Lexington, KY - It wasn't until after raising her five sons that author Verna Mae Slone decided to release her "scribblins" - her first person narratives that reveal the rich and unique nature of her life in the Appalachian region of Kentucky. Well into her 60s, the author told an interviewer at that point, "I wrote when I was ready to write."
This new publication by the author of the better known "What My Heart Wants to Ttell" combines two of Slone's works: "How We Talked" and "Common Folks." Caney Creek, Ky., is the setting for her charming tales that not only allow us a glimpse into her life's experiences, but into a lifestyle that is often regarded with a misunderstood dismissal of its spirit and relevance.
How We Talked
This book can easily be considered a reference book of the terms, phrases and ideologies that make up the Appalachian culture. But categorizing the book in such a manner doesn't honor the book as a whole, which is marked by Slone's flowing and heartwarming prose. She writes: "The word 'love' is not used very much by a hill person except when he is talking about the love he has for God. The word 'love' is held too sacred to be used lightly, if at all." And, "The real dating was 'sparking.' This word got its beginning because the couple's only way to get to talk to each other was to sit side by side in two straight-backed chairs (homemade split bottoms) before the fire, after the family had gone to bed in the same room. Whispering to each other, sparks rising from the chimney told the neighbors that someone was up later than the usual time."
Nineteen different uses of the word "mind" give cause to smile as Slone quickly throws out, "If I have to mind a child, and it don't mind me, I might have a mind to whip it. I don't think its parents would mind, for I was out of my mind to agree to mind it." And rather than provide the culture's terms in alphabetical order, Slone divides them by categories: descriptive phrases ("If Kentucky was a cow, Knott County would be a tail."), names of people places and things ("Polecat- skunk"), food-grub or vittles (an age-old recipe for gingerbread provided), and medical terms ("got the punnies" - just not feeling well).
In her ending of the book, Slone notes, "I know some of the things I have included in my writings are of no interest to anyone but me, but I do want it all to be recorded." How fortunate for us.
Common Folks
This book is Verna Mae Slone's autobiography and travels through her life in Pippa Passes at Alice Lloyd College, her marriage, the births of her children (she pre-named each son Sarah Ellen in her quest for a daughter) and the devastating effects of strip mining in the hills.
In her typical, easy manner she admits that she eventually got her daughter - through her writing and the creation of a character named Sarah Ellen. Her independence was evident in her regard to finances (never spending her family's money on anything for herself), only spending what she earned outside the family's activities. Detailing the daily activities and beliefs that were her community, she weaves a history that explains the tightly woven and well-loved society of Appalachian Kentucky. As she may be heard to say, "If you could iron out all the hills in Knott County, it would be bigger than Texas," the same goes for Slone's talent - ironed out, it would reach the breadth and width of an entire culture.