The Ron Rash Reader by Randall Wilhelm (Editor) (30-Aug-2014) Paperback

by Ron Rash, Randall Wilhelm (Editor)

Over the last three decades, Ron Rash has emerged as one of the quintessential American writers of his generation. He has steadily gained critical and commercial recognition from his native Carolinas to an increasingly international audience. With four volumes of poetry, four short story collections, and five novels as evidence of his multifaceted talent, Rash has amassed an impressive list of accolades, including the O. Henry Prize, the Frank O�Connor International Short Story Award, the Sherwood Anderson Prize, the James Still Award of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, the Weatherford Award for best novel, and the Fiction Book of the Year Award from the Southern Book Critics Circle.The Ron Rash Reader is a collection of essential works that covers the full range of Rash�s career to date, from his first published collection of stories, The Night the New Jesus Fell to Earth and Other Stories from Cliffside, North Carolina (1994), to Nothing Gold Can Stories (2012) and includes previously unpublished material as well. Edited by Randall Wilhelm, this collection of more than sixty of Rash�s writings demonstrates his remarkable breadth and vitality across genres�from short stories and verse to novel excerpts and nonfiction�comprising a best-of volume for new readers and established aficionados alike.Arranged chronologically and by genre, the collection highlights the evolution of Rash�s craftsmanship and of his major themes within each genre, revealing the rich tapestry of expanding interests transcending genres. Wilhelm�s introduction offers a biographical and critical guide to Rash�s work as well as insightful discussion of the writer�s most crucial themes and techniques, including his use of traditional and nontraditional poetic and literary forms; of different narrative strategies, story forms, and character voices; and of landscape and historic settings. Readers can see for themselves in one volume how Rash continuously returns to his deepest concerns for greater and greater effect, concerns that begin with his early poetry and stories and persist into his most recent works.

Genres: Southern, Short Stories, Fiction

Paperback

First published August 18, 2014

About the author

Ron Rash is the author of the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Finalist and New York Times bestselling novel, Serena, in addition to three other prizewinning novels, One Foot in Eden, Saints at the River, and The World Made Straight; three collections of poems; and four collections of stories, among them Burning Bright, which won the 2010 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, and Chemistry and Other Stories, which was a finalist for the 2007 PEN/Faulkner Award. Twice the recipient of the O.Henry Prize, he teaches at Western Carolina University.

Reviews

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodreads First Reads Review - Free book from The University of South Carolina Press

This book is meant to be read slowly and savored. What a great collection of short stories, poems, novel excerpts and non-fiction writings Randall Wilhelm has put together of Ron Rash's work. With humor in The Night the New Jesus Fell to Earth to the beauty of the poem Invocation this collection does not disappoint. I've become a big fan of Ron Rash's writing in the past couple of years. His ability to weave humor, beauty and darkness in his writings is masterful. If you like Southern Fiction and poetry and you have not read any of Rash's work, you are missing out on one of the greatest writers of our time.

I give very few five star ratings. I believe five star ratings are reserved for books I consider classic reads that should be read for many generations to come. This collection hit the mark. Thank you University of South Carolina Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Jason Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The poetry was very good, the short stories were mostly good, the essays were sturdy, but I didn't care for two of the novel excerpts, hence the half-point penalty from being a 4 star read. Overall, a decent anthology.

[Joanie Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Ron Rash recently at the library in Greenville, South Carolina. Having told him I was a "Ron Rash Virgin", I handed him my new copy of "The Ron Rash Reader". I thought this would give me a good sampling, which would determine my likelihood to buy his books. I don't usually buy books until after I've read them from the library; then, if I decide I can't live without it, I buy it. So I began to read. This guy's my age, he grew up much as we did in White Pine, Tennessee. