SIKESTON -- "Canalou: People, Culture, Bootheel Town," a collection of stories about the author's experiences growing up and living in the Missouri Bootheel, has recently been published by the Center for Regional History at Southeast Missouri State University and will soon be delivered to area schools.
Richard Montgomery of Sikeston, Mo., has made a $7,500 gift to the Center to ship 500 copies of the book in November to schools throughout the region. The gift will be officially presented at 10 a.m. Oct. 22 at Southeast Missouri State University-Sikeston.
Montgomery is a longtime friend of the book's author, Dan Whittle, a native southeast Missourian and now a Tennessee resident. He spent much of his career as a newspaperman covering local, national and international events. Dr. Frank Nickell, former director of Southeast's Center for Regional History, convinced Whittle to publish a book about his life and his stories. The Center for Regional History published the book in 2013.
Both Whittle and Montgomery will be on hand for the event in Sikeston, Mo., as Whittle begins a two-day book tour.
"Canalou: People, Culture, Bootheel Town" may be purchased for $20 at the Center for Regional History, from Amazon.com and at local bookstores, including the Book Rack and the Sikeston Depot Museum.