This Side of the Mountain

This Side of the Mountain George Brosi This issue of Appalachian Heritage celebrates the life and work of Mary Lee Settle (1918-2005) who died on September 27th. We hope that it will be a meaningful keepsake and also encourage deeper engagement with her work. Mary Lee Settle had deep roots in West Virginia, and her writing depicted multiple classes and ethnicities of Appalachians in many eras. Of course she was not just a regional writer. Her consciousness was truly international, and this elevated her writing no matter what part of the world she chose for her settings. Mary Lee Settle's contribution to the international and national scene extended far beyond her books. Her commitment to the underdog led her not only to research and write about working class people, but also to advocate for narrowing the gap between the overprivileged and under-privileged in the writing world. Even though she had won a National Book Award, she founded the PEN/Faulkner Awards, an alternative to the award she considered too dominated by the business side of the big publishing firms. In her novel, Choices (1995), Mary Lee Settle depicts a woman whose life puts her in contact with critical conflicts in her lifetime—the Spanish Civil War, the effort to unionize the coal mines, and the Civil Rights movement—issues of social justice and race, all ultimately revolving around freedom and self-determination. Her research and writing illuminate these struggles and continue to help readers think about the impact of these issues upon themselves and others. When Mary Lee Settle's considerable energy and brilliance focused on a particular time and place, she was invariably drawn back to earlier times and people in an effort to understand more thoroughly. She delved deeply into the reasons that compelled Roger Williams and Thomas Jefferson to stand for religious freedom and the forces that made their commitments so strong that they energized future generations. Mary Lee Settle led a very full life, one which helps us think about our heritage—not just the events, but the people and the ideals that drove them. Her impact will continue to grow as we celebrate her life by striving to more deeply understand the freedoms we enjoy and to find ways to protect and expand them. ...