WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The editors of “Elder Mountain: A Journal of Ozarks Studies” are celebrating a decade of Missouri State University-West Plains’ (MSU-WP) first journal by publishing a special double issue.
Issue 10 of “Elder Mountain” offers more than 200 pages of new material and a sampling of the best articles from past issues.
Dr. Phillip Howerton, the general editor, stated, “This issue is a beast,” said Dr. Phillip Howerton, professor of English and Elder Mountain general editor. “It weighs in at 290 pages and contains short fiction, folklore, history, an interview, essays, memoir, investigative journalism, poetry, and visual art. For the first time, ‘Elder’ features photographs throughout the volume and includes color images.”
Highlights of this issue include an interview with Missouri’s poet laureate, eight book reviews, photographs of old barns, and new fiction from C. D. Albin, John Mort, Steve Wiegenstein and Steve Yates.
Of special interest to residents of southeastern Missouri is a detailed history of the West Plains lagoon disaster of 1978 written by former West Plains Daily Quill reporter Denise Henderson Vaughn.
Another highlight is the involvement of two MSU-WP students. Morgan Blanck, Willow Springs, who is currently enrolled in Howerton’s Publishing Internship (ENG 197) course, served as associate editor for this issue.
“Morgan is a superb student and a sharp-eyed editor, and I was pleased to have her catching my oversights. She is also editing ‘Cave Region Review’ and two books that are in production at Cornerpost Press,” Howerton said.
Another MSU-WP student, Faith Collins, Alton, contributed the essay “The Future of Beekeeping in the Missouri Ozarks,” which discusses the numerous challenges to beekeeping in the Ozarks.
“This is an especially valuable essay because it explores not only the challenges to this important industry but also the threats to the wellbeing of an essential and fragile species,” Howerton said. “The health of the honeybee is an accurate barometer of the health of our planet, and anything that threatens their survival will eventually threaten human survival.”
In addition to the hard copy journal, Howerton also maintains an online version of “Elder Mountain” at https://blogs.wp.missouristate.edu/elder-mountain/.
“Most of the material from the three most recent issues is posted online. The online version has had more than 5,000 views, and it is an effective and cost-free way to make the contents of the journal available to writers and researchers around the world,” he said.
Founded by author and MSU-WP Professor of English Dr. Craig Albin in 2009, “Elder Mountain” has published more than 1,400 pages of Ozarks-based material. The journal welcomes work from most every academic field, and many of its contributors are among the most respected scholars and writers in the field of Ozarks studies.
Issues 7, 8, 9 and 10 of “Elder Mountain” are available online through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
