Preserving the Ozarks Series 2025
- Konrad Stump
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Preserving the history and culture of the Ozarks is the charge of the Library’s Local History & Genealogy Department. Join us this May and June for our third annual Preserving the Ozarks program series, which connects our community with stories of people, places, and events that have helped shape the region, as well as insights into those working to document and share the history and culture of the Ozarks.
The Arthur Duncan Jazz Trip in Concert
The series kicks off on Thursday, May 1, at 7 p.m., with a concert by The Arthur Duncan Jazz Trio in The Library Center auditorium. The jazz stylings of bandmates Arthur Duncan, Ernie Bedell, and Richard Allen began decades ago in the Central High School and continue an important tradition of Black musicians shaping Ozarks musical history. Between songs, the trio will reminisce about the Black Ozarks musicians and discuss their work to leave a literature of music in the Ozarks for future generations.
The Weight of Blood Book Discussion
Laura McHugh is an internationally bestselling author whose novels mix mystery and suspense with the remote landscape of the Ozarks region to explore some of the seedier sides of human nature. On Tuesday, May 6, join Library staff at the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch Library for a discussion of McHugh’s debut novel, The Weight of Blood, which unravels a generational mystery as 16-year-old Lucy Dane investigates the disappearance of her disabled friend in the rural Ozarks.
The Ozarks in Imagination: Creating a Region with Fiction
Two dominant images of the Ozarks have emerged throughout recent history, with some viewing the region as a peaceful land of rustic innocence and simple pleasure, while others view the area as the home of backward hillbillies. Dr. Brooks Blevins, Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies at Missouri State University, has written extensively about views of the Ozarks region, including in his three-volume A History of the Ozarks. Join Blevins on Thursday, May 8, at 7 p.m. in the Library Center auditorium, as he explores the early works of fiction that created an indelible image of the Ozarks and provides insights into depictions of class, race and religion in the region.
Missouri Gothic & Ozarks Noir
The secluded hollers and small towns of Missouri provide a ripe literary landscape in which authors can explore buried family secrets, unsolved or unnoticed crimes, and underhanded dealings. Join Dr. Katherine Gilbert, Director of Drury’s Humanities and Ethics Center, on Thursday, May 15, at 7 p.m. in the Library Center auditorium, as she explores works of fiction that layer a rugged Ozarks over a gothic or noir underbelly, while also providing cultural context for how these twisted tales mix classic tropes with the modern world to form new genres that have seen much mainstream success.
Police Matrons of the Ozarks: Revealing Unknown Literature
Much of women’s history, including throughout the Ozarks region, remains hidden amongst obscure records, brief newspaper accounts, and in mementoes families pass down. Connie Yen, director of the Greene County Archives, will share the stories of the Ozarks’ forgotten police matrons on Saturday, May 17, at 10:30 a.m. in the Republic Branch Library. Yen will also discuss her journey uncovering the lives and impact of these women, as well as how she compiled pieces of hidden history to create a literature of police matrons in the Ozarks.
Queer Life in the Ozarks: Preserving the LGBTQIA+ Community
With the establishment of the Ozarks Lesbian and Gay Archives (OLGA) at Missouri State University, a literature of queer life in the Ozarks was preserved, culled from scrapbooks, correspondence, organizational records, and much more. Tracie Gieselman France, archivist at MSU; Lou Hood, former executive director of the GLO Center; and Greta Cross, national trending reporter for USA TODAY, with gather on Thursday, May 22, at 7 p.m. in the Library Center auditorium to discuss the creation of OLGA, how the written word connected the community before the archive was founded, and efforts since to capture and share queer history for future generations.
Women Writing an Ozarks Story
From May Kennedy McCord’s columns and radio broadcasts, to Marge Lyon’s nationally known novels about rural Missouri, Ozarks women have long created a literature of the region and shared its stories. Ozarks Alive’s Kaitlyn McConnell’s work continues this tradition, capturing stories of the present day Ozarks. Join McConnell on Thursday, May 29, at 7 p.m. in the Library Center auditorium as she delves into the contributions of numerous notable women in shaping local history through their writings and the collective narrative it creates about the Ozarks.
Yellow Jack and Turpentine: From Memoir to Novel
In Yellow Jack and Turpentine, Dr. Mara Cohen Ioannides has reimagined the memoir of Kate Herder, a member of the failed Am Olam commune, to create a compelling retelling of events in 1880s Northern Arkansas and the first historical fiction novel about Jewish life in the Ozarks. The author is joined by Dr. Jason Collom on Thursday, June 5, at 7 p.m. in the Library Center auditorium for conversation about Herder’s story, historical events versus creative liberties, and how memoir shapes both history and storytelling.
Milling Around: Exploring Ozarks Mills with Barbara A. Baird
The Ozarks’ historic mills offer a chance for both locals and travelers from afar the chance to discover an integral aspect of regional history while experiencing the beauty of these iconic structures. Author Barbara A. Baird and photographer Jason Baird have captured 26 of these captivating mills to give readers the opportunity to delve deeper into any of the featured sites. Join Barbara Baird on Tuesday, June 17, as she takes you on a tour of the mills of the Ozarks while sharing her journey preserving the stories of how these mills have and continue to impact communities.
From fictional depictions that have ingrained images of the region and its culture, to compiling literature of a community through documents, this year’s Preserving the Ozarks series will examine the central role the written word has played in creating a history of the Ozarks. We hope the community feels inspired to re-examine how they approach not only stories of the region, but also their own stories.
Further Reading:
Generation B Music & Melodies, by Ernie Bedell
The Weight of Blood, by Laura McHugh
A History of the Ozarks, Vol. 1, by Brooks Blevins
Queen of the Hillbillies, by May K. McCord\
Passport to the Ozarks, by Kaitlyn McConnell
Yellow Jack and Turpentine, by Mara W. Cohen Ioannides
Milling Around: Exploring 26 Mills in the Missouri Ozarks, by Barbara A. Baird
