Appalachian Heritage: A Celebration of the Vernacular

Appalachian Heritage A Celebration of the Vernacular Nancy Sather Nancy Sather's poetry has appeared previously in this magazine. "A Celebration ofthe Vernacular" was preparedfor the editorial board ofHamline University's literary journal at a time when they were engaged in evaluation and, therefore, examining model regional journals. I asked ifwe might adapt it for use in this issue, because her thoughtful overview seems especially valuable during this change in editorship (Editor). Appalachian Heritage, one of the best known literary publications in the Southern Appalachians, was founded with support of a grant by the NEA in 1973. It was first edited by poet Albert Stewart at Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, Kentucky, and since 1984 has been edited by Sidney Saylor Farr and published by Berea College. Comparison of early and recent issues illustrates the unchanging mission of this publication: a celebration of regional literary life through fiction, poetry, articles on regional issues, and critical reviews of publications significant to the region. As the editor's statement on the end page of the Summer, 1997, issue proclaims: "It has been, for two decades, an outlet for the region's best writing." Appalachian Heritage seeks work by writers at all stages of their literary careers. Its criteria are that contributors be associated with the Appalachian region or that the works deal with subject matter pertinent to the region. Since its inception, Appalachian Heritage has published not only the work of writing citizens of the region, but those more widely recognized outside the region, including James Still, Jim Wayne Miller, George Ella Lyon, Alex Haley, and Lee Smith. Since 1993, the magazine has awarded the annual Denny C. Plattner memorial prizes for excellence in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. For some literaryjournals, literary quality alone is the standard; for others the theme of the issue is the touchstone. For this journal, natural geography is the organizing principle—the backbone of the nation's early heartland. That this region has experienced massive outmigrations is reflected among the addresses of the journal's contributors—from the Appalachian states but also from Alaska, California, Colorado, Oregon, Ohio, Mississippi, and the midwest. What integrates the content is the Appalachian experience—a delight at the living language and a concern for the region's future which includes its relevance to the national and global scene. Nonfiction articles highlight changing regional demography and its future impact on the educational system, persistent health problems, and the evolving roles of long-established institutions. The dwelling place of art is the larger society. Within this context, I offer Appalachian Heritage as a healthy paradigm for a journal of enduring value to the larger community. Appalachian Heritage can boast a readership that extends beyond the literati to a broader reading public throughout the region it serves. To many urban readers, Appalachian Heritage may seem quaint. But what qualifies as "rank nostalgia" for one reader or writer may for another seem an alternative to lifestyles plunging headlong into global socioeconomic disaster. What is left of the self-sufficiency and sense of community responsibility that characterize the village social system? What enduring values can we salvage from our parochial past for the benefit of the global future? In Appalachian Heritage these questions lurk provocatively within essays and stories and, sometimes, even in poems. The merit of Appalachian Heritage is that it "knows itself." It gives voice to its region; and by balancing its content it opens the doors of literature, reinforces a connection with cultural history, increases awareness of publications about the region, and encourages dialogue about regional and national issues. The Magic Willow Flute If you make a flute of willow bark and play a long golden note in the sun, it will keep the mist from the hunter's moon, hold back the ice and snow of winter, and bring out white flowers in May. Willow-leaf threads and cherry-petal days, black branch water fed by soft summer rain, our lives will be awash in light and love, when you, my love, come back again. —Sidney Saylor Farr ...