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Appalachia figures prominently in Kentucky culture, history, and politics and serves as the centerpiece of George Ella Lyon’s Lunch with the Arts presentation this Wednesday at the Boyle County Public Library. George Ella’s connection to Appalachia runs strong and deep; as she explains, “I grew up in the mountains of Harlan County, Kentucky. All four of my grandparents were in Harlan, so I heard a lot of stories from them that reflected Appalachian culture.”
The connection to writing and creative expression runs just as deep for Lyon. “I grew up in a house full of books; my father loved poetry and would read it out loud at home. We didn’t do creative writing in school when I was little, but I remember in third grade working on a poem at home because I had a feeling inside me that was too big for me. That was what I knew to do with it. I knew that powerful feelings could be found and expressed in poems.” This dual passion for writing and local culture led to a career writing novels, poems, songs, and children’s books, many of which explore and celebrate Appalachian culture and identity.
Lyon traces her creative endeavor of rediscovering and celebrating Appalachia back to “the War on Poverty of the 60’s, when Appalachia was seen as not only economically but culturally deprived. There was so much written about the mountains from the outside, but I wanted to speak about it from the inside.” Much of Lyon’s writing has been a journey of self-discovery and understanding, of embracing her heritage and celebrating her identity.
Lyon’s journey spreads across a wide range of genres, each of which has its unique delights and challenges. She enjoys the vividness of picture books, the consuming nature of songwriting, and the challenge of a full-length novel, but explains “poetry is where my roots are and the most essential way I have of seeing the world.” Wednesday’s audience can expect to get a sampler of all of Lyon’s work, including Many Storied House and She Let Herself Go, collections of poems; Don’t You Remember? a memoir; and Which Side Are You On? The Story of a Song, a picture book. “I hope that people who come to hear me read will be delighted and moved by my stories, and that they’ll walk away thinking about their own stories as well.”
IF YOU GO
Lunch with the Arts:
George Ella Lyon and
Appalachian Literature
Noon-1 p.m. Wednesday
Boyle County Public Library
Cost: $5 at the door if you bring your own lunch,
$10 to have one provided
Reserve lunch at www.communityartscenter.net
COMING UP
Starry Night Studio:
“Wild West Boots”
7–9 p.m. Tuesday
Register at
www.communityartscenter.net
The connection to writing and creative expression runs just as deep for Lyon. “I grew up in a house full of books; my father loved poetry and would read it out loud at home. We didn’t do creative writing in school when I was little, but I remember in third grade working on a poem at home because I had a feeling inside me that was too big for me. That was what I knew to do with it. I knew that powerful feelings could be found and expressed in poems.” This dual passion for writing and local culture led to a career writing novels, poems, songs, and children’s books, many of which explore and celebrate Appalachian culture and identity.
Lyon traces her creative endeavor of rediscovering and celebrating Appalachia back to “the War on Poverty of the 60’s, when Appalachia was seen as not only economically but culturally deprived. There was so much written about the mountains from the outside, but I wanted to speak about it from the inside.” Much of Lyon’s writing has been a journey of self-discovery and understanding, of embracing her heritage and celebrating her identity.
Lyon’s journey spreads across a wide range of genres, each of which has its unique delights and challenges. She enjoys the vividness of picture books, the consuming nature of songwriting, and the challenge of a full-length novel, but explains “poetry is where my roots are and the most essential way I have of seeing the world.” Wednesday’s audience can expect to get a sampler of all of Lyon’s work, including Many Storied House and She Let Herself Go, collections of poems; Don’t You Remember? a memoir; and Which Side Are You On? The Story of a Song, a picture book. “I hope that people who come to hear me read will be delighted and moved by my stories, and that they’ll walk away thinking about their own stories as well.”
IF YOU GO
Lunch with the Arts:
George Ella Lyon and
Appalachian Literature
Noon-1 p.m. Wednesday
Boyle County Public Library
Cost: $5 at the door if you bring your own lunch,
$10 to have one provided
Reserve lunch at www.communityartscenter.net
COMING UP
Starry Night Studio:
“Wild West Boots”
7–9 p.m. Tuesday
Register at
www.communityartscenter.net
