July 25, 2024
Branson Regional Arts Council
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The Branson Regional Arts Council is excited to present a fun book signing event featuring five well-known published authors from the Ozarks.
Authors, Howard C. Cavner, Todd Parnell, Tom Koob, Curtis Copeland and Marilyn Whetstone will all be attending this book signing event at the Historic Owen Theatre on Monday, August 5, 2024 at 6:00pm.
- Ozarks Authors Book Signing – FREE EVENT
- Historic Owen Theatre – 205 S. Commercial St., Branson, MO 65616
- Monday, August 5, 2024
- 6:00pm – followed by the film The Shepherd of the Hills at 7:00pm
This free community event will give area locals a chance to meet the authors, and learn what encouraged them to write these wonderful books. The authors will be signing their books, and give a brief talk about how they were inspired to share the stories of the amazing people of the Ozarks, our beautiful mountains, lakes and humorous folktales! This event is a rare chance for friends and fans to connect with the authors, and for the authors to promote their work and engage with their readership.
See individual author biographies below! Make plans to join us for this exciting event!
This Ozarks Author book signing event will be followed by a 7pm showing of the film version of The Shepherd of the Hills starring John Wayne, Betty Field and Harry Carey. The supporting cast includes Beulah Bondi, Ward Bond, Marjorie Main and John Qualen. The picture was Wayne’s first film in Technicolor and was based on the novel of the same name by Harold Bell Wright. The director was Henry Hathaway, who directed several other Wayne films including True Grit almost three decades later.
The film is sponsored by the Historic Downtown Branson Community Improvement District and the public is invited free of charge. The concession stand will be serving your favorite snacks, and seating is limited to 200 people.
Howard Cavner – Ozark Saints
Bio: Ozark Saints is Howard Cavner’s first book of short stories. He considers it a blessing to have lived his childhood and young adult years in Branson, Missouri, just six blocks from the Historic Owen Theater.
Growing up in Branson, when it was a quaint small town, allowed Howard to get to know many Ozark characters, among them Jim Owen, and be influenced by their common hill values.
An ordained progressive Christian minister, he served as an ecumenical campus minister for thirty-five years before retiring in 2018. Howard is pictured here with his loyal Hickory.
Todd Parnell – The Buffalo, Ben, and Me, and Trails of the Heart
Bio: Todd Parnell is the retired President of Drury University, co-founder and retired CEO of THE BANK in Springfield, MO, civic leader, award-winning author inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame in 2012, environmental advocate as co-founder of the Upper White River Basin Foundation and retired Chair of the Missouri Clean Water Commission, and an eighth generation native of the Ozarks.
Parnell resides in Springfield with his wife of 47 years, Betty. They are blessed with four children and seven grandchildren, for whom he has great plans on the river.
His passion for engaging all in wild and natural places speaks to individual personal benefit and growth as well as new generations of environmental advocates to protect our unique resources. His commitment to clean water in the Ozarks speaks to a precious and unique natural resource that underlays a vibrant regional water based economy.
Marilyn Whetstone – Our Home In The Hills
One of more than twenty-five first cousins who grew up together in the Ozark Mountains, Marilyn Michel Whetstone reveals in Our Home in the Hills how she experienced first-hand the joy and comfort of being part of a large, close-knit family.
In a collection of true stories and family recipes, Whetstone shares anecdotes that provide insight into her life growing up in the popular resort mecca of the Midwest, Rockaway Beach, during the 1950’s and 1960’s and the lives of guests who visited the family resort during that time. While transporting others on a nostalgic trip back to a simpler time, Whetstone details how unselfish acts of sacrifice and kindness promoted healthy and lasting bonds among relatives and friends. She shares the ups and downs in her teenage relationships and offers a glimpse into her close walk with Jesus Christ. Included are recipes that have been passed down in her family for more than a hundred years, providing a backdrop to her delightful stories.
Tom Koob – Buried by Table Rock Lake
Bio: Tom Koob has lived in the Ozarks White River Hills for over thirty years.
His study of the area’s history and culture has resulted in four non-fiction books and two novels about the region.
Tom’s interaction with long-time residents has left him with an admiring respect for the strength and character of the mountain folk who have forged a good life out of the Ozarks’ hills and hollows.
Curtis Copeland – Mildred, Quit Hollering!
Bio: My name is Curtis Copeland. I am a lifelong resident of the Southwest Missouri Ozarks, (except for 4 years that I lived in the Arkansas/Missouri border town of Omaha, Arkansas. I graduated from Missouri State University in 1997 with a Bachelor’sDegree in Cartographic Sciences. Immediately after graduation, I was hired as a Geographic Information System (GIS) Technician for the City of Branson, Missouri. Shortly thereafter, I became the GIS Manager for the City of Branson, and have been here now for 25 years. Mapping and geographic analysis for the City has allowed for a lot of variety in my career. It’s allowed for the experience in mapping everything from utilities to zoning to crime and fire response. I’ve also had the opportunity to apply GIS skills to another one of my serious interests, Ozarks history and culture. For several years I was on the Historic Sites Committee for the White River Valley Historical Society. On the Committee, I used GIS technologies to locate and map historic sites, town sites, homesteads and structures. My career with the City of Branson has provided a great deal of experience working with other government agencies, including State, Federal and local entities. This included formulating data sharing agreements and collaborating on projects, including mapping trails and aerial photography acquisitions.
As previously mentioned, I am an Ozarks and local history buff, and therefore, I am a member of, and participate in a number of history-related organizations including: the Stone County Historical Society, the Branson Centennial Museum, The White River Valley Historical Society, and the Bonniebrook Historical Society. I am a board member of the Bonniebrook Historical Society. As mentioned previously, I was a member of the Historic Sites Committee for the White River Valley Historical Society.
I have contributed articles for the White River Valley Historical Quarterly and OzarksWatch magazine. I have co-authored twobooks: Ozarks Hillbilly: Stereotype and Reality, with Tom Koob; and Mildred, Quit Hollering! And Other Ozark Folktales, with Vance Randolph and Augustus Finch. I’m currently working on a secondbookwith Tom Koob about the history of Ozarks float fishing.
In 2023, I was selected to be a presenter at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, featuring the Ozarks. For the event, the Smithsonian asked that I produce a map that would illustrate the cultural boundary of the Ozarks. I worked with a committee for input during the development process of the map.
In 2017, I assisted in the reviving of The Society of Ozarkian Hillcrofters. An organization originally formed in 1932 for the purpose of preserving Ozarks history, folklore, culture, and conservation of its natural environment. The organization now has more than 80 members. Since 2017, we have assisted in the preservation of a historic post office building, we suggested and gained community support for the changing of the name of Ozark Mountain State Park to Shepherd of the Hills State Park, and we are currently developing a roadside park and nature trail for a historic site in Taney County. The Society of Ozarkian Hillcrofters also raises scholarships to send youth to music camps where they learn traditional Ozarks music and instrumentation.
I have a very supportive, intelligent wife and best friend, Crystal. We have two boys: Coulter, 7 and Sebastian, 15; and a daughter: Olivia, 21. We all enjoy our Missouri outdoors as a family at every possible opportunity.
The Branson Regional Arts Council was founded in 1965 as the “Taney Arts Council,” and officially established 501 (c)(3) non-profit status as “Branson Arts Council, Inc.” in 1993.
Our mission is “to create exceptional artistic, cultural and educational opportunities for our community.”
Financial support is provided by BRAC members, theatre patrons, private donors, as well as additional grant support from the Missouri Arts Council and other organizations.
BRAC, PO Box 2004, Branson, MO 65615
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