It may seem unlikely to pair an isolated lifestyle in the deep Ozark woods with modern University of Arkansas technologies, but such is the blend of John Rule and his granddaughter Sarah Moore Chyrchel.

The 82-year-old Rule received his bachelor's and master’s degrees in English from the University of Arkansas and continued with doctoral studies. For some 40 years, though, he lived in the backwoods of Crawford County without running water or electricity. Rule’s house, with sod roof, had few amenities. He still retains those personal ties to the land and to the animals that share that land with him. In the solitude of the woods, Rule also became a poet, and has published Bird.Moon.Star, a book of poems of personal understandings of his special surroundings.  

Rule’s latest kindness was to donate his 151 acres to the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust so that it will always be protected. The land trust will conserve the property forever. 

Moore Chyrchel, Rule’s granddaughter, admires her grandfather’s lifestyle, yet her days are spent within the confines of some of the U of A’s most modern multimedia equipment labs. The fall of 2007 saw the opening of the J.B. Hunt Transport Services Center for Academic Excellence. It includes eight digital video-editing suites and a 40-seat screening room to support classes in documentary film production for the Walter J. Lemke department of journalism in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. 

Moore Chyrchel, a video specialist for the university's office of information technology services, used the tools of her trade to recognize her grandfather’s simple, quiet and eloquent lifestyle. She did this by making a documentary film of Rule’s way of life titled, Witch Hazel Advent – The Story of an Ozark Poet. The film won the best documentary at the 2012 Offshoot Film Festival.

Rule and Moore Chyrchel will team up to present a Friends of Hobbs Speaker Series program at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug 11, at the Hobbs State Park visitor center. Rule will tell of his exceptional lifestyle in the backwoods and read some of his poetry. Moore Chyrchel will present her award-winning documentary.

Steve Chyrchel, an interpreter for Hobbs State Park, said, “This is a very special Friends of Hobbs Speaker Series program that no one will want to miss.”

Hobbs State Park visitor center is located on Arkansas Highway 12 just east of the Highway 12 intersection with War Eagle Road.

This program is free to the public and a continuation of the Friends of Hobbs Speaker Series. For more information call 479-789-5000.

To learn more about upcoming Friends of Hobbs speakers and other park programs, go to the website friendsofhobbs.com.