A Storyteller's Story: Gladys A. Coggswell

Abstract

Mrs. Gladys A. Coggswell, a master traditional artist in African-American storytelling from Frankford, MO., will be the recipient of the 2005 Missouri Arts Award in the Individual Artist category. This prestigious award is the state's highest honor bestowed in the Arts. Coggswell inherited an extensive body of African-American narratives, including folktales, legends, and family sagas told to her by her great grandmother, Marie Wallace Cofer, and her great grandfather, nicknamed "Uncle Pete."