WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Missouri State University-West Plains’ annual Ozark Studies Symposium will be the topic of discussion at the Friends of the Garnett Library monthly luncheon meeting Friday, Sept. 9, on the Missouri State-West Plains campus.

The luncheon and meeting will take place from noon to 1 p.m. in rooms 104 and 105 on the lower level of the Lybyer Technology Center. Parking is available in the lot off Cass Avenue on the north side of the building. Cost of the meal is $10, payable at the door. Those wishing to eat should make a reservation by calling 417-255-7940 or emailing FriendsofGarnettLibrary@MissouriState.edu by Tuesday, Sept. 6.

In his presentation “The Fingerprint of the Ozarks Symposium,” Dr. Phillip Howerton, coordinator of the symposium, will offer an overview of the event’s history, highlight some past presentations, and briefly discuss this year’s program, which is themed “Isolation and Connections in the Ozarks” and set for Sept. 22-24 at the West Plains Civic Center. He also will discuss two features of the symposium’s “fingerprint” – what makes it unique and the number of people it has touched.

“This is a special year for the symposium in two ways: It’s our 10-year anniversary, and we have a record number of presenters,” Howerton said. “There are 23 presentations on the program exploring a wide variety of topics, and popular author and speaker Abby Burnett is offering the keynote address, ‘Gone to the Grave: An Examination of Ozark Burial Practices, 1850-1950.’”

The symposium celebrates various aspects of Ozarks culture through a variety of presentations and performances. Missouri State University-West Plains is sponsoring this program in partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council and with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding will be provided by Missouri State-West Plains’ academic affairs office, the West Plains Council on the Arts, and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

Howerton holds a Ph.D. in American literature and in rhetoric and composition from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is a professor of English at Missouri State University-West Plains and co-founder and co-editor of Cave Region Review, a publication of literary and visual arts from artists and writers living in the Ozark region.

For more information about Friends of the Garnett Library and how you can join, visit the organization’s website or call 417-255-7940.