Ozarkian Folk Chronicles

Famous for her creation of the Kewpies, Rose O'Neill was much more than an illustrator of children's cartoons. Rose was a daring woman in an era of male domination, and her courage in forging her own path remains an inspiration. She traveled to Europe several times and spent time in London, studied painting in Paris, and hobnobbed with the likes of Booth Tarkington on the Isle of Capris. She owned homes in Connecticut, Greenwich Village, Capri, and, of course, the Ozarks; in fact, Bonniebrook was her favorite home, and as she said, she did her best work there. Find out more about this remarkable woman and why she qualifies as a Renegade of Folk!

Todd Parnell, former bank president, president of Drury University, and advocate for our Ozarks environment, talks about floating the entirety of the Buffalo River twice and the remarkable influence of the Buffalo on him and his sons. Todd has served on the boards of various organizations whose mission is the preservation of clean water and pristine rivers in Missouri. Perhaps most important, Todd has turned his outrage at corporate abuses of the natural beauty of the Ozarks into his own brand of imaginative and compelling fiction in over a dozen books. Todd's roots go deep in the red clay of the hills, and his passion for the Ozarks is inspiring. The threat to our environment is a recurring one, and Todd is an excellent guide to help us save what's left.

In this extra-special episode, Mark Bilyeu, Jody Bilyeu, and Rik Thomas talk about their legendary group, Big Smith. Not only do they perform live versions of some of their most iconic songs--"Trash," "Backwater," and "Whip-poor-will," among others--but they describe growing up in the Ozarks, the importance of family, the influence of folk, bluegrass, and Gospel music, and the message behind the lyrics. As one fan put it, Big Smith is a "manifestation" of the spirit of the Ozarks, and this interview bears that out! Trust us, you don't want to miss this episode of the Ozarkian Folk Chronicles!

Champ Herren, the OFC's official "renegade newscaster," digs back into the Ozarks archives and unearths the story of Dick Cullen, who murdered his four-year-old step-brother but didn't live to tell about it. Sometimes, people make damned sure that crime doesn't pay. Champ is a master storyteller and a diligent researcher, and he applies his talents to this nearly hundred year old story that could have come from this morning's newspaper. Also included in this essay is another beautiful folksong from Mark Bilyeau and Cindy Woolf, aka the Creek Rocks, and one of Hoss Braden's favorite Ozarks stories. Don't miss this one!

Hoss Braden, born and bred in the Ozarks hills, has turned his life into art, both in the Legend of the Lost Silver Mine that played in Branson West and currently, in the long-running Shepherd of the Hills drama at the Shepherd of the Hills Adventure Park. Hoss has lived a storied life, but he has also learned stories, dozens of them, that he shares with the audience in the character of Ol' Matt. Now it's your turn to listen in on Ol' Matt's stories for yourself. Don't miss this dyed-in-the-wool, bred-in-the-bone episode of stories from Hoss Braden, aka, Ol' Matt! Also in this episode is our first installment of Champ Herren's "News from the Past" as well as another "Song from the Archives" by Mark Bilyeu and Cindy Woolf, the Creek Rocks! The OFC just gets better n' better!

The word "folk" conjures up people rocking back and forth in cane bottom chairs and dipping snuff, and though that's an admittedly enviable lifestyle, it's not the whole story. The early folk song and folktale collectors were largely from "off" and belonged to an avantgarde circle of artists, socialists, and bohemians, in short, renegades. Our new series, the Renegades of Folk, takes a closer look at these men and women of the early 20th century who did so much to save the culture and folkways of the Ozarks, not through rose-colored glasses, but as they actually lived. Join Curtis and Hayden as they discuss Vance Randolph, patron saint of the Chronicles and our first Renegade of Folk!

Ozarkers love a good story, and George Scott and Tom Koob have some great ones! From Leonard "Shock" Short, moonshiner, bank robber, and husband of George's Aunt Lillian, to Vance Randolph, who fell in love with Lillian after Shock's death, to the myth of Virgin Bluff, and all the way back to the Civil War with George's great-grandfather, George and Tom remind us that the old stories will always live on, and for that we can be thankful! Hills without stories might be pretty, but it's the stories that give them life.

Bob and Barb Kipfer retired from lucrative jobs in the medical field to the hard work of natural conservation. From their initial purchase of 80 acres on Bull Creek to their current preserve of 400 acres, the Kipfers have restored the riparian field, shored up the banks, and planted trees and other vegetation along beautiful Bull Creek. Barb has also planted some 90 indigenous species of native flowers, trees, and other plants in their suburban yard in Springfield. In their efforts to preserve the best of the Ozarks, the Kipfers offer an excellent example of what we can all do to save our home. Don't miss this important episode of the Ozarkian Folk Chronicles!

Join Curtis and Hayden when they sit down with author, chef, and innkeeper, Crescent Dragonwagon! Since her arrival in the Ozarks over fifty years ago, Crescent has published over fifty books in several genres including novels, children's books, and cookbooks. She has embraced the hills as her home, and the hills have embraced her right back! Crescent is a story teller par excellence, and her reminiscences will both inspire and challenge you. You don't want to miss this episode of the Ozarkian Folk Chronicles!