The Ron Rash Reader

". . . The Ron Rash Reader is a treasure trove, the perfect place to start for first readers but also a fascinating and illuminating overview."—Mississippi Quarterly

"Ron Rash is one of the most gifted and accomplished storytellers and poets of our time, or any time. It is a special pleasure to welcome this new collection which gives some sense of the scale, depth, and range of his talent and achievement. Let us celebrate this exciting occasion."—Robert Morgan, author of The Road From Gap Creek

"The Ron Rash Reader will prove a valuable resource for a large audience, and Dr. Wilhelm is a skilled guide to the best of Mr. Rash's work."—John Lang, author of Understanding Ron Rash and Six Poets from the Mountain South

"Ron Rash may well be Appalachia's greatest living writer, and is better than most all the dead ones too."—Casey Clabough, author of Inhabiting Contemporary Southern and Appalachian Literature and The Warrior's Path: Reflections Along an Ancient Route

"The finest place-based writing always identifies and articulates mysterious universalities lurking within closely observed quotidian worlds. As this exciting collection of his diverse work illustrates, Ron Rash does not simply describe or document a beloved if at times beleaguered place (a section of Southern Appalachia). Rash also evokes, revivifies, and universalizes that place through his keen sense of craft and through the transformational power of his imagination."—Ted Olson, author of Blue Ridge Folklife, Breathing in Darkness: Poems and Revelations: Poems

"The Ron Rash Reader, edited by Randall Wilhelm, provides an excellent opportunity to explore the full range of [Rash's] work to date. . . .Wilhelm's extensive introduction illuminates Rash's themes, talks about his background, discusses his particular settings and the reasons he rarely strays far from his territory, and helps readers to see clearly how the collection demonstrates Rash's deep love of Appalachia, its culture, history, and uncertain future."—Gina Webb, Atlanta Journal-Constitution