Though born in Alabama, celebrated author James Still considered Eastern Kentucky his home, and the culture and hills of Appalachia were the backdrop for many of his novels, short stories and poems.
“The Hills Remember” is a recently compiled collection of some of those short stories, 10 of them never before published. In his almost 70-year career, Still was frequently referred to as the “Dean of Appalachian Literature” and his work brought the unique and colorful culture of the region to the nation’s attention.
In his distinctive style – simple, compact and powerful – Still relays the rich textures of the fabric of Appalachian life. “Sweet Asylum,” the first story of the volume, introduces the reader to Caesar Middleton, a cotton farmer whose life has progressed through varying stages of loss. Having emerged from the weight of it, Caesar seems ready to attempt a new chapter in his life. Offered relative prosperity for his political influence, he gathers himself and takes the first steps toward a new journey. With swift and potent ferocity, his future is crushed, and Still, in his meticulous style, shows how fierce the winds of loss can blow.
“The Hills Remember,” the story the collection is named for, begins as Aus Hanly lies dying at a river’s edge. An errant bullet from the gun of a reckless drunk had found him. Writes Still: “Aus Hanley lay spraddle-legged upon the powdery sand, his head resting against a saddler-seat. Red stains spread out from a shapeless hat crushed against his side where the charge had come out. His face, swathed in a week’s growth of beard, was unwrinkled with any trace of pain, but his eyes, black and burning, had that look of quizzical surprise seen in the eyes of a startled doe ... Aus Hanly, with eleven notches in his gun, (was) lying with his back on the ground. Mixed with the crowd were the kin of those he had slain, looking bewildered in the revenge they had not shared.” In the space of this three-page story, Still navigates the themes of revenge and fate – skillfully changing direction with his powerful use of language. The imagery is vivid, the emotion is clear and the swift, swift turn of the story, memorable.
As promised by Still’s reputation as a master storyteller, “The Hills Remember” continues, with over 50 other stories, to provide the tales of the harshness of Appalachian life, the beauty of the region, and the realities of life in Eastern Kentucky. Editor Ted Olson, in his introduction, describes Still’s writing: “In his haunting and resonant short stories, Still distilled his visions and his values into minimalist landscapes ...They stand out as evocative and timeless yet remarkably simple tales and legends from the soul of Appalachia.” Offering no excuses for either the severity or splendor of the region James Still’s work leaves a lasting impression.
“River of Earth,” published in 1940, is Still’s best known novel. “Chinaberry,” a work by Still that well-known Appalachian author Silas House completed after Still’s death, was released last year.