Carolina Piedmont Country

Acknowledgments

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S This book has taken quite a long time from initial idea to final edition, and so there are numerous people who have helped me along the way. I would like to thank all of them in turn. In October 1988, Lynwood Montell first approached me about the possibility ofwriting this book. It is to him that I owemy first debt ofgratitude, for offering me the chance and for encouraging me to write. I sincerely appreciate Lynwood's continuing faith in my ability. In June 19911 first entered the field, and I owe an even greater debt of gratitude to all the Piedmont folks who have shared their lives and their memories with me. Marjorie Peden introduced me to her parents, Raymond and Anne, who in turn introduced me to Don Roper, who then provided numerous names for further interviewing. Dan Ezell and Steve Odum, with the Clemson Agricultural Extension Service, also provided me with valuable contacts and suggestions. I sincerely wish to thank all of my informants for their generosity and kindness over the years. The staffs at several libraries also deserve special mention. Dr. Richard Shrader and Mike Casey in the Manuscripts Department at Wilson Library , UNC-Chapel Hill, havebeen extremely helpful in opening the extensive folklife collections there. The staff at USC's Caroliniana Library have been helpful in introducing me to the old WPA files. Donna Roper, at the Pendleton District Historical Commission, has been quite generous with her time and expertise as well. Mike Kohl and the Special Collections staff at Clemson's Cooper Library also deserve thanks. Financial support came in small but welcome amounts from a Provost's Research Award (1990-1991) and a Faculty Development Award (19921 993X both through Richard Larson (then Head, Department ofSociology) and Robert Waller (then Dean, College of Liberal Arts). These individuals have helped me both professionally and personally, and I wish to thank them sincerely for their continuing support. Several graduate students in Clemson's Applied Sociology program have helped in various ways to prepare the manuscript for publication. Ms. Kristen Biestman-Craig dutifully coded data, inventoried field tapes, and kept me focused on the ultimate goal, while Kory Coonen input Kristen's handwritten notes. Lisa Faulkenberry, Donna Sedgwick, Amy Klumas, and Amy Garland volunteered to proofread several editions of the manuscript. My special thanks to all of you. IX x Acknowledgments The editorial staff at the University Press ofMississippi has been patient and understanding during the past several years, especially asvariousdeadlines came and went. JoAnne Prichard, Anne Stascavage, Ginger Tucker, and the manuscript editors deserve special thanks. I would also like to thank the anonymousreviewer of the original manuscript for several helpful suggestions. Finally, I would like to thank Cathy Robison and Meredith Walker for reading earlier versions ofthis manuscript, for offering helpful suggestions, and for encouraging me throughout the years of my research and writing of this book. I would like to dedicate this book to the people of the Piedmont, past and present, black and white, rich and poor, male and female—this region is special because of you.Thank you for allowingme to discover the beauty and richness of your lives. ...