Like an old-fashioned hymn sung in rounds, Something's Rising
gives a stirring voice to the lives, culture, and determination of
the people fighting the destructive practice of mountaintop removal
in the coalfields of central Appalachia. Each person's story,
unique and unfiltered, articulates the hardship of living in these
majestic mountains amid the daily desecration of the land by the
coal industry because of America's insistence on cheap energy.
Developed as an alternative to strip mining, mountaintop removal
mining consists of blasting away the tops of mountains, dumping
waste into the valleys, and retrieving the exposed coal. This
process buries streams, pollutes wells and waterways, and alters
fragile ecologies in the region. The people who live, work, and
raise families in central Appalachia face not only the physical
destruction of their land but also the loss of their culture and
health in a society dominated by the consequences of mountaintop
removal. Included here are oral histories from Jean Ritchie, "the
mother of folk," who doesn't let her eighty-six years slow down her
fighting spirit; Judy Bonds, a tough-talking coal-miner's daughter;
Kathy Mattea, the beloved country singer who believes cooperation
is the key to winning the battle; Jack Spadaro, the heroic
whistle-blower who has risked everything to share his insider
knowledge of federal mining agencies; Larry Bush, who doesn't back
down even when speeding coal trucks are used to intimidate him;
Denise Giardina, a celebrated writer who ran for governor to bring
attention to the issue; and many more. The book features both
well-known activists and people rarely in the media. Each oral
history is prefaced with a biographical essay that vividly
establishes the interview settings and the subjects' connections to
their region. Written and edited by native sons of the mountains,
this compelling book captures a fever-pitch moment in the movement
against mountaintop removal. Silas House and Jason Howard are
experts on the history of resistance in Appalachia, the legacy of
exploitation of the region's natural resources, and area's unique
culture and landscape. This lyrical and informative text provides a
critical perspective on a powerful industry. The cumulative effect
of these stories is stunning and powerful. Something's Rising will
long stand as a testament to the social and ecological consequences
of energy at any cost and will be especially welcomed by readers of
Appalachian studies, environmental science, and by all who value
the mountain's majesty -- our national heritage.
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