This Issue

We are very proud to feature the work of George Ella Lyon in this issue. A native of Harlan, Kentucky, George Ella has published almost forty books for people of all ages. She has contributed mightily to the literary arts in this region by teaching numerous workshops and classes, again for all ages, and has lent her voice to noble mobilizations for international peace and the protection of our environment. Kathy L. May's biographical essay provides a compelling run-down of George Ella's life, while Robert M. West's literary criticism presents many insights into her written work. Of course the heart of our George Ella Lyon section is four of her poems and her essay on the creative process, "Inviting the Voice."

How appropriate to follow our George Ella Lyon section with Kathy Mattea's speech from this year's I Love Mountains Day at the Kentucky State Capitol. This demonstration against mountaintop removal mining has become an annual pilgrimage for George Ella Lyon and hundreds of other activists, including Silas House. We present his recent convocation address at Berea College in this issue as well. John P. David, a professor at West Virginia Tech, and Jan Young provide an article giving crucial background on the recent explosion of the Massey coal mine at Upper Big Branch, West Virginia.

Our prose fiction pieces are by Crystal Wilkinson, the featured author for our Spring 2006 issue, and by Patricia L. Hudson of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Brennan M. Laskas, himself a youth, reviews the new young adult novel by Silas House, while Warren J. Carson assesses the latest work by Fred Chappell, and Phyllis Wilson Moore reviews Hearts of Gold, an 1896 novel by an African American man set in West Virginia.

Our poets include former featured authors, Jeff Daniel Marion, Robert Morgan, and Jeff Mann. We welcome back to this issue previous Appalachian Heritage poets, Wendell Berry, E. Gail Chandler, Connie Jordan Green, David Huddle, and the late Lee Howard. Howard's posthumous poetry collection, Harvest of Fire, edited by George Ella Lyon, is forthcoming from Motes Books. We are proud to welcome to this issue, Jesse Graves, a promising young poet who teaches English at East Tennessee State University.

As usual, we are blessed with the recipes and recollections of Sidney Saylor Farr, our former editor.