# Event Details

- **Event Name**: African American Read-In 2026 -- By Word of Mouth Storytelling & Book Discussion
- **Event Start and End Date**: Tue, 17 Feb, 2026 at 06:00 pm – Tue, 17 Feb, 2026 at 07:00 pm
- **Event Description**: The Ozarks Heritage Research Center, in collaboration with the West Plains Council on the Arts and the West Plains Public Library, is hosting an event for the 2026 African American Read-In. National Best Seller, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks, by author Crystal Wilkinson honors the mothers who came before, the land that provided for generations of her family, and the untold heritage of Black Appalachia. There will be a book discussion, and Angela Williams will present "By Word of Mouth Storytelling" which focuses on sharing stories orally, passing down culture, history, and experiences through spoken narratives. The event will be on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 6:00pm in the Ozarks Heritage Research Center.

This event is also sponsored by Missouri Humanities, Missouri Arts Council, and Ozark Spring Chapter NSDAR.

Angela J. Williams, an educator and family business owner, is the heir to the storytelling tradition, following in her Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program mentor’s footsteps. Williams became interested in storytelling early on in life, hearing stories about family that elevated her curiosity. At just 19-years-old, Williams first apprenticed with Dr. Gladys Caines Coggswell in 2003, working diligently to learn, and then master, the complexities of traditional storytelling and a repertoire featuring traditional folk tales, community lore in her Hannibal hometown, and family stories passed down in her family. Williams and Coggswell (also a Missouri Humanities Distinguished Literary Awardee) remain close. For over two decades, they have worked as a storytelling team, where they perform stories and present educational workshops across Missouri, via By Word-of-Mouth Storytelling Guild. In 2021, Williams herself “graduated” to mentoring artist, teaching her own apprentice Cynthia McPherson.
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/west-plains/african-american-read-in-2026-by-word-of-mouth-storytelling-and-book-discussion/200029618140317
- **Event Categories**: storytelling, art, literary-art, workshops
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 19

## Ticket Details


## Event venue details

- **city**: West Plains
- **state**: MO
- **country**: United States
- **location**: 304 W. Trish Knight, West Plains, MO, United States, Missouri 65775
- **lat**: 36.72954
- **long**: -91.85462
- **full address**: 304 W. Trish Knight, West Plains, MO, United States, Missouri 65775

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: African American Read-In 2026 -- By Word of Mouth Storytelling & Book Discussion
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events9/banners/66552ffd0cc8508fea30c05da5cba06df6f11331e3c691bd55f00a00054d7ed8-rimg-w851-h315-dcf6f1ee-gmir?v=1770852656

## FAQs

- **Q**: When and where is African American Read-In 2026 -- By Word of Mouth Storytelling & Book Discussion being held?
  - **A:** African American Read-In 2026 -- By Word of Mouth Storytelling & Book Discussion takes place on Tue, 17 Feb, 2026 at 06:00 pm to Tue, 17 Feb, 2026 at 07:00 pm at 304 W. Trish Knight, West Plains, MO, United States, Missouri 65775.
- **Q**: Who is organizing African American Read-In 2026 -- By Word of Mouth Storytelling & Book Discussion?
  - **A:** African American Read-In 2026 -- By Word of Mouth Storytelling & Book Discussion is organized by Ozarks Heritage Research Center.

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