Monday, October 26, 2009

Uneven Ground: Appalachia Since 1945

Sharing a book review:

Uneven Ground: Appalachia Since 1945, by Ronald D. Eller.
Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2008.
376 pp. $29.95 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-8131-2523-7.
Reviewed by Kevin BarksdalePublished on H-Appalachia (March, 2009)
Commissioned by Brian D. McKnight

Failed Policies, Flawed Theories, and the Tragedy of Postwar Appalachia

"In Uneven Ground, historian Ronald D. Eller offers a Braudelian narrative of the social, economic, and political transformation of Appalachia after the Second World War. Focusing primarily on the relationship between relief and development efforts and the deteriorating postwar mountain communities and economy, Eller’s study stands as an indictment of failed governmental policies, faulty theories and models, and corporate greed and irresponsibility. From the acceleration of Appalachia’s postwar economy to the contemporary grassroots efforts to halt mountain-top removal mining practices, Uneven Ground covers a staggering amount of historical terrain and fills a long-overdue gap in the region’s historiography."

Read the rest of the review here:
http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=23682

_STILL_

Sharing a notice from a listserv group - take a look at this new online journal of Appalachian writing:

"Marianne Worthington (poetry editor), Jason Howard (nonfiction editor), and Silas House (fiction editor) have created _Still_ as an online source for literature of and about the mountain south. Each issue, which will be published in October, February, and June, will feature stories, poems, essays, interviews, and multimedia like songs or short films. They will publish established voices next to the voices of emerging writers of the region. The first issue of _Still_ features non-fiction writers Karen McElmurray and Beth Newberry as well as a solo musical performance by Sue Massek of The Reel World String Band. _Still_ is planning an annual contest and building a links page as a resource for Appalachian literature, music, environmentalism, and other sites of interest to those who love Appalachia.

Read _Still_ at http://www.stilljournal.net/, and also learn about the inspiration for the title and how to submit work for future issues."

Randolph Hollingsworth, Ph.D.
University of Kentucky
H-Kentucky List Editor
hollings@mail.h-net.msu.edu
http://www.h-net.org/~kentucky/

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Thursday, October 15, 2009

What It's Like to Have Dementia

This article offers some good insights...

What It's Like to Have Dementia

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Coal Country

A new documentary movie premiers this week at the Kentucky Theatre in Lexington, Wednesday 10/7 at 7:30 p.m. - Jean Ritchie, Kathy Mattea, and Silas House will be there! Who wants to be my date??? See kentucky.sierraclub.org If you can't go, watch for the book and DVD, to be released in November... "Best regional film since 'Harlan County USA' " www.coalcountrythemovie.com



Here's a related video featuring Ashley Judd speaking out against mountaintop removal: