Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
Mary Lee Settle's "O BEULAH LAND" at 50
Session Abstract or Summary
2016 marks the 60th Anniversary of the publication of O BEULAH LAND, the first novel of Mary Lee Settle's five novel sequence, THE BEULAH QUINTET. Tracing 300 years of Appalachian history, culture, and conflict, the QUINTET has been likened to the Iliad and Odyssey of West Virginia. This session is a part of a year-long effort to celebrate this amazing major artist who is largely unread and unrecognized in her native land. In addition to the QUINTET, Settle wrote 15 other books, won the 1978 National Book Award for her novel Blood Tie and was a founder of the annual PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. She wrote of Western Virginia and West Virginia, was born in one state and lived for many years in the other, but is virtually unknown to most educated people in both. We will discuss her life, her work, her influences, and her place in the Appalachian literary pantheon. In addition, we will examine what her work has to say to us today in Appalachia as the region grapples with a revolutionary moment of transition comparable those that Settle wrote about. Conveners are Gibbs Kinderman, organizer of the Settle Celebration, and Catherine Moore, producer of the radio documentary, “Cedar Grove: An Audio Exploration of the Life and Works of Mary Lee Settle.” Three other panelists will be drawn from the disciplines of literary analysis and Appalachian studies. Potential panelists include Denise Giardina, Brian Rosenberg, Gordon Simmons, George Brosi, Ken Sullivan, Rob Vaughan, and Kate Long.
Presentation #1 Title
Mary Lee Settle's "O BEULAH LAND" at 50
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
2016 marks the 60th Anniversary of the publication of O BEULAH LAND, the first novel of Mary Lee Settle's five novel sequence, THE BEULAH QUINTET. Tracing 300 years of Appalachian history, culture, and conflict, the QUINTET has been likened to the Iliad and Odyssey of West Virginia. This session is a part of a year-long effort to celebrate this amazing major artist who is largely unread and unrecognized in her native land. In addition to the QUINTET, Settle wrote 15 other books, won the 1978 National Book Award for her novel Blood Tie and was a founder of the annual PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. She wrote of Western Virginia and West Virginia, was born in one state and lived for many years in the other, but is virtually unknown to most educated people in both. We will discuss her life, her work, her influences, and her place in the Appalachian literary pantheon. In addition, we will examine what her work has to say to us today in Appalachia as the region grapples with a revolutionary moment of transition comparable those that Settle wrote about. Conveners are Gibbs Kinderman, organizer of the Settle Celebration, and Catherine Moore, producer of the radio documentary, “Cedar Grove: An Audio Exploration of the Life and Works of Mary Lee Settle.” Three other panelists will be drawn from the disciplines of literary analysis and Appalachian studies. Potential panelists include Denise Giardina, Brian Rosenberg, Gordon Simmons, George Brosi, Ken Sullivan, Rob Vaughan, and Kate Long.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Gibbs Kinderman's first job when he graduated from college in 1964 was with the Appalachian Volunteers. He has worked in rural community development ever since, with a special emphasis on utilizing radio to build community. Gibbs fell in love with Mary Lee Settle the day he first opened the pages of O BEULAH LAND.
Presentation #2 Title
Mary Lee Settle's "O BEULAH LAND" at 50
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Catherine V. Moore is writer and radio producer in Fayette County, West Virginia. She studied poetry at Harvard University (BA) and the University of Montana (MFA), and now writes for magazines like The Oxford American, Vice, and Yes!
Mary Lee Settle's "O BEULAH LAND" at 50
2016 marks the 60th Anniversary of the publication of O BEULAH LAND, the first novel of Mary Lee Settle's five novel sequence, THE BEULAH QUINTET. Tracing 300 years of Appalachian history, culture, and conflict, the QUINTET has been likened to the Iliad and Odyssey of West Virginia. This session is a part of a year-long effort to celebrate this amazing major artist who is largely unread and unrecognized in her native land. In addition to the QUINTET, Settle wrote 15 other books, won the 1978 National Book Award for her novel Blood Tie and was a founder of the annual PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. She wrote of Western Virginia and West Virginia, was born in one state and lived for many years in the other, but is virtually unknown to most educated people in both. We will discuss her life, her work, her influences, and her place in the Appalachian literary pantheon. In addition, we will examine what her work has to say to us today in Appalachia as the region grapples with a revolutionary moment of transition comparable those that Settle wrote about. Conveners are Gibbs Kinderman, organizer of the Settle Celebration, and Catherine Moore, producer of the radio documentary, “Cedar Grove: An Audio Exploration of the Life and Works of Mary Lee Settle.” Three other panelists will be drawn from the disciplines of literary analysis and Appalachian studies. Potential panelists include Denise Giardina, Brian Rosenberg, Gordon Simmons, George Brosi, Ken Sullivan, Rob Vaughan, and Kate Long.
