Arts & Culture

New UPK Anthology Celebrates Works From More Than 100 Appalachian Writers

Cover detail of "Writing Appalachia"
“Writing Appalachia” features dozens of authors born into or adopted by the region over the past two centuries and showcases for the first time the nuances and contradictions that place Appalachia at the heart of American history.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 10, 2020) — Despite the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding Appalachia, the region has nurtured and inspired some of the nation's finest writers. “Writing Appalachia: An Anthology,” published by the University Press of Kentucky and edited by Katherine Ledford and Theresa Lloyd, features dozens of authors born into or adopted by the region over the past two centuries and showcases for the first time the nuances and contradictions that place Appalachia at the heart of American history.

This comprehensive anthology covers an exceedingly diverse range of subjects, genres and time periods, beginning with early Native American oral traditions and concluding with 21st-century writers such as Wendell Berry, bell hooks, Silas House, Barbara Kingsolver and Frank X Walker.

Katherine Ledford is a professor of Appalachian studies at Appalachian State University and coeditor of “Back Talk from Appalachia: Confronting Stereotypes.” Theresa Lloyd is coeditor of the literature section of the Encyclopedia of Appalachia and professor emerita at East Tennessee State University. Both Ledford and Lloyd will be signing copies at the Appalachian Studies Association Conference held on the UK campus March 12–15. 

The anthology has received advanced praise from Morris Grubbs, coeditor of “Every Leaf a Mirror: A Jim Wayne Miller Reader” and assistant dean and director of The Graduate School at the University of Kentucky.

"Ledford and Lloyd have found the gateway to a region of literary riches, at once beautiful and sublime, by turns abundant and despoiled, and too often misrepresented and misunderstood,” Grubbs said. “Hearing the chorus of clear and powerful voices represented here will surely help lift a veil that has for so long obscured many truths about the region. At last Appalachia is revealed in its full panorama. The collective story is both triumphant and heartrending." 

Slave narratives, local color writing, folklore, work songs, modernist prose — each piece explores unique Appalachian struggles, questions and values. The collection also celebrates the significant contributions of women, people of color and members of the LGBTQ community to the region's history and culture. Alongside southern and central Appalachian voices, the anthology features northern authors and selections that reflect the urban characteristics of the region. As one text gives way to the next, a more complete picture of Appalachia emerges — a landscape of contrasting visions and possibilities.

The University Press of Kentucky is the scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, representing a consortium that includes all of the state universities, five private colleges and two historical societies. The press’ editorial program focuses on the humanities and the social sciences. Offices for the administrative, editorial, production and marketing departments of the press are found at the University of Kentucky, which provides financial support toward operating and publishing expenses.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.