The Ozarks Studies Institute will host a free and open-to-the-public discussion with author Todd Parnell as part of its ongoing author talk series. The event will be held at 4 p.m. July 7 in the Ozarks Room (302) of the Duane G. Meyer Library on the MSU Springfield Campus.
During the talk, Parnell will discuss two of his recently published books: “The Posse: A Story of Love – And Resistance” and “Cure”. For every $20 donated to the Ozarks Studies Institute, attendees can take home a signed novel by Parnell.
About the Books
![]() Published in 2020, this book follows a young group of vigilante environmentalists working to expose and bring down a conspiracy between corporate agriculture and government officials who plan to control the future of food production. |
![]() Published in 2021, this fictional account is set in the Ozarks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The story follows two young lovers in the middle of a struggle between a discredited scientist trying to bring a cure for the Coronavirus to the public and pharmaceutical and government regulators working to ensure the cure never makes it to market. |
More on the Author
Todd Parnell is the retired president of Drury University and founding CEO of THE BANK in Springfield. An award-winning author, Parnell was inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame in 2012. Parnell is also a renowned civic leader and environmental advocate, having served as co-founder of the Upper White River Basin Foundation and retired chairman of the Missouri Clean Water Commission.
Our Mission
The Ozarks Studies Institute, an initiative of the MSU Libraries, seeks to preserve the history and culture of the Ozarks by fostering a comprehensive knowledge of Ozarks people and their heritage.
The OSI’s author talk series is part of the university’s scholarly content leading up to its participation in the 2023 Smithsonian Institution’s Folklife Festival. The festival will feature the history and culture of the Ozarks region, presented in part by Missouri State, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.