December 2003
Rebecca B. Schroeder
Columbia, Missouri

Rebecca B. Schroeder serves as general editor of the Missouri Heritage Readers, a series of books published by the University of Missouri Press. Schroeder created the series in the early 1990s, with publication of the first titles in 1994. Since that time, 14 books in the series have been issued, with additional titles expected in the coming years. The series has gained favorable recognition and excellent sales for the Press.

Schroeder is a former librarian who worked in state and public libraries in Ohio, Louisiana, and Missouri. She was one of the prime movers in the resurgence of the Missouri Folklore Society and served as co-editor of the Society’s journal and newsletter for more than 20 years. After her retirement from the library profession, Schroeder became a literacy tutor in Columbia, and it was that experience which led to the development of the Missouri Heritage Readers. She has been honored for her literacy activities and for the Readers with awards from the Missouri Library Association, the American Library Association, and the Missouri Humanities Council.

A tireless promoter of Missouri history and culture, Schroeder’s work has provided inspiration to thousands of lifelong learners across the state.

Why and how did the Missouri Heritage Readers Series begin?
In the early 1990s, considerable concern had developed nationally and on state and local levels about widespread functional illiteracy among adults in the United States, documented in a survey by the U.S. Office of Education. In response, the Missouri Humanities Council (MHC) invited proposals for grants to develop original materials for adult new readers on the fourth- to the sixth-grade reading levels. As a volunteer tutor at the Douglass School in Columbia, working with adults who wanted to improve their reading skills, I had found that students were interested in reading about events, people, and places to which they could relate. For instance, two young women who had recently moved to Columbia from Pemiscot County were interested to see a photo of an Indian Mound in their home county and to read something about it. This and other experiences at Douglass convinced me that materials on Missouri would be valuable in encouraging reading. Three writer friends with a longtime interest in Missouri cultural history agreed to participate in a pilot project to develop special materials for adult new readers, both native-born Americans and new immigrants, to serve as a bridge to reading competency in English.

The Missouri State Library sponsored a proposal for a grant to develop three books on Missouri topics. Robert L. Dyer was to write on Jesse James, Madeline Matson on the cultural history of food, and Margot McMillen on Missouri’s geographic names. The grant we received covered modest honoraria for the writers and three humanities consultants, anticipated costs for illustrations, copying costs, and travel expenses for the writers to visit three areas of the state to discuss their books with literacy providers and students. We had no assurance that the books would be published and our plan was to provide photocopies of the materials we developed to literacy programs to fulfill our obligation to MHC if necessary.

Each writer developed a manuscript of 100-125 pages and selected 25-30 appropriate illustrations. Adult literacy students in Columbia, Fulton, and Jefferson City read the texts as they were developed, making suggestions, and the humanities consultants reviewed the book- length manuscripts. After the manuscripts were revised (more times than we care to remember), we decided to submit them to the University of Missouri Press for consideration.
Beverly Jarrett, Press director and editor in chief, reviewed the manuscripts with her staff, and after consulting outside readers, accepted them for publication as a special series. We made further revisions in response to suggestions made by Press editors and their outside readers, and the Press published Food in Missouri: A Cultural Stew, Jesse James and the Civil War in Missouri, and Paris, Tightwad, and Peculiar: Missouri Place Names in 1994. Since that time, the series has continued, with one or more books appearing almost every year.

What was the original concept of the series and how has it developed?
The writers worked to develop the texts on the sixth-grade reading level in accordance with the MHC requirement for the project. Our consultants, particularly Dr. Arvarh Strickland, professor of history at the University of Missouri, and the late Dr. Donald M. Lance, professor of English and linguistics, recommended that we use the active voice as consistently as possible. We varied short and long, simple and complex, sentences and tried to choose vocabulary from the oral culture, which the reader might have heard, rather than use words that are more commonly written than spoken. Although not the natural style for many writers, these practices gave the text an oral quality that is pleasant to read aloud and can be “heard” when read silently. At the insistence of Madeline Matson, illustrations became an important part of the documentation from the beginning, and we tried to use the picture captions to provide information we could not work into the text.

The series note for the books explains the concept we developed and how we try to achieve our aim: “Each Missouri Heritage Reader explores a particular aspect of the state’s rich cultural heritage. Focusing on people, places, historical events, and the details of daily life, these books illustrate the ways in which people from all parts of the world contributed to the development of the state and the region. The books incorporate documentary and oral history, folklore, and informal literature in a way that makes these resources accessible to all Missourians.” Although intended primarily to serve adult new readers, the books were never intended for basic literacy programs. We believe that with the help of tutors, students could improve their reading skills by using the books, but they were also intended for “readers of all ages interested in the cultural and social history of Missouri."

What is your role as general editor?
My role is to discuss the concept of the series with prospective authors and provide suggestions made by the students and humanities scholars, who worked closely with us as we developed the early texts. Maintaining a style with an oral quality and selecting illustrations to enhance the themes of the book are two major objectives. It is the author’s responsibility to research the topic in depth, using all relevant documentary and other sources and consulting specialists in the field when appropriate. Each author provides illustrations, obtains permissions to use illustrations, develops a short annotated bibliography, and, when the book is in page proof, prepares an index.

