Ozarkian Folk Chronicles

Champ Herren and Todd Wilkinson share a deep love of our Ozarks hills. As far back as their time at MSU (then SMSU), they read everything by Vance Randolph they could get their hands on, and for some years, they presented these stories around campfires to various groups. Now Todd and Champ are together again in this podcast about the Scots Irish immigration to the States, first to Appalachia and the deep South and then to the Ozarks. From folklore to folk magic, the influence of the Scots Irish can still be felt in Ozarks culture today. Knowledgeable and entertaining, Todd and Champ will re-introduce you to the hardscrabble folks who carved out their homesteads in the Ozarks.

Roy and Aviva Pilgrim were invited to participate in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival because of their talented musicianship and authentic life in the Ozarks. Roy is a logger who cares about sustainable forestry, and Aviva is a luthier, gardener, and artist who cares about preserving the best of Ozarks culture. Their life and livelihood could serve as a model for those who want "to walk gently on the earth." Some folks dream of living close to the land, and others actually do it. The Pilgrims are doing it.

Henry O. Head has taught workshops on photography in the US, Greece, and Ireland and his photos have been exhibited in places as diverse as South Korea and Rogers, Arkansas. Some of his recent photos were featured in the Guardian. His masterpiece, however, is his debut book Twelve Acres, a photographic exploration of coming of age in the Ozarks and the depths of teenage friendship. Henry's work both preserves and advances the unique culture of the Ozarks hills, and his perspectives on art, friendship, travel, and nature are inspiring and challenging. Join us for this exciting and provocative episode; we know you'll enjoy it!

Curtis and Hayden travel to Dent County, Missouri, to talk with their good friend, Todd Wilkinson, about Montauk Spring, the headwaters of the Current River, and the state park that bears its name. Todd is the Assistant Superintendent of Montauk State Park and has a passionate for the rivers and streams of the Ozarks, having taught canoeing, kayaking, and river conservation for many years. He is also a master storyteller with a remarkable memory, and after listening to the history of this beautiful park, you will be packing your bags and heading to Montauk!

The Ozarkian Folk Chronicles posts its very first episode, "The Strange Case of Adam God," a story recorded by Vance Randolph in Haldeman-Julius's Little Blue Books and confirmed by contemporary newspapers. From the Call he received while plowing his field to parading naked through the streets of Oklahoma City to his hardy old age, James Sharp, aka Adam God, is one of those strange figures who is the very stuff of folktales! Even more strange is the ongoing relevance of such stories to our own bewildering age, over a hundred years later.

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!