Leslie Harper Worthington
The Houston Museum will host an Appalachian Talk by author Leslie Harper Worthington on Saturday, Sept. 9. Dr. Worthington will discuss how grown children of Appalachian people view their parents and ancestors today through original essays.
“Appalachian people are frequently depicted as poorly educated whites who isolate themselves in mountain hollows,” said Dr. Worthington, whose family is Appalachian but left the region before she was born. “..so I have felt some displacement. That's what my essay in the collection Seeking
Home is about. I studied the literature of the area for my PhD.”
In Seeking Home, editors Dr. Worthington and Jürgen E. Grandt turn that stereotype upside down by showcasing Appalachia’s ethnic diversity through a lively collection of essays discussing fiction, poetry, letters and songs.
This collection begins with a personal narrative in which Dr. Worthington relates how she discovered her own home through teaching Lee Smith’s Fair and Tender Ladies.
Dr. Worthington is the dean of Academic Programs and Services at Gadsden State Community College in Alabama. Ms. Smith’s Fair and Tender Ladies is the story of a Virginia mountain girl, Ivy
Rowe, who wrote of her Appalachian life in words that are colloquial and often misspelled. Dr. Worthington's study of the book inspired her to seek out essays from other Appalachian decedents for her book Seeking Home.
“Other essays range from the anticipated—Ron Rash, Barbara Kingsolver, Harriette Simpson Arnow—to the unanticipated—Charles Frazier’s magical realism, a Confederate soldier’s journals, and three different examinations of Affrilachian poets. Adding further texture to the collection are essays examining the diversity in Appalachian music, including Cherokee song and dance, a discussion of Appalachian mining songs, and an examination of recording technology and authenticity,” she said.
Her co-editor, Dr. Grandt, is an associate professor of English at the University of North Georgia. “He was mostly interested in the music of Appalachia. He's a jazz musician. We were both English professors at Gainesville State College which is now the University of North GA, located in the Georgia Mountains.
“Seeking Home confirms that just as there are many Souths, there are also many Appalachias. The region is multifaceted, multicultural, and all we have to do is be willing to examine the variety.”
In September, Dr. Worthington will give a 45 minute talk at the Houston Museum. “I was hoping to read some of my essays and talk about Appalachian literature and culture. My previous book was about Cormac McCarthy who is from Knoxville. He's Appalachian and a Tennessean so I thought
the audience might be interested. I'd also like to talk about some of the essays in the collection, more than likely the ones about literature because that's my area, for example Rob Rash.”
To reserve a seat for this free event, go to thehoustonmuseum.org. It will be held Saturday, Sept. 9, from 1-4 p.m. at 201 High St. Dr. Worthington will speak about her new book at 1 p.m.