Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Horace Kephart’s Extreme Devotion to the Smokies
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Upon arriving in North Carolina in 1904, Horace Kephart immersed himself in the mountaineer way of life. He wrote extensively on camping and cookery in publications such as Outing and Field and Stream to finance his adventure, but his most influential publication would be Our Southern Highlanders, which chronicles the people of the area. Despite living simply, Kephart became a celebrity of sorts in the campaign to create the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and, along with George Masa and his photography, helped secure crucial funding from John D. Rockefeller to support the park. One of the most intimate depictions of Kephart occurs in Ron Rash’s Serena. In this fictional rendering, Kephart appears as a curmudgeonly hermit, who is deeply committed to saving the people and place from the ruthless logging companies. This presentation considers Kephart’s devotion to the region and his considerable contributions to the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with a particular focus on his literary legacy, specifically Our Southern Highlanders and Rash’s Serena.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Erin Presley is an Assistant Professor of English at Eastern Kentucky University, where she teaches courses in writing and Appalachian Studies.
Horace Kephart’s Extreme Devotion to the Smokies
Upon arriving in North Carolina in 1904, Horace Kephart immersed himself in the mountaineer way of life. He wrote extensively on camping and cookery in publications such as Outing and Field and Stream to finance his adventure, but his most influential publication would be Our Southern Highlanders, which chronicles the people of the area. Despite living simply, Kephart became a celebrity of sorts in the campaign to create the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and, along with George Masa and his photography, helped secure crucial funding from John D. Rockefeller to support the park. One of the most intimate depictions of Kephart occurs in Ron Rash’s Serena. In this fictional rendering, Kephart appears as a curmudgeonly hermit, who is deeply committed to saving the people and place from the ruthless logging companies. This presentation considers Kephart’s devotion to the region and his considerable contributions to the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with a particular focus on his literary legacy, specifically Our Southern Highlanders and Rash’s Serena.
