It’s been (ahem) an eventful few weeks. We won’t go into it deeply in this space. Just yet. But one thing that brightened the last week or so was the constant stream of people we noted on social media compiling lists — and pointing us at others — where one could read “real books” on Appalachia, “better than the POS one” by the man who is now a vice-presidential hopeful.
All right then. Bookriot said it best way back in (wait for it) 2020 when Kendra Winchester compiled a list of “15 Books About Appalachia to Read Instead of Hillbilly Elegy.” In the article, Winchester mentions a piece that Bookriot had published in 2016 on why Hillbilly Elegy is problematic. Nearly a decade on, parts of the article prove to be distressingly prophetic.
But back to how to learn about the real Appalachia. The books that make Winchester’s cut are worth seeking out. What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia by Elizabeth Catte. Appalachian Elegy: Poetry and Place by bell hooks; Something’s Rising: Appalachians Fighting Mountaintop Removal by Silas House and Jason Howard and more and more and more.
If you’re looking for a real picture of Appalachia, check Winchester’s list out here. And while we’re at it, Bill Bryson’s book about the region, A Walk in the Woods, is charming and well-loved. You can see January’s long-ago interview with the author here. ◊
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