Although the attractive, reader-friendly design the University Press developed for the books may make it seem that writing one would be easy, that is not the case, as the writers can attest. My role is to help when needed and to advise on when to submit the manuscript to the Press. We call on the skilled staffs of the University of Missouri Western Historical Manuscript Collection in Columbia, Kansas City, Rolla, and St. Louis, the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia, the Missouri State Archives and Lincoln University in Jefferson City, and other institutions when we need information and photographs. Missouri historians who have written groundbreaking books have also helped the authors when they couldn’t find answers elsewhere.

How are subjects selected for book topics?
All of the writers have had a longtime interest in their subjects, and the topics are those that would usually intrigue others as well. Missouri is fortunate in the diversity of its population groups, unique aspects of its history, and its place in regional and national history. Each topic is examined within the context of state, national, and, in some cases, international history, providing a depth of background material that enriches the narrative. Those that deal with specific cultural groups, such as German Settlement in Missouri: New World, Old Ways, The Osage in Missouri, The Trail of Tears in Missouri, and Hoecakes, Hambone, and All that Jazz: African American Traditions in Missouri draw on customary practices, folklore, and oral history to enhance the text.

Most writers were friends whose work I already knew. The Press has referred some books to me for the series, and these have proved successful.

Describe the review process.
The review process for the books takes into consideration their intended readers, but since adult new readers or even general readers are not likely to be experts in the subjects explored, we try by extensive research and consultation with scholars to see that the books are as historically accurate as we can make them, that they present both sides of issues, and that we provide enough context to make them relevant for our readers.
When the book is submitted to the Press, it is reviewed internally by Press staff and sent to outside readers selected by the Press for further review. We find all reviews extremely helpful, and for the most part writers adopt the suggestions given. We are grateful to those Missouri historians (you know who you are) who have read the books with care and have been so generous with their suggestions.

Why did the University Press accept the series?
The University of Missouri Press, like other university presses, has as its primary mission the publication of scholarly work, new creative work, and original research to disseminate knowledge. It is my impression that Beverly Jarrett saw in the first three books an opportunity to reach a segment of the Missouri population that is not usually served by university presses. Although the University of Kentucky Press produced a pilot series of books for basic literacy students as a one-time project, the Missouri Heritage Readers series is the only continuing series of its kind in the country. The books have been well received by general readers as well as adult new readers.

How has the University Press marketed the books?
The Press markets the books in its catalogs and sale catalogs, on its website, with occasional advertisements in education journals and such publications as Rural Missouri, and by cooperating with book signings arranged by the authors or editor. The staff prepares promotional brochures and posters for book exhibits and special events, such as the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. in 2001, annual Missouri Folklore Society meetings, and some of its exhibits at regional conferences. The authors of the books and friends of the Press have participated in publicizing the books. The Missouri Folklore Society, to which most of the authors belong, reviews the books in its publications and features them on its website. The Missouri State Archives has sponsored programs by most of the authors, as have some county historical societies, and the Missouri Humanities Council has featured the series in its newsletter.

How have the books been received?
The books have been well received by general readers and students. A fourth-grade class reported that they had developed a pageant based on Blind Boone: Missouri’s Ragtime Pioneer, and one young student who had read Jesse James and the Civil War asked me to let him know as soon as possible of other books in the series. A young woman in Israel wrote favorably about The Trail of Tears across Missouri, a doctor from Germany found Medicine in Missouri of great interest, and a well-known children’s author who writes about cultural history considered Food in Missouri a valuable resource. The books are routinely listed among the regional best sellers in the Press catalog.

The first three books won an award from the Association of State and Local History, and Joan Gilbert’s The Trail of Tears across Missouri won a first prize from the Missouri Press Women and a second prize from the National Federation of Press Women.

The books have become available to additional readers through a new recording program initiated by Wolfner Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, a division of the Missouri State Library.

Interview conducted by Madeline Matson, a member of the Missouri Center for the Book’s board of directors and author of Food in Missouri: A Cultural Stew.

Books in the Missouri Heritage Readers series, edited by Rebecca B. Schroeder

Blind Boone: Missouri’s Ragtime Pioneer by Jack A. Batterson

Called to Courage: Four Women in Missouri History by Margot Ford McMillen and Heather Roberson

Catfish, Fiddles, Mules, and More: Missouri’s State Symbols by John C. Fisher

Food in Missouri: A Cultural Stew by Madeline Matson

German Settlement in Missouri: New Land, Old Ways by Robyn Burnett and Ken Luebbering

Hoecakes, Hambone, and All That Jazz: African American Traditions in Missouri by Rose M. Nolen

Jane Froman: Missouri’s First Lady of Song by Ilene Stone

Jesse James and the Civil War in Missouri by Robert L. Dyer

Missouri at Sea: Warships with Show-Me State Names by Richard E. Schroeder

On Shaky Ground: The New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812 by Norma Hayes Bagnall

Orphan Trains to Missouri by Michael D. Patrick and Evelyn Goodrich Trickel

The Osage in Missouri by Kristie C. Wolferman

Paris, Tightwad, and Peculiar: Missouri Place Names by Margot Ford McMillen

Quinine and Quarantine: Missouri Medicine through the Years by Loren Humphrey

The Trail of Tears across Missouri by Joan Gilbert