An Appalachian Man of Letters

Abstract

The stories, poems, and novels of Ron Rash long have been read and admired by writers and others attentive to the region in which he works (southern Appalachia) and to where he has been published (including the Sewanee Review), while remaining, until the last few years, mostly ignored by the literary establishment at large. It wasn’t long ago—as recently as 2000—that Rash still was publishing his short-story collections out of Beaufort, South Carolina, with the Bench Press. And he continues to publish his poetry volumes either through Iris Press (Oak Ridge, Tennessee) or the Hub City Press (Spartanburg, South Carolina). This is not to insinuate anything negative about these small publishers; on the contrary the early loyalty and foresight demonstrated by these independent presses to an author who has become one of the country’s best and most versatile contemporary writers, long before others recognized his talent, is to be applauded. In return Rash continues to support small regional presses and magazines even as his literary reputation has gone national and even global. Rash’s years of regional identity and relative national obscurity, even though only a little more than a decade ago, seem farther back than chronology renders them. As Randall Wilhem, editor of the new 416-page Ron Rash Reader, maintains, “Bursting through the often reductive categories of ‘Appalachian,’ ‘Southern,’ and even ‘American’ writer, Rash’s work has earned him a place on the global literary mountain and is reaching even new heights.” Bursting reeks of hyperbole, yet Wilhelm is methodical and thorough in defending its use over the course of his 32-page introduction, fortified by 68 endnotes. The Reader’s cover blurb by Robert Morgan transports the praise even higher—to a timeless universal level: “Ron Rash is one of the most gifted and accomplished storytellers and poets of our time, or any time.” Such a statement takes the positive literary estimation of an author about as far as it can go. Loyal readers of this magazine will be familiar with Rash and his work, but some highlights from Wilhelm’s informative introduction to the Reader are worth conveying. He notes, for instance, that Rash’s output “straddles the best of both worlds—international critical acclaim and a readership the world over,” while simultaneously remaining true to his southern Appalachian roots. Certainly Rash might take his pick of various distinguished