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The Foxfire Series #9
Foxfire 9
Foxfire highlights the twentieth year of the Foxfire high school program with a new volume as fascinating as its predecessors. Included are general stores, the Jud Nelson wagon, a praying rock, a Catawban Indian potter, haint tales, quilting, home cures, and the log cabin revisited.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
512 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1985
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499 people want to read
About the author
Eliot Wigginton
87 books71 followersEliot Wigginton (born Brooks Eliot Wigginton) is an American oral historian, folklorist, writer and former educator. He was most widely known for developing the Foxfire Project, a writing project that led to a magazine and the series of best-selling Foxfire books, twelve volumes in all. These were based on articles by high school students from Rabun County, Georgia. In 1986 he was named "Georgia Teacher of the Year" and in 1989 he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship.
Wigginton was born in West Virginia on November 9, 1942. His mother, Lucy Freelove Smith Wiggington, died eleven days later of "pneunomia due to acute pulmary edema," according to her death certificate. His maternal grandmother, Margaret Pollard Smith, was an associate professor of English at Vassar College and his father was a famous landscape architect, also named Brooks Eliot Wiggington. His family called him Eliot. He earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in English from Cornell University and a second Master's from Johns Hopkins University. In 1966, he began teaching English in the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, located in the Appalachian Mountains of northeastern Georgia.
Wigginton began a writing project based on his students' collecting oral histories from local residents and writing them up. They published the histories and articles in a small magazine format beginning in 1967. Topics included all manner of folklife practices and customs associated with farming and the rural life of southern Appalachia, as well as the folklore and oral history of local residents. The magazine began to reach a national audience and became quite popular.
The first anthology of collected Foxfire articles was published in book form in 1972, and achieved best-seller status. Over the years, the schools published eleven other volumes. (The project transferred to the local public school in 1977.)
In addition, special collections were published, including The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery, Foxfire: 25 Years, A Foxfire Christmas, and The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Toys and Games. Several collections of recorded music from the local area were released.
Wigginton was born in West Virginia on November 9, 1942. His mother, Lucy Freelove Smith Wiggington, died eleven days later of "pneunomia due to acute pulmary edema," according to her death certificate. His maternal grandmother, Margaret Pollard Smith, was an associate professor of English at Vassar College and his father was a famous landscape architect, also named Brooks Eliot Wiggington. His family called him Eliot. He earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in English from Cornell University and a second Master's from Johns Hopkins University. In 1966, he began teaching English in the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, located in the Appalachian Mountains of northeastern Georgia.
Wigginton began a writing project based on his students' collecting oral histories from local residents and writing them up. They published the histories and articles in a small magazine format beginning in 1967. Topics included all manner of folklife practices and customs associated with farming and the rural life of southern Appalachia, as well as the folklore and oral history of local residents. The magazine began to reach a national audience and became quite popular.
The first anthology of collected Foxfire articles was published in book form in 1972, and achieved best-seller status. Over the years, the schools published eleven other volumes. (The project transferred to the local public school in 1977.)
In addition, special collections were published, including The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery, Foxfire: 25 Years, A Foxfire Christmas, and The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Toys and Games. Several collections of recorded music from the local area were released.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 9, 2022
Foxfire 9 was the last of the original run of Foxfire anthologies, and many of the sections read like addendums to sections found in previous Foxfire books: Folk remedies, wagon building, quilting, mountain religion, haint tales, and log cabin construction are all given additional space in this book. Some of these topics (wagon building, quilting, and log cabins in particular) are best enjoyed after reading on these topics in the earlier volumes; they are light on process and heavy of pictures and drawings. This is probably the most picture-heavy Foxfire book so far in the series. The folk remedy section also includes additional information on basket-weaving, and an interview with a contact who... eh, isn't that interesting, but is pretty racist.
The remaining sections are hit-and-miss, but contain some gems. A short section at the front describes the eponymous fungus, from both a scientific and a cultural standpoint. The coverage of the latter is the superior of the two by far.
The largest portion of the book is dedicated to interviews with general store proprietors. Most of the contacts interviewed here were not dynamic storytellers, although the old inventories and accounting pages published here are of some interest. One contact, Roy Rogers, is the highlight of the section. He describes in great detail the day-to-day operations of his business, even getting into his supply chains, how he decides what to carry, and how he reached major decision points in the growth of his business. His anecdotes of life in the mountains are lively and enjoyable as well.
The remaining sections focus on individual contacts: Nola Campbell, Carolyn Stradley, and D.B. Dayton.
Ms. Campbell is (as I recall) the first person of American Indian heritage interviewed for the anthology. Nominally, her section is on the subject of Catawban pottery (a significantly different technique than used by the potters in the previous volume). Her anecdotes are fascinating both because of the cultural difference and because she was pretty clearly a rowdy kid, and has scars and stories aplenty.
Ms. Stradley is an entirely different type of contact than any interviewed to this point in the series. Born and largely raised in the mountains of northeast Georgia, she was left alone with her older brother at age 11 after her mother died and her father ran off. At the time of the interview, she was in her late 30s and was the owner of a paving company in Atlanta. In between, she seems to have had several lifetimes of experiences, with more stories than many contacts more than twice her age.
Mr. Dayton's story is far more traditional and feels less compelling only in comparison to the other two contacts. Some of the things he mentions in passing, including his work beekeeping and warm relationships with Blacks in the community, I wanted to hear much more about.
