Thank you to The Springs Magazine editor, Joann Mangione, for featuring a portrait of Shirley Brown by Katherine Strause in the forthcoming book by Stephen Koch, From Almeda to Zilphia: Arkansas Women Who Transformed American Popular Song, for its June cover!

From The Springs:

About the Cover . . . “Shirley Brown” by Katherine Strause

A serendipitous encounter at the grand opening of the Hot Springs Music Trail brought about our June cover, marking yet another thrilling collaboration of talent and imagination. Sparked by a conversation with Erin Wood, proprietor of Et Alia Press and the distinguished author behind our Arkansas Books monthly feature, we came up with a cover theme for June. (Dive into page 4 of this edition to learn more about the cover’s story.)

Erin was enthused about a new venture by Stephen Koch, renowned for his work on Arkansongs. He has put together a tribute celebrating the often-overlooked female musicians of Arkansas.

Artist Katherine Strause was brought on board to craft portraits of these remarkable women, with her stunning rendition of Shirley Brown gracing our cover.

Stay tuned to www.etaliapress.com for the publishing date and secure your copy to discover the captivating tales of these extraordinary women.

A heartfelt appreciation goes out to Richard Stephens for his visionary touch in bringing this beautiful cover to life, and immense gratitude to Erin Wood, Stephen Koch, Katherine Strause, and our remarkable Arkansas musicians for their invaluable contributions.