Talking Appalachian: Voice, Identity, and Community ed. by Amy D. Clark and Nancy M. Hayward (review)

One part qualitative research, another part fiction, Talking Appalachian: Voice, Identity, and Community is an important contribution to ongoing conversations about the Appalachian region. The book is not exhaustive nor should in any way be considered the final assessment regarding Appalachian English(es), but this is not the editors’ intent; rather, they add fresh insight to and reiterate or refute some of the old arguments about teaching vernacular-speaking students.

The book begins with personal anecdotes from the editors, Amy D. Clark and Nancy M. Hayward. The contributors of the essays and works that follow are noted scholars in their fields—poets, fiction writers, or any combination of all. Primarily residents or teachers in the Appalachian region, from George Ella Lyon of Harlan County, Kentucky to Michael Ellis, Professor of English at Missouri State, who has been looking at British influences on the dialects of the region since at least 1992, the authors share a common interest and passion for Appalachian English.

This well-organized book begins with Michael Montgomery’s essay, “The Historical Background and Nature of the Englishes of Appalachia.” Part I explores dialects and dialect features, the power of speech in community and social connections, voice, African American speech inside and outside the region, and education. Editor Amy D. Clark explains: “One of the problems with those of us who teach writing is that we tend to look at language prescriptively instead of descriptively. We mistakenly believe that we own the rights to how language may be used, an ideology that is passed down from teacher to student” (115). Although Clark acknowledges the resolution of the Conference on College Composition and Communication in 1974 that all dialects be embraced in the classroom, she finds instruction still lacking this recognition.

Sample essays summarizing qualitative research include “The Appalachian Range: The Limits of Language Variation in West Virginia” by Kirk Hazen, Jaime Flesher, and Erin Simmons, which explains the results of a study of ten dialect features. “Think Locally: Language as Community Practice” by Nancy M. Hayward explores the development of the term Appalachian English, and, most specifically, the errors of the historical definitions. “African American Speech in Southern Appalachia” by Walt Wolfram details his research in five African American communities across North Carolina, two in Appalachia, and three in the coastal region. “Voices in the Appalachian Classroom,” by Editor Amy D. Clark is an exploration of her own experiences in the classroom, as both student and teacher.

The sequence of the essays is logical; Clark and Hayward have arranged the articles to move from the earliest recognition and commentary upon Appalachian Englishes to usage of the language in literature. Michael Ellis’s closing essay for Part I, “The Treatment of Dialect in Appalachian Literature,” segues well into Part II, “Voices from Appalachia,” a collection of work by writers belonging to the region.

The second part of the book includes excerpts from longer works, short fiction, and poetry. The work in this section, including excerpts by George Ella Lyon, Silas House, Lee Smith, Jane Hicks, Denise Giardina, Ron Rash, Rita Quillen, Crystal Wilkinson, and Anne Shelby, enhance the essays in Part I by providing evidence that an Appalachian voice is an eloquent voice.

The book is already receiving favorable reviews. S. A. Dooley in Choice Review: Reviews for Academic Libraries describes Part I as “highly accessible” and Part II as “showcas[ing] some of the well-known writers who are included in Appalachian [S]tudies curricula” (80). Peter Brackney reviews the book on his blog, kaintuckeean, and, although sensitive to the goals of the book, his review is in large part a declaration of his own prejudices when it comes to dialects. He states that, “[a]s a society, our ears seek that same uniform voice from those around us”—an overgeneralization. He finds Part I “too deep for the casual reader” (www.kaintuckeean.com/2013/07/talking-appalachian.html).

The book’s goal...