Hosts of Ozarkian Folk Chronicles to Appear on Arkansas Folklife Web Series

Curtis Copeland and Hayden Head, creators of the Ozarkian Folk Chronicles podcast, will be the next featured guests in the Arkansas Folklife Web Series.

This hybrid session is scheduled for 3-4:30 p.m. Monday, April 13. Those near the U of A campus are invited to attend in person in Mullins Library room 135. The event is free and open to the public, and registration is required.

Copeland and Head launched the Ozarkian Folk Chronicles in January 2024. The podcast features weekly episodes exploring the lives, traditions and work of people across the Ozarks region.

Both are members of the Society of Ozarkian Hillcrofters, a group originally founded in 1931 by folklorist Otto Ernest Rayburn. Early members included noted folklorists such as Vance Randolph and May Kennedy McCord. Efforts to revive the organization began in 2017 following a presentation at the Branson Centennial Museum.

Copeland is an Ozarks-based folklorist, historian and community preservationist who serves as chair of the Society of Ozarkian Hillcrofters. He co-hosts the Ozarkian Folk Chronicles podcast, documenting regional stories, music and traditions through interviews and research. He previously served 28 years as the geographic information systems coordinator for the City of Branson and is the author of works including Mildred, Quit Hollering, and Other Ozarks Folktales.

Head earned his doctorate from the Institute for Philosophic Studies at the University of Dallas and joined the faculty at College of the Ozarks in 1999. He taught English for 18 years, including an upper-level course on Ozarks life and literature. Since retiring in 2017, Head has focused on research and writing about the region. He is co-host of the podcast and is currently working with co-authors on a book about Melva, an Ozarks village destroyed by a tornado in 1920. Head also serves on the board of Elevate Branson and is president of the Society of Ozarkian Hillcrofters.

Questions about the 2026 Arkansas Folklife Web Series may be directed to Lauren Willette at willette@uark.edu.

Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts is a statewide program of the University of Arkansas Libraries dedicated to documenting, presenting and sustaining the state's living traditional arts and folklife. The program collaborates with communities across Arkansas, with an emphasis on supporting rural and underrepresented traditions.