James Still

Abstract

James Still was a twentieth century American writer of poetry, stories, children’s literature, and folklore. His most enduring work was the 1940 novel River of Earth. This literary biography tells the story of Still’s life, which was simultaneously simple and complex, solitary and public, transparent and mysterious. Though born in Alabama, educated in Tennessee, and widely traveled in the world, Still and his writing are inseparably associated with the hills of eastern Kentucky: specifically, Hindman Settlement School and his log house on Dead Mare Branch. The biography explores how the place shaped him and his writing, and how this “man of the bushes” became a public figure, a cultural legend that influenced the rise of Appalachian literature. During his last twenty years, many people came to know a charismatic James Still, but few were allowed into his private world. This story of that world explores how his life experiences connected to his creativity. Being of his hills provided James Still an identity and anchor. His life story should help move his work beyond the hills to the wider audience it deserves. Research for the project relied largely on letters and documents in archival collections at University of Kentucky and Morehead State University. Conversations with Still before his death are supplemented with 75 interviews of friends, family, and colleagues.