Bestselling author, journalist, playwright, and activist, Silas House has focused nearly all of his work on Appalachia. His acclaimed and diverse body of work includes the novels Clay's Quilt, A Parchment of Leaves, The Coal Tattoo, Eli the Good, and Southernmost. Well known for its lyrical style, diverse and sympathetic characters, and political engagement, House's work is overdue for deeper critical study. In this groundbreaking book, editor and coauthor Sylvia Bailey Shurbutt brings together established and rising scholars to discuss House and his writings through a critical lens. Various chapters address different aspects of House's fiction and nonfiction, including the ways in which he deconstructs regional stereotypes, how he explores issues of diversity, his environmental activism, and his approach to LGBTQ issues. The collection begins with a foreword by Denise Giardina and concludes with a chapter by celebrated poet Maurice Manning exploring the lyricism that distinguishes House's work. Featuring an interview with House that further illuminates his philosophy and art, this timely volume offers an important critical appraisal of his oeuvre to date and illustrates why he is one of the most significant voices in Appalachian and American literature today.
"The rich, in-depth perspectives of these essays helps us discern the interconnected ways that Silas House's storytelling, in all its forms, reveals our common moral and lyrical humanity."
Chris Green, author of The Social Life of Poetry: Appalachia, Race, and Radical Modernism
"These essays about the work and career of Silas House confirm the importance of his fiction and presence to the Appalachian region and beyond. His achievement inspires contemporaries and will continue to inspire future generations."
Robert Morgan, author of Gap Creek
"Over the past two decades Silas House has established himself as one of the central voices explaining, lamenting, and celebrating not only his native Appalachia, but America itself. Sylvia Shurbutt's Silas House: Exploring an Appalachian Writer's Work is a brilliant collection of essays that illuminate what readers have long known: House's work is as politically relevant as it is beautiful. This
Mark Powell, assistant professor of English at Appalachian State University and author of
