[close] Novelist Silas House and journalist Jason Howard, both "children of Appalachia," illuminate the long-growing mining crisis in Central Appalachia. Twelve Appalachians--among them a college student, former union organizers, community activists and the octogenarian "mother of folk," Jean Ritchey--provide first-hand accounts of a disappearing way of life, a vital ecology in rapid decline, an industry that refuses to take responsibility for the devastation it causes (blowing the tops off mountains is only the latest, most destructive technique), and a nation too hooked on cheap energy to help. If nothing else, these oral histories will give readers a sense of what's at stake on a personal level. Student Nathan Hall calls mining the best job he ever had: "I met the most interesting characters of my life... the most hilarious, most good hearted." Says Judy Bond, lifelong resident of the leading coal-producing county in W.V., "The more coal we mine, the poorer we get." [close]

[close] Author Silas House reads his essay THE GOD OF BIRDS' NESTS, published in WE ALL LIVE DOWNSTREAM: WRITINGS ABOUT MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL. This reading occurred at Carmichael's Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky, August 2009. The anthology inlcudes fiction, non-fiction, poetry and music lyrics from artists such as Wendell Berry, Earl Hamner, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Ben Sollee and many others. [close]

[close] Author Silas House reads a portion of the introduction from the non-fiction book SOMETHING'S RISING, a collection of oral histories about mountaintop removal that he co-authored with Jason Howard. [close]

[close] Jason Howard, Silas House and Kate Larken perform SEXTON'S CREEK as Public Outcry at the Highlander Research and Education Center's 2009 Homecoming and Apple Fair in New Market, Tennessee. [close]

[close] Silas House reads from his novel ELI THE GOOD at the Hindman Settlement School's Appalachian Writers Workshop in July 2009.

[close] Silas House's fourth novel ELI THE GOOD was released Tuesday, September 22, 2009, at the Carnegie Center in Lexington, Kentucky. The event was sponsored by the Morris Book Shop. House reads an excerpt from the new novel here. This important scene is about Eli's Aunt Nell. Musician Ben Sollee accompanies House's words. [close]