All in all, this volume is not a great standalone read, but best read as an odd-and-ends appendix to the previous eight. The Foxfire Book and Foxfire 4 are my favorite volumes if reading a full twelve-volume compendium of Appalachian culture isn't your thing. Foxfire 5 and 7 both cover specific areas of interest (guns and religion, respectively -- no really) and are good reads if you're interested in those particular subjects.
The remaining sections are hit-and-miss, but contain some gems. A short section at the front describes the eponymous fungus, from both a scientific and a cultural standpoint. The coverage of the latter is the superior of the two by far.
The largest portion of the book is dedicated to interviews with general store proprietors. Most of the contacts interviewed here were not dynamic storytellers, although the old inventories and accounting pages published here are of some interest. One contact, Roy Rogers, is the highlight of the section. He describes in great detail the day-to-day operations of his business, even getting into his supply chains, how he decides what to carry, and how he reached major decision points in the growth of his business. His anecdotes of life in the mountains are lively and enjoyable as well.
The remaining sections focus on individual contacts: Nola Campbell, Carolyn Stradley, and D.B. Dayton.
Ms. Campbell is (as I recall) the first person of American Indian heritage interviewed for the anthology. Nominally, her section is on the subject of Catawban pottery (a significantly different technique than used by the potters in the previous volume). Her anecdotes are fascinating both because of the cultural difference and because she was pretty clearly a rowdy kid, and has scars and stories aplenty.
Ms. Stradley is an entirely different type of contact than any interviewed to this point in the series. Born and largely raised in the mountains of northeast Georgia, she was left alone with her older brother at age 11 after her mother died and her father ran off. At the time of the interview, she was in her late 30s and was the owner of a paving company in Atlanta. In between, she seems to have had several lifetimes of experiences, with more stories than many contacts more than twice her age.
Mr. Dayton's story is far more traditional and feels less compelling only in comparison to the other two contacts. Some of the things he mentions in passing, including his work beekeeping and warm relationships with Blacks in the community, I wanted to hear much more about.
All in all, this volume is not a great standalone read, but best read as an odd-and-ends appendix to the previous eight. The Foxfire Book and Foxfire 4 are my favorite volumes if reading a full twelve-volume compendium of Appalachian culture isn't your thing. Foxfire 5 and 7 both cover specific areas of interest (guns and religion, respectively -- no really) and are good reads if you're interested in those particular subjects.
February 3, 2018
There is SO MUCH oral history packed into these Foxfire books. I find the stories interesting and several make me want to research more. These would be a great resource for genealogists with ancestors in the areas where the people were interviewed. Those who love to write could probably get many ideas for stories or characters too. ;)
May 23, 2020
They saved ways of life from the past, things lost in today's time. This series of books have been quit insightful.
June 23, 2024
The last of the original Foxfire series if articles, it was enjoyable. Some sections were more interesting to me than others, but there is certainly something for everyone’ in this collection.
August 14, 2007
The Foxfire books are, of course, nonfiction. These books are written by high school students in north Georgia. All of the articles are about how the Appalachian people lived in the "old" days. The oldsters they interview are amazing people.
The ninth book talks about general stores, doctors, remedies, ghost stories and several arts and crafts things. It was a very enjoyable read that just kind of sucks you into it's charm. Several of the "scary" true stories were about panthers and how they killed people and babies. after reading those tales i was shocked really, because I've never thought about what a huge deal it must've been to live right there where mountain lions were such a threat to people's lives. I also didn't know that the panther makes weird sounds (meows? growls?) that sound like a child or baby screaming.
There was also several stories about mad dogs and cats.
I've said it before, but you know me, I say the same things over and over: everyone should read a Foxfire book. Just one. They are fascinating and charming and they really make you appreaciate things like medicine, central heat and air, cars, shoes, etc.
The ninth book talks about general stores, doctors, remedies, ghost stories and several arts and crafts things. It was a very enjoyable read that just kind of sucks you into it's charm. Several of the "scary" true stories were about panthers and how they killed people and babies. after reading those tales i was shocked really, because I've never thought about what a huge deal it must've been to live right there where mountain lions were such a threat to people's lives. I also didn't know that the panther makes weird sounds (meows? growls?) that sound like a child or baby screaming.
There was also several stories about mad dogs and cats.
I've said it before, but you know me, I say the same things over and over: everyone should read a Foxfire book. Just one. They are fascinating and charming and they really make you appreaciate things like medicine, central heat and air, cars, shoes, etc.
January 13, 2016
Foxfire 9: General stores, the Jud Nelson wagon, a praying rock, a Catawba Indian potter—and haint tales, quilting, home cures, and log cabins revisited (The Foxfire Series #9) by Eliot Wigginton (Editor), Foxfire Students (Anchor Press 1986) (917.58). More transcribed interviews by the students at Rabun County High School in Georgia with their rural elders (See The Foxfire Book). My rating: 7.5/10, finished 1986.
April 28, 2011
A Great Series on how on people use to do thing when they were mostly self sufficient, and not store dependent different volumes cover everything from snake handling. to log cabin building to planting by the seasons, a must for DIY'ers and survivalists. Check out amazon.com for individual contents.
February 26, 2008
Great stuff you never knew you wanted to know about Appalachia and Appalachian traditions! My first exposure to the Foxfire series was when I was laid up in bed and needed something light but informative to read. I tore through all nine editions in about a week.
July 9, 2014
A collection of oral history from the Appachalian Mountain region of the south. Discusses many old time skills.
November 1, 2011
Yet another great addition to the Foxfire collection.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews