Spearheaded by the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, the Lexington Literary Hub is a collaborative group made up of an array of local organizations that meets monthly to discuss initiatives and projects that elevate Lexington as a literary city. The group initially came together in the fall of 2016 to apply for the UNESCO City of Literature designation for Lexington, and though the city did not receive the designation, the group has continued its momentum to strengthen Lexington’s large and ambitious literary community.
Representatives from the group have kindly provided our readers with some Kentucky-themed reading suggestions for the winter months that lie ahead. Follow the Lexington Literary Hub on Facebook - www.facebook.com/lexlithub - for more local literary news and discussions.
“The Salt Line” by Holly Goddard Jones
Russellville native and University of Kentucky graduate Holly Goddard Jones returns with her third book, a literary post-apocalypse novel. In the near future, disease-carrying ticks have forced most people into safe zones behind walls and the salt line referenced in the title, and the rich pay for the thrill of experiencing both the danger and the unspoiled wilderness from which they’ve been cut off. The author’s take on an environmental apocalypse is fresh, raising questions about our connection to nature and the price of security. Despite the trappings of a Crichton-esque thriller, the characters are the real payoff.
– Reviewed by Mack McCormick, The University Press of Kentucky publicity & rights manager
“The Name of the Nearest River” By Alex Taylor
“The Name of the Nearest River,” the 2010 debut collection of stories by Rosine, Kentucky’s Alex Taylor, is like a lightning strike: pure, clear, beautiful – and, yes, violent. Taylor brings all the darkest truths of the impoverished South to bear in his stories. His characters are brash and sometimes ugly, and they often hurt those they love, but the thing that makes this collection truly great is the author’s capacity to treat his characters with the deepest compassion, tenderness, understanding and forgiveness. If it is the only book you ever read, read it.
– Reviewed Evan Kabrick-Arneson, graduate student in University of Kentucky’s MFA Program in Creative Writing
“Prodigal Summer” By Barbara Kingsolver
I listened to the CD read by the author and was totally enchanted from the beginning. There are three storylines that gradually converge. Each is about strong women, their relationships and their life choices. The characters are so believably drawn, I could swear I know them. The novel also features delightfully detailed information about wildlife biology, integrated pest management and agronomy. The bonus for me was Barbara Kingsolver’s reading – she has one of the great voices of all-time, and the way she depicts the voices and accents of each character is a treat.
– Reviewed by Ann Hammond, Lexington Public Library executive director
“Slowly is the Journey: Stories from Bluegrass Community and Technical College ESL Students” Edited by Keith Gilbertson
Published in 2016, “Slowly is the Journey” is a moving collection of “journey” stories and poems, written by 61 refugees and immigrants from 28 countries who found themselves in central Kentucky in an ESL class at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. Each story is an uplifting testament to the strength and determination that brought the author here, either by leaving his or her homeland through harrowing circumstances as refugees, or by immigrating in search of a better life. Together, these stories paint a compelling picture of strength, will and ultimate success.
– Reviewed by Lisa Fiedler Fryman, International Book Project executive director
“Fugitive Slaves and the Underground Railroad in the Kentucky Borderland” By J. Blaine Hudson
J. Blaine Hudson’s 2002 book explores the history of fugitive slaves and the Underground Railroad in Kentucky at its human and geographical epicenter. Tables, maps, advertisements for the capture of runaways and first-person accounts depict the escape networks that led to freedom. The author’s analysis of these original sources reveals that most slave escapes were unaided and that other African-Americans rendered more assistance than anti-slavery whites. While neither new nor a breezy read, this history is an essential resource as Kentucky once again confronts its romanticized version of slavery and the Civil War.
– Reviewed by Nan Plummer, LexArts president and CEO
“Feather Crowns” By Bobbie Ann Mason
It’s the turn of the century, the world is on edge, and folks are already looking for signs of the apocalypse when Christianna Wheeler gives birth to the first recorded set of quintuplets in North America. Suddenly the Wheeler family is thrust into the national spotlight, as hordes travel to rural Hopewell, Kentucky, to witness the miracle babies. What follows is an intriguing story of exploitation, celebrity culture and a public thirst for excitement. Originally published in 1993, this has been a fascinating novel to reread in 2017, when the world is so overwhelmed by the 24-hour news cycle.
– Reviewed by Lori Houlihan, LFUCG director of Arts and Cultural Affairs
“The Trial of Adolf Hitler: The Beer Hall Putsch and the Rise of Nazi Germany” By David King
Most of us know Adolf Hitler as a middle-aged mass murderer. But how did he get his start? Lexington historian David King’s fascinating book focuses on Hitler as a young nationalist. King brings to life the Beer Hall Putsch trial of 1924, when Hitler – a decade before he took power – attempted a coup with a few guns and a fiery speech. The world laughed at Hitler’s ranting during the trial. But, as King deftly illustrates, Hitler used the trial to inspire nationalists and anti-Semites. Convicted and jailed briefly, he emerged as a potent politician who soon began his tragic rise.
– Reviewed by Neil Chethik, Carnegie Center executive director
“Affrilachia” By Frank X Walker
Some books don’t age well. Shortly after publication, they feel dated and irrelevant, but “Affrilachia” by Frank X Walker – who coined the term Affrilachian, as a reminder of the region’s diversity, and co-founded the acclaimed group of writers known as the Affrilachian Poets – is not one of those books. Since its publication 17 years ago by Lexington’s Old Cove Press, the poetry collection has earned status as a classic Kentucky read and personal poetic narrative of growing up as an African-American Appalachian. Poems like “Statues of Liberty” and “Wishbone” remind us how well-told, deeply personal stories achieve universal appeal.
– Reviewed by Jayne Moore Waldrop, writer, attorney and literary consultant for the Carnegie Center