Pulaski County Missouri Inspirations — Pat McGrath Avery

Pulaski County, Missouri, is a special place. Treasured by residents, cave divers, soldiers, historians, and writers, the area is a crossroads where people meet to share stories of good times and bad. In the fall of 2016, the Military Writers Society of America gathered in St. Robert for a “History Crawl,” a tour of Pulaski County with speakers who shared their special insights of the area. The attendees ranged from novices to experienced novelists, from historians to true crime researchers, from veterans who tell their tales with equal parts of affection and sorrow to quilters who interpret events with graphic narratives in cloth and thread.This anthology represents the collective literary efforts of the writers who shared a long weekend exploring the extraordinary communities that make up Pulaski County. Their work includes short fiction, true crime tales, ghostly narratives, historical pieces, and a travelogue or two. All reflect the hospitality of the citizens and the comradery of the visitors.