James Still in Interviews, Oral Histories and Memoirs

“Olson has assembled a variety of interviews with Still and reminiscences and tributes by writers who knew him. This collection allows one to get to know the man and serves as a complement to an earlier collection titled James Still: Critical Essays on the Dean of Appalachian Literature”—The Journal of Southern History; “though I think and hope, of course, that James Still will always be associated with his region, I also look forward to the day when he will not be identified quite so invariably as ‘an Appalachian writer.’ For I think and hope also, in fact I know, that the value of good regional writing extends far beyond its region, and I think James Still, by any standard, is a supreme writer.”—Wendell Berry; “this book is important not only because of the lasting legacy of its subject, but also because of the great line-up of contributors, including many who knew James Still well: Jesse Stuart, Dean Cadle, Wade Hall, Jim Wayne Miller, Gurney Norman, Shirley Williams, William Henry Young, and Herb E. Smith. This effort will be very useful not only to those interested in Mr. Still, but also to those who wish to learn more about many of the important figures who share their reflections on Still in this book.”—George Brosi, Appalachian Heritage.