One of the most admired and influential authors to work in and write about Appalachia, James Still excelled in every genre of literature in which he worked, from novels and short stories to poetry, children's books, and folklore. This book is intended to help readers more fully understand and appreciate the many facets of Still's literary voice and vision, collecting transcribed versions of virtually all the interviews and oral histories ever conducted with James Still, along with numerous memoirs in which some of the leading voices in the Appalachian studies movement memorably express their appreciation for Still and his literary legacy.

The first section of the book features written transcriptions of Still's formal interviews, most of which are difficult to locate, having been originally published in periodicals with limited distribution. The intended outcome of this section of the book is to compile all such interviews in one chronologically organized, continuous document, so that the reader may detect subtle or marked changes in Still's attitude toward his life, his work, and his increasingly central roles in Appalachian literature and the field of Appalachian studies. The second section of the book presents memoirs which focus on Still's work from personal rather than critical or scholarly perspectives, written by people who knew Still the person as well as Still the author. Featuring previously published though hard-to-find pieces as well as unpublished pieces, this section provides a forum for a range of people to reflect upon Still's influence on their lives or to more generally comment upon the nature of Still's community and regional influences.

Best known as the author of the acclaimed novel River of Earth (1940), Alabama native James Still is one of the most critically acclaimed writers of Appalachian literature. This compilation of scholarly essays (new and reprinted from hard-to-find sources) exploring Still's literary work is the first book-length collection of its kind and features contributions from leading scholars and writers, including Wendell Berry, Fred Chappell, Jim Wayne Miller, Jeff Daniel Marion, Diane Fisher, Dean Cadle, and Hal Crowther. The book explores the full range of Still's literary interests, with separate chapters devoted to River of Earth, his short stories, poetry, folkloric writings, and writings for children.

In 1927, nineteen bands gathered for a recording session in Bristol, on the Tennessee-Virginia border, including some of the most influential names in American music - the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and more. Organized by Ralph Peer for Victor records to capitalize on the popularity of ""hillbilly"" music, the Bristol Sessions were a key moment in country music's evolution. The musicians played a variety of styles largely endemic to the mountain region. Rather than traditional sounds, Peer sought a combination of their elements, an amalgam that would form the backbone of modern country music. The reverberations of the Bristol Sessions are still felt today, yet their influence is widely misunderstood, and popular accounts of the event are more legend than history. These 19 essays offer an examination and reevaluation of the Bristol Sessions - from their germination, to the actual sessions, to their place in history and continuing influence. The first section discusses technological advances that resulted in the unmatched quality of the Bristol recordings. The second examines the people and bands involved, including Peer, responsible for many of the mistruths long attached to the event. The third gives first-hand accounts of the Bristol Sessions, while the fourth presents musicological studies of two of the prominent acts. The final section details subsequent recording sessions in Bristol and nearby Johnson City, and explores the lasting local musical legacy.

James Still remains one of the most beloved and important writers in Appalachian literature. Best known for his acclaimed novel River of Earth (1940), the Alabama native and adopted Kentuckian left an enduring legacy of novels, stories, and poems during his nearly seventy year career. The Hills Remember: The Complete Short Stories of James Still honors the late writer by collecting all of Still's short stories, including his stories from On Troublesome Creek (1941), Pattern of a Man and Other Stories (1976), and The Run for the Elbertas (1980), as well as twelve prose pieces originally published as short stories and later incorporated into River of Earth. Also included are several lesser-known stories and ten never-before-published stories. Recognized as a significant writer of short fiction in his day -- many of his stories initially appeared in The Atlantic and The Saturday Evening Post and were included in The O. Henry Memorial Award Stories and The Best American Short Stories collections -- Still's short stories, while often overshadowed in recent years by his novels and poetry, are among his most enduring literary works. Editor Ted Olson offers a reassessment of Still's short fiction within the contexts of the author's body of work and within Appalachian and American literature. Compiling all of James Still's compelling and varied short stories into one volume, The Hills Remember is a testament to a master writer.

In the years immediately preceding the founding of the American nation the Blue Ridge region, which stretches through large sections of Virginia and North Carolina and parts of surrounding states along the Appalachian chain, was the American frontier. In colonial times, it was settled by hardy, independent people from several cultural backgrounds that did not fit with the English-dominated society. The landless, the restless, and the rootless followed Daniel Boone, the most famous of the settlers, and pushed the frontier westward. The settlers who did not migrate to new lands became geographically isolated and politically and economically marginalized. Yet they created fulfilling lives for themselves by forging effective and oftentimes sophisticated folklife traditions, many of which endure in the region today. In 1772 the Blue Ridge was the site of the Watauga Association, often cited as the first free and democratic non-native government on the American continent. In 1780 Blue Ridge pioneers helped win the Revolutionary War for the patriots by defeating Patrick Ferguson's army of British loyalists at the Battle of Kings Mountain. When gold was discovered in the southernmost section of the Blue Ridge, America experienced its first gold rush and the subsequent tragic displacement of the region's aboriginal people. Having been spared by the coincidence of geology and topography from the more environmentally damaging manifestations of industrialization, coal mining, and dam building, the Blue Ridge region still harbors scenic natural beauty as well as vestiges of the earliest cultures of southern Appalachia. As it describes the most characteristic and significant verbal, customary, and material traditions, this fascinating, fact-filled book traces the historical development of the region's distinct folklife. Ted Olson is a college instructor, folklorist, freelance writer, and former Blue Ridge Parkway ranger.

Crossroads: A Southern Culture Annual is a publication dedicated to the interdisciplinary study and artistic appreciation of the South (broadly defined) and Southern culture. The scholarly work in ""CrossRoads"" explores such topics as Southern language, literature, art, music, food, religion, race, ethnicity, gender, and politics. The creative work in ""CrossRoads"" includes such genres as poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction, and visual art.

This collection is the first comprehensive, cohesive volume to unite Appalachian history with its culture. Richard A. Straw and H. Tyler Blethen's High Mountains Rising provides a clear, systematic, and engaging overview of the Appalachian timeline, its people, and the most significant aspects of life in the region. Bringing together many of the most prestigious scholars in Appalachian studies, this volume has been designed for general and classroom use, and includes suggestions for further reading. Appalachian history with its culture. Richard A. Straw and H. Tyler Blethen's High Mountains Rising provides a clear, systematic, and engaging overview of the Appalachian timeline, its people, and the most significant aspects of life in the region. The first half of the fourteen essays deal with historical issues including Native Americans, pioneer settlement, slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction, industrialization, the Great Depression, migration, and finally, modernization. The remaining essays take a more cultural focus, addressing stereotypes, music, folklife, language, literature, and religion. Bringing together many of the most prestigious scholars in Appalachian studies, this volume has been designed for general and classroom use, and includes suggestions for further reading.