Something's Rising

by House, Silas

• ISBN13: 9780813125466
• ISBN10: 0813125464
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-04-01
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Kentucky

Summary

Something's Risingcollects oral histories from a diverse group of individuals from Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Virginia who are fighting mountaintop removal, an ecologically devastating form of coal mining. Taken together, these voices stand as a testament of what it means to be an Appalachian and demonstrate the value of preserving a culture's history and spirit through the stories of its people. The authors have chosen twelve unique voices including 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 that cooperation is the key to the battle; Larry Bush, who doesn't back down even when speeding coal trucks are used to intimidate him; and Denise Giardina, the West Virginia writer who ran for governor to bring attention to the mountaintop removal issue. Written and edited by native sons of the mountains, these riveting, personal stories are captured in an original and highly readable book.

Author Biography

Silas House is the author of the novels Clay’s Quilt, A Parchment of Leaves, The
Coal Tattoo, and the play The Hurting Part. His writing has been featured in such publications as Newsday and the Oxford American.

Jason Howard is a writer whose works have appeared in Equal Justice magazine, Paste, Kentucky Living, the Louisville Review¸ and many other publications.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
The Preservationist	p. 23
Mother Jones's Great-Granddaughter	p. 45
Little Acts of Greatness	p. 67
Union Made	p. 95
A Light in the Dark	p. 113
The Endangered Hillbilly	p. 131
Called to Action	p. 151
Appalachian Patriot	p. 179
A Leader, Not a Follower	p. 201
Holy Ground	p. 217
The Gathering Storm	p. 245
Text of the Petition Letter Circulated by Coal Companies against the Stream Saver Bill	p. 263
House Bill 164, the Stream Saver Bill, as Introduced in February 2008	p. 265
Notes	p. 267
Selected Bibliography	p. 287
About the Authors	p. 291
Index	p. 293
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