Participation Type
Performance
Session Title
Appalachian Mysteries and Thrillers: from 19th-century Ohio to the 21st-century Mountain South
Session Abstract or Summary
In this performance session three established writers read from suspenseful new works that exemplify their passion for storytelling and commitment to sense of place. In Yellow Stonefly: A Novel, Tim Poland takes readers inside the world of fly fishing, revealing the lush landscape of the Ripshin River Valley not only as a haven for sports enthusiasts and wild animals, but as a land where a killer lurks. Novelist Charles Dodd White, author of In the House of Wilderness, follows the journey of Rain, a young woman seeking to escape an abusive relationship, to its thrilling and violent conclusion. In her nonfiction book Enchanted Ground: The Spirit Room of Jonathan Koons, Sharon Hatfield presents the mysteries of the Victorian séance as witnessed by hundreds of curious visitors to Koons’s log cabin in the 1850s. All three books address the theme of finding home—whether it’s a literal one or a symbol of spiritual and psychological wholeness.
With each reading held to about 15 minutes, there should be ample time for discussion facilitated by novelist Robert Gipe. We hope this dialogue with the audience will result in enhanced connections and creative expression among writers and others in the ASA community.
Presentation #1 Title
Enchanted Ground: The Spirit Room of Jonathan Koons
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Reading of original writing (15 minutes)
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Sharon Hatfield is a nonfiction writer. She previously wrote Never Seen the Moon: The Trials of Edith Maxwell and co-edited An American Vein: Critical Readings in Appalachian Literature. Hatfield is the recipient of the Thomas and Lillie D. Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing and the Weatherford Award in nonfiction, both for Never Seen the Moon. She lives in Athens, Ohio, with her husband.
Presentation #2 Title
Yellow Stonefly: A Novel
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
Reading of original writing (15 minutes)
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Tim Poland lives near the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwestern Virginia where he is Professor Emeritus of English at Radford University. His fiction, poetry, and non-fiction have appeared widely in various literary magazines, and he is also the author of the novel, The Safety of Deeper Water (2009).
Presentation #3 Title
In the House of Wilderness
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
Reading of original writing (15 minutes)
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Charles Dodd White is the author of three novels and a short story collection. He has been recognized for excellence in Appalachian writing with the Chaffin Award. He has also received a fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with his family, and he teaches English at Pellissippi State Community College.
Enchanted Ground: The Spirit Room of Jonathan Koons
Reading of original writing (15 minutes)
