For·Words Event to Discuss Segregation Era

Storyteller Loretta Washington will read from her writing collection, “My Corner of the Porch,” in a public presentation at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 in the Student Union Building.

“My Corner of the Porch” is a collection of 16 stories published in the Missouri Folklore Society Journal. Washington’s writing pays tribute to her grandmother, a tiny but forceful woman who helped her granddaughter grow up in racially segregated Wardell, Mo., in the early 1950s.

Her presentation will be followed by a short reception featuring a traditional Ozark treat. The final event of the evening is a multicultural musical jam session from 8:30-10 p.m. open to any and all musicians. This for·Words reading event is sponsored by Multicultural Affairs and the Department of English, in partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council and the Missouri Folklore Society.