New Appalachian Books

Abstract

New Appalachian Books by George Brosi* Adventures in West Virginia: Day Trips and Longer Travels. Ellen S. Wilkerson and Ann W. Stowers. Huntington, West Virginia: Aegina Press, 1988. 318 pages with photos, maps, and index. Trade paperback. $9.95. This is a very nicely done guidebook of things to do in West Virginia. The writing style is fun and shows a great deal of sensitivity to the real-life concerns of adult travelers, including handicapped people. However, the authors do not include tips on what kids would find most appealing on these trips. Appalachian Mental Health. Susan Emley Keef, editor. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 1988. 252 pages with index and tables. Hardback in dust jacket. $25.00. The whole question of the relationship between individual pathology and subculture membership is quite tricky yet very important. This anthology sets a good professional tone for such deliberations. It is very accessible for people in the field-and important for them to read thoughtfully. This book brings us closer to the day when someone will do a book for people outside the mental health field as well as everyday practitioners. *George Brosi owns and operates the Appalachian Bookstore in Berea and publishes the bimonthly Appalachian Mountain Books. He also sells books through mail orders to clients in all parts of the country. If readers need more information about any of the above listings, write him at 123 Walnut Street, Berea, Kentucky 40403. 67 Arcury, Thomas A. Agricultural Diversity and Change in Industrializing Appalachia : An Ecological Analysis of Eastern Kentucky. Lexington, Kentucky: Center for Developmental Change and Department of Anthropology, University of Kentucky, 1988. 45 pages with bibliography, maps, and charts. A spiral bound paperback. $2.00. This is a very specific and academic paper, full of statistics, but not much commentary on the impact of industrialization on eastern Kentucky farm life. Barker, Garry. All Night Dog. Berea, Kentucky: Kentucke Imprints, 1988. 164 pages. Trade paperback. $7.95. Garry Barker probably comes closer than any other contemporary writer to keeping the legacy of Jesse Stuart alive. Like Stuart, Barker came from a poor but locally respected family in northeastern Kentucky. Like Stuart, his stories and poems are clever and uncomplicated. Like Stuart, Barker is prolific. This is his third collection and includes both stories and poems. Berry, Wendell. Remembering. San Francisco, California: North Point Press, 1988. 124 pages. Hardback in dust jacket. $14.95. Wendell Berry's first novel since The Memory of Old Jack was published in 1974, Remembering consists of one man's reflections during a single day of his life. The characters in these two novels, as well as Berry s other two and his short story collection, Wild Birds, all are reminiscent of where he grew up and still lives. Remembering is didactic and slow moving; nevertheless, I found a great deal of excitement in his flow of words and compelling point of view. Bible, Jean Patterson. Melungeons: Yesterday and Today: Rogersville, Tennessee: self-published, this is the fifth printing-no date stated, but known to be 1988-of a 19/5 release, with a two-paragraph ' Postscript" added. 125 pages with photos, bibliography, and index. Hardback issued without a dust jacket. $9.95. The Melungeons are people of mysterious origins and distinctive appearance of dark skin and straight hair who have lived for generations in isolated areas of Appalachia, most notably Newman's Ridge in Hancock County, Tennessee. However, there is information about Melungeons in Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee , and Virginia. Cancer Mortality in Rural Appalachian Kentucky. Thomas C. Tucker, Gilbert H. Friedell, Lorann Stallones, Jay Randall Thompson and Jane W. Bagby. Lexington , Kentucky: The Appalachian Center, University of Kentucky, 1988. A 16page staple-bound pamphlet with maps and charts. $2.00. This academic report indicates that lung cancer rates in rural Appalachian Kentucky are unusually high, but that male colon cancer rate and the female breast cancer rates are unusually low. It suggests many useful areas for followup research. The report does not give any data on cancer rates by county. 68 Clarkson, Roy B. Tumult on the Mountains: Lumbering in West Virginia 1770-1920. Parsons, West Virginia: McLain. This is the 8th printing, 1988, of a...