Bloodroot: Reflections on Place by Appalachian Women Writers ed. by Joyce Dyer (review)

The account of the pain and acrimony that accompanied the origins and aftermath of the 1924-1925 split between the Hellers and the NoHellers in the Washington Association of Primitive Baptists points to Dorgan's reflections at the conclusion ofthe study. "I grow increasingly concerned about a theology that becomes dirisive. ... I am encouraged by those theologies which encompass all humankind, even when the encompassing pertains only to the afterlife." Howard Dorgan's narrative study ends with an affirmation ofthe inclusive theology ofthose generous people with whom he spent three years preparing this book. —John Wallhausser Bloodroot: Reflections on Place by Appalachian Women Writers. Joyce Dyer, editor. Lexington: Unversity Press ofKentucky, 1998. 304 pages. $28.00. In Bloodroot: Reflections on Place by Appalachian Women Writers, Joyce Dyer has compiled a volume rich with unexpected gifts. The tide—and the accompanying explanation on the book jacket for those like me who are botanically challenged—set the reader up to expect thoughtful essays by writers who are Appalachian women. In this there is no disappointment. Many of the authors have been generous in allowing the reader access to their hallowed places, both past and present, as they convey what it means to them to be writers and women and Appalachian. What we do not expect are the connections made between these talented women and each other, and also the way in which these connections are inclusive to the reader. In her introduction, Dyer speaks ofwhy she wanted to gather together these women writers. Partly in defense owing to their having been ostracized from other collections, but also to make the public more aware ofthe talent in this region, she writes, "This book has, first ofall, the simple ambition of naming many ofAppalachian literary women who comprise perhaps the most exciting group of writers in America today, and of letting others meet them and hear their voices. But it has another ambition as well. I wanted to know whether the region itselfwas fueling their art, and why and how. I wanted to know why this region, supposedly the poorest in the nation, was producing such wealth." The question Dyer asked each contributor was the same: "What were the influences on your writing?" She encouraged them to speak about the region only ifappropriate. As these writers saw the finished book for the first time, it must have been fun for each of them to discover the 63 connections between their reflections and indeed their lives. Not only are they full ofcommon acquaintances, experiences, and feelings, but in some cases, the connections are even to each other. This is part of the reason that the reader feels so included. When Kathryn Stripling Byer shares Lee Smith's response to a poem Byer had written, the reader feels a part ofthe surprised and joyous connection. The support and influence of Jim Wayne Miller is another common thread with many of these women. Bennie Lee Sinclair relates an encounter she shared with several other writers. "Jim Wayne held forth, challenging us to match wit and memory as we recited, told tales, talked until dawn drove us back ... I learned then that five or six uninterrupted hours with Jim Wayne was never quite enough." Because the stories ofhis encouragement are in the context of an intimate view of the way in which each author works, the reader almost feels vicariously encouraged by Miller as well. Dyer's first question about the influence of the region on writers is resoundingly and collectively answered. The answer to the second question is also answered, but on a more intuitive level as each artist shares personal inspiration and experience. These intriguing questions lead to others, especially for a reader relatively new to Appalachia. Is there any other place as compelling as Appalachia in this way? Would the Midwest or Northeast produce an equally diverse collection of women with an equally collective voice? Are the stories different simply because they are Appalachian women? In her essay, Denise Giardina says "I saw no need to hurry [to learn to read]. I had the stories." Sharyn McCrumb speaks even more forcefully ofa shared heritage when she proclaims, "I come from a race ofstorytellers." All of...