Ozarkian Folk Chronicles - Your Podcast About the Ozarks

Sometimes you hear a voice so authentic, you'll never forget it, and that holds true for our guest Gary Clarkson. Gary was not only an actor back in the day (the 1950s), but he was a builder, too. He was on the crew that built the five-story tower in Marvel Cave; his image was projected in the old SDC flooded mine ride; he labored in the bowels of Table Rock Dam; and he was Wash Gibbs when Central Missouri State College first staged Shepherd of the Hills on the banks of Lake Taneycomo. Above all, Gary is a storyteller, and this is an episode you don't want to miss!

The Chronicles returns to the dining room of Mark Galbraith to hear traditional stories from the Galbraith family history in Springfield to the fiddling of his father, Art Galbraith, with Gordon McCann to the Emmanuel Wood Ozark Opry. Luke Cormier joins his grandfather in telling the tales but also in playing songs that his own great-grandfather, Art Galbraith, recorded. Stories and music like this are the lifeblood of the Ozarkian Folk Chronicles, and we hope you'll join us to celebrate an Ozarks family tradition!

Frank Stanford was a poet's poet who lived his life and wrote his verse with an unbridled passion. At long last, a biography has been written that captures Stanford's passion: James McWilliams, Professor of History at Texas State University, author of The Life and Poetry of Frank Stanford, and 2026 Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, joins the Chronicles to discuss the life and work of one of the Ozarks' most enigmatic poets. From his free verse epic, The Battlefield Where the Moon Says I Love You, to his shorter lyrics, Frank Stanford demonstrates a poetic genius that will endure as long as there are readers who will risk the ride. Join the Chronicles for this special episode with James McWilliams!

Dr. Lauren Willette, Folk Arts Field Work Coordinator at the University of Arkansas, wrote her dissertation on Billy Joe Tatum, a woman of many contradictions, and Lauren presents Billy Joe in all her complexity, While Billy Joe was best known for her books on Ozarks herbs and wild edibles and the preparation thereof, she was also famous for hosting fabulous parties at her home near Melbourne, Arkansas, and infamous for her appearance on the Johnny Carson Show. Join the Chronicles for an in-depth look at a fascinating Renegade of Folk, Billy Joe Tatum.

This week we take you back to a simpler time of tall tales on the front porch, square dances in the barn, and good times among friends. Noel Scott is legendary around these parts for fiddling and storytelling, and we are excited that he and Hawken Boldman joined us, not only to remember what used to be but to reassure us that the fun will never pass away. This live recording took place in Jeff Michel's restored cabin on his Centennial Farm. You can't get more Ozarks than this!

The Accidental Ozarkian herself, Barbara Baird, and her husband, Jason, join the Chronicles to talk about the most nostalgic and beautiful remnants of Ozarks architecture, the mills. Their fascination with Ozarks mills led them to write Milling Around: Exploring 26 Mills in the Missouri Ozarks, a book that belongs on the shelf of every lover of the Ozarks. Barb also talks about her Ozarks website, "The Accidental Ozarkian," and how a newspaper column turned into one of the most widely read blogs about the Ozarks. Barb is the writer, Jason the photographer, and together they promote not only Ozarks mills, but Ozarks artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs. This episode of the OFC will take you into the heart of the Ozarks with the Bairds as your two capable guides!

The Ozarkian Folk Chronicles has its roots in folktales, which is pretty obvious from our name, but those roots sometimes go down into mythology, sometimes psychology, sometimes sociology, and occasionally, history. Vance Randolph's "Naked as a Jaybird" is a tale with its roots in history, and Curtis Copeland did a deep dive several years ago and came up with, well, I'm not sure I would call it gold, but he sure uncovered a crazy story! When Oscar Stockton and his band of naked followers burst from a canebrake and into the streets of Forsyth, Missouri, Oscar also burst into Ozarks folklore. Join the Chronicles for one of our most outrageous stories, "The Naked Holy Rollers of Bull Creek Country"!

Randy Pace researched the 1890s Meadows/Bilyeu feud and wrote the definitive book on the subject: Blood Feud on Bull Creek. While feuds are part of the Ozarks stereotype, they also belong to Ozarks history, and when the Meadows/Bilyeu feud erupted in gunfire on May 28, 1898, three men fell dead. What's remarkable about the story is just how intertwined the two families were with marriages and children; there were Bilyeus that fought on the side of the Meadows and vice versa. Bull Creek experienced its fair share of violence, and this particular event may be the most notorious. Join the Chronicles for another fascinating look into Ozarks history!