reveals in his book – the Ozarks before they were the Ozarks. The event is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. It is also available in the library’s collection.
“The Old Ozarks” looks at the region long before explorer Henry Schoolcraft and other early travelers found it – how the highlands came to exist and the political and economic motivations that drove people here. And he tells the colorful human stories that feed the myths surrounding the Ozarks’ places and people.
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If your bucket list includes a trip to the Panama Canal, hear about Gary and Janet Ellison’s journey there during the Brown Bag Travelogue at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, at the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch. They’ll share stories and images from their 10-day adventure cruise.
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Gather some useful tips on fall-to-winter gardening at two programs. At 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, in the Midtown Carnegie Branch upstairs meeting room, Dr. Clydette Alsup-Egbers of Missouri State University will discuss preparing your garden for fall, early winter crops and ornamentals. Register at 862-0135.
On Sunday, Sept. 23, at 2 p.m. in the Library Station Santa Fe Room, Master Gardener Gaylene Seibold discusses the best time to plant, vegetable varieties and work best and season extenders.
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