Eternal as a Weed: Tales of Ozark Experience from Creative Writing of Columbia

Writes Bridget Bufford, Editor:

A year ago, I remarked in my workshop that I hear such great writing in our weekly meetings; it’s a shame that little of the work gets a wider audience. I’ve always thought we should put together a reading, or maybe an anthology, but thinking about the possibilities never brought them to fruition. Workshop members Rebecca Graves, Sady Mayer Strand, and Von Pittman all liked the idea of a collection. The very soul of our connection developed from writing to prompts, so we agreed that a theme was necessary.

Why Ozarks? It’s a part of Missouri rich in associations. I think of caves, sinkholes and springs; catalpa, black walnut, shagbark hickory and persimmons. Sassafras, witch hazel, sumac, greenbrier and poison ivy. For someone of a less botanical bent, the Ozarks might evoke a trip to Silver Dollar City, a Mason jar of moonshine or a jet ski at the Lake. Several Creative Writing of Columbia members have lived in the Ozarks, and nearly all of us have been there.