Wilkinson’s novel “honors the mothers who came before, the land that provided for generations of her family and the untold heritage of Black Appalachia,” according to a statement.
Angela J. Williams, an educator and storyteller from Hannibal, MO, will read portions of the novel and lead a discussion about its relation to “By Word-of-Mouth Storytelling.”
In addition to being an educator, Williams is a family business owner and “heir to the storytelling tradition.”
Williams became interested in storytelling early in her life and has continued to engage with this interest through her career. At 19, Williams participated in the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program with mentor Dr. Gladys Caines Coggswell, a Missouri Humanities Distinguished Literary Awardee. Coggswell taught Williams about traditional storytelling and folklore and helped her to explore lore in her hometown as well as within her family.
For over 20 years, Coggswell and Williams have continued to work as a team, presenting stories and workshops as a part of the By Word-of-Mouth Storytelling Guild. During this time, Williams has also begun teaching her own apprentice, Cynthia McPherson.
The event, also sponsored by Missouri Arts Council, Missouri Humanities and Ozark Spring Chapter NSDAR, will take place on Tuesday, February 17 starting at 6 p.m. The event will be open to the public at Garnett Library on the Missouri State University-West Plains campus.