Missouri folklorists plan to gather at conference in Cape

From Nov. 4 through 6, Cape Girardeau will be the center for Missouri folklore as between 120 and 150 folklorists descend upon the city to attend the 2004 Missouri Folklore Conference at Southeast Missouri State University.

This is the second time the convention, which is open to the public, has been held in Cape Girardeau since it began 27 years ago; the first time was in 1985.

To go along with the location, the theme of this year's convention is "River Tales, River Lore, River Music," and several of the lectures will focus on subjects particular to Southeast Missouri, such as the life of Marble Hill artist Tom Runnels, a folk song about a hanging in Adair County and duck hunting traditions in Southeast Missouri.

"I think it's an excellent chance for people in this region to see and hear from Missouri's folklorists," said university history professor and this year's convention chairman Dr. Frank Nickell.

Folk musicians will also be part of the conference, with an informal performance at the Drury Lodge around 9 p.m. Nov. 4 and a performance Nov. 5 at the University Center after the conference's 8 p.m. auction to benefit the Missouri Folklore Society is completed.

At 3 p.m. Nov. 5, there will be a showing of the 1999 documentary "Oh, Freedom After While," about the 1939 sharecropper strike in Southeast Missouri. Producer Lynn Rubright will attend, as will relatives of the Rev. Owen Whitfield, who organized the strike.

"Missouri is a very rich in folklore," Nickell said. "I think it's because it was isolated and folklore deals with oral tradition. Missouri had pockets of isolation where they had very little touch with the outside."

Another possible reason for the state's folklore heritage is the number of different cultures and nationalities that lived in Missouri, said Becky Schroeder, the society's historian.

"Because Missouri was the gateway to the West, a lot of people went through here and stopped here and there are many different cultures," she said.

Schroeder has been with the Missouri Folklore Society since 1977, when it restarted after more than 50 years of inactivity. The society was originally created in 1906 and lasted until around 1920. Only one state, Louisiana in 1896, started a folklore society before Missouri and it was short-lived, Schroeder said.

There are now more than 300 society members in Missouri and 50 outside of the state.

"The interesting thing about ours is it includes academics and people in other fields who are interested in Missouri history and folklore," Schroeder said.

kalfisi@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182

WANT TO GO?

What: "River Tales, River Lore, River Music," 2004 Missouri Folklore Conference

When: Nov. 4 to 6

Where: Southeast Missouri State University's University Center, corner of Henderson Avenue and Normal Street

Info: Dr. Frank Nickell at 651-2833