Appalachian Review

Winter 2016 Editor’s Note

Silas House ♦

Winter 2016 ♦

Editor's Note, Kentucky Arts Council, Plattner Awards

This January, the arts community in Kentucky had a close shave. Rumors were rife that Matt Bevin, the Commonwealth’s new governor, was planning to propose abolishing the Kentucky Arts Council in his budget. Such a move would have been disastrous for artists and arts lovers alike: in 2015, the state…

Nativity Scene on the Courthouse Lawn

Ryan Harper ♦

Winter 2016 ♦

Poetry

So long since I have heard said the word oxen; what mechanics the word insists upon stable faces—

Mot (Einstein)

Greta McDonough ♦

Winter 2016 ♦

Book Reviews

Sarah Einstein. Mot: A Memoir. Athens, Ga.: University of Georgia Press, 2015. 168 pages. Hardcover. $24.95. The story of Mot and its author, Sarah Einstein, might be unbelievable as a work of fiction, which makes this memoir all the more remarkable in its telling. Serving the story of an improbable friendship are…

2015 Denny C. Plattner Awards

Silas House ♦

Blog ♦

Plattner Awards

We are proud to announce the winners of the annual Denny C. Plattner Awards, which were established in 1995 by Kenneth and Elissa Plattner to honor their late son and his love of writing. The awards are given to the finest pieces of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry that appeared in…

Appalachian Writers on their Favorite Bookstores

Caroline Hughes ♦

Blog ♦

Bookstores

With its wealth of talented writers, it is not surprising that Appalachia is home to some amazing bookstores as well. We asked a few Appalachian authors about their favorite bookstores in the region. Jeremy B. Jones won the 2014 Appalachian Book of the Year in nonfiction with his book Bearwallow: A Personal…

Winter 2016 Book Notes: What’s New to Read in Appalachian Literature

Caroline Hughes ♦

Blog ♦

Books

We’ve all felt the need-a-new-book blues. If you’re looking for that next exciting read, check out these new and upcoming releases from Appalachian writers and publishers. FICTION Chantel Acevedo. A Falling Star: A Novel. Durham, N.C.: Carolina Wren Press, 2014. 279 pages with Glossary, Reader’s Guide: A Conversation with Chantel Acevedo,…

Interview with John Lang

Caroline Hughes ♦

Blog ♦

Interview

John Lang is the author of Understanding Fred Chappell, Six Poets from the Mountain South, and most recently, Understanding Ron Rash. A Professor of English Emeritus at Emory & Henry College, where he taught from 1983 to 2012, Lang also edited The Iron Mountain Review for 20 years and coordinated the Emory & Henry College Literary Festival…

Five Literary Festivals to Attend in 2016

Caroline Hughes ♦

Blog ♦

Literary Festival

Making plans for the New Year? Be sure to add these Appalachian literary festivals to your bucket list! All are free and open to the public. Kentucky Women’s Book Festival: March 5, 2016 at the University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 2006, the Kentucky Women’s Book Festival is “a celebration…

What Our Writers Are Reading Now

Caroline Hughes ♦

Blog ♦

Book Reviews

We asked three of our contributing writers to tell us about a book they are currently reading. The poetry of Marianne Worthington (“I Saw Bobby Bare Kiss Marty Stuart”) and Doug Van Gundy (“Listening to a Recording of Edden Hammons Playing ‘General Washington’s March'”), and the creative nonfiction of Karen Salyer McElmurray…

Next Door to the Dead (Driskell)

Marianne Worthington ♦

Fall 2015 ♦

Book Reviews

Kathleen Driskell. Next Door to the Dead: Poems. Lexington, Ky.: The University Press of Kentucky, 2015. 102 pages. Softcover. $19.95. Kathleen Driskell’s new collection of poems is not only an affable invitation to walk among the dead in a graveyard but also an arresting testament on the art of poetry,…