The Hills Remember

"James Still is better known as a novelist and poet, but as this volume confirms, he was an excellent short story writer as well. Bravo to Ted Olson and University Press of Kentucky for this valuable addition to James Still's legacy."

--Ron Rash, author of Serena

"This collection of all the short stories of James Still, in chronological order, reveal the development of his craft during Still's years of keen observation of the character, values, and sly humor of his eastern Kentucky neighbors, as well as his accurate ear for their dialect, not presenting it exactly, but weaving it into a rare art form, and with his insight to render a vivid portrait and intonation of the people of this particular place, mainly during the years of the Great Depression. These stories affirm Still’s art as a master story teller."

--Loyal Jones, former director of the Appalachian Center at Berea College and author of Appalachian Values

"In his stories drawn from local life and speech in the Kentucky mountains, James Still finds timeless beauty and universal meaning."

--Gurney Norman, former Kentucky poet laureate and author of Kinfolks: The Wilgus Stories

"James Still chopped a path through the literary landscape that Appalachian writers continue to follow. He gave the land and culture a vivid life on the page, using language of such quality that it set a standard for all the writers from the hills. Mr. Still is more than the master. He is our grandfather, our great-grandfather, our godfather—the revered elder of the tribe of Appalachian writers. Here is a sentence he wrote: “We went on, not stopping or speaking until we saw our hill standing apart from all the others.” These words readily describe James Still’s work. If each published book is viewed as a hill in the geography of literature, his stories will forever stand apart from all the others."

--Chris Offutt, Author of Kentucky Straight

"In a long-ago conversation James Still said to me, “You must read Daudet—he can pierce your heart in a single line.” I nodded, thinking I could name another writer who had such skill, remembering the haunting lilt and ache of his poems and how each chapter of River of Earth left me breathless, struck by the power of simple lines that went straight to the heart without a trace of sentimentality. Later, when Still read “The Nest” to one of my writing classes at Carson-Newman College, I had the profound pleasure of watching the mesmerizing effect of his words transform that class into a community of listeners united by a shared, unforgettable experience. And that’s what this collection of James Still’s stories can do for a new generation of readers—lead them into an awareness of the range and depth of human experience through an artistry of language. This collection reaffirms what so many of us have known for years—James Still is a master of the short story, his work a national treasure."

—Jeff Daniel Marion, author of Ebbing and Flowing Springs