Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 6.09 Literature and Poetry
Presentation #1 Title
What My Heart Wants to Tell: Women's Voices from the Coalfields
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Much has been written about life in the coalfields of the Appalachias. Most all of these works have served to demonstrate the struggles and successes of the coal industry from a male point of view. The object of this project is perhaps similar in that it strives to provide a glimpse into the lives of those whose very existence was tied to the coal itself. What sets this research apart is that it looks deeper into the lives not of the miners themselves, but instead into the hearts of the women that anchored them. This work introduces the wives, mothers, daughters, and lovers of those who toiled in the coal. Using pieces of her original work, as well as those of such noted Appalachian authors as Mary Lee Settle, Diane Fisher Gillian, Louise McNeil, and Denise Giardina, the author strives to give voice to these women. What My Heart Wants to Tell: Women's Voices from the Coalfields reveals the pain and longing of the hearts of the strong and steadfast women who provided ballast to the men they loved. It details the complexity of relationships and the strength of character possessed by these women. It invites the reader to look into the things that are feared and despised as well as those that bring hope and joy early part of the 1900's.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Beth Carroll is a 5th generation West Virginian and fiercely proud of it. She is the mother of seven, a Registered Nurse, a high-school educator, a graduate student at Marshall University and an aspiring writer. She makes her home in Lewisburg, WV.
What My Heart Wants to Tell: Women's Voices from the Coalfields
Harris Hall 402
Much has been written about life in the coalfields of the Appalachias. Most all of these works have served to demonstrate the struggles and successes of the coal industry from a male point of view. The object of this project is perhaps similar in that it strives to provide a glimpse into the lives of those whose very existence was tied to the coal itself. What sets this research apart is that it looks deeper into the lives not of the miners themselves, but instead into the hearts of the women that anchored them. This work introduces the wives, mothers, daughters, and lovers of those who toiled in the coal. Using pieces of her original work, as well as those of such noted Appalachian authors as Mary Lee Settle, Diane Fisher Gillian, Louise McNeil, and Denise Giardina, the author strives to give voice to these women. What My Heart Wants to Tell: Women's Voices from the Coalfields reveals the pain and longing of the hearts of the strong and steadfast women who provided ballast to the men they loved. It details the complexity of relationships and the strength of character possessed by these women. It invites the reader to look into the things that are feared and despised as well as those that bring hope and joy early part of the 1900's.
