Episodes

  • Episode 42 - Folklore vs. History: A Conversation with Dr. Brooks Blevins

    Episode 42 - Folklore vs. History: A Conversation with Dr. Brooks Blevins
    Nov 7 2024
    Dr. Brooks Blevins, the premier historian of the Ozarks and Noel Boyd professor of history at MSU, sits down with Curtis and Hayden to discuss the tension between the "cold, hard facts" of history and the more whimsical world of folk stories and songs. From "signal trees" to the folktales of Vance Randolph, Dr. Blevins evaluates the relevance of folktales and ballads to historical studies and explains how he has become more accepting of folktales as an essential element in Ozarks culture.

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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Episode 41 - Ozarks Ghost Stories with Tammy Morton and Angel Wolf

    Episode 41 - Ozarks Ghost Stories with Tammy Morton and Angel Wolf
    Oct 30 2024
    Celebrate Halloween with Tammy Morton and Angel Wolf as they join Curtis and Hayden to talk about ghosts past and present. The deep valleys and secluded caves of the Ozarks have always lent themselves to tales of the preternatural, and this tradition of storytelling will never die--kinda like the ghosts themselves! Feel the eerie on our latest episode.

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    52 mins
  • Episode 40 - Celtic Influence in the Ozarks with Josh Heston

    Episode 40 - Celtic Influence in the Ozarks with Josh Heston
    Oct 24 2024
    Join Curtis and Hayden as they talk with Josh Heston, founder of the State of the Ozarks online community and author of the book Plague Child's Doctor, as well as weekly newsletters and other works. Josh has extensively studied the Celtic culture, and he shows how that culture continues to influence the Ozarks through the traditions and beliefs of the Scots-Irish who settled here in the 1800s. As a result of this Celtic influence, superstitions, folk beliefs, and ghost stories are still alive and well in the hills! History, folklore, and the paranormal come together in this informative episode.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    50 mins
  • Episode 39 - Travis Holt Talks Moonshining and Shenanigans in Arkansas

    Episode 39 - Travis Holt Talks Moonshining and Shenanigans in Arkansas
    Oct 17 2024
    Travis Holt is back with a slew of moonshine stories from Newton County, Arkansas. From the folks who brewed it to the lawmen who pursued it, Travis reminds us that moonshine was more than a cliche when it comes to the Ozarks: It was a way of life! Travis is one of our favorite storytellers, and we know you’ll enjoy this wild and wooly episode.

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    39 mins
  • Episode 38 - Misty Langdon: Defender of the Rural Culture of the Buffalo River Region

    Episode 38 - Misty Langdon: Defender of the Rural Culture of the Buffalo River Region
    Oct 9 2024
    Join Curtis and Hayden when they sit down with Misty Langdon, a multi-generational Ozarker who lives with her husband on her family's farm. Misty talks about growing up in the beautiful and rugged hills of Low Gap, Arkansas, and the ongoing efforts of some to intervene in the environment and culture of those hills. She is a local historian--Misty records the stories of her friends and neighbors in her Remnants Project--and has a comprehensive knowledge of the Buffalo's past. She is concerned about the abuse of the river at the hands of careless revelers as well as the future of the river in the hands of moneyed interests. Don't miss this important episode!

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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Episode 37 - A "Randolph Round Up" of Folktales with Shannon Thomason

    Episode 37 - A "Randolph Round Up" of Folktales with Shannon Thomason
    Oct 2 2024
    Join Curtis and Hayden when they sit down with comedian Shannon Thomason, also known as "Applejack," for a reading of folktales from the collections of Vance Randolph. These tales focus on dimwitted Jasper and similar young men who may not be too bright but nevertheless come out on top in the end. These are the stories that amused the folks of a hundred years ago and continue to tickle funny bones today. They also spawned a character who has shown up in a host of popular shows, from Jethro Bodean in "The Beverly Hillbillies," Lil Abner in the comic strip by Al Capp, and Junior Samples in "Hee-Haw" to Karl Childers in "Sling Blade" and Delmar O'Donnell in "O, Brother, Where Art Thou?"

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    50 mins
  • Episode 36 - Jae McFerron, Legendary Director, Entertainer, and Friend of Lloyd "Shad" Heller

    Episode 36 - Jae McFerron, Legendary Director, Entertainer, and Friend of Lloyd "Shad" Heller
    Sep 25 2024
    Join Curtis and Hayden when they sit down with Jae McFerron, current director of the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama and longtime Branson entertainer and Silver Dollar City comedian. Jae recalls the iconic Shad Heller and his role in promoting and embodying the Ozarks spirit. Jae also talks about the influence of Harold Bell Wright’s The Shepherd of the Hills and its ongoing significance in the outdoor drama.

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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Episode 35: Emalee Combs, Esther Exley, and True Ozarks Mountain Music

    Episode 35: Emalee Combs, Esther Exley, and True Ozarks Mountain Music
    Sep 19 2024
    Join Curtis and Hayden and their guests Emalee Flatness Combs and Esther Exley, who sing and play ballads, waltzes, and folksongs from long ago. Emalee performs with the Homestead Pickers at Silver Dollar City, and fifteen-year-old Esther recently won first place in the Junior Arkansas State Old Time Fiddle Contest. They have also done extensive research into specifically Ozarks folksongs, and they bring their considerable knowledge and talents to the podcast. This episode will take you back to Civil War campfires, log cabin square dances, and the green, unspoiled hills of our Ozarks.

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    48 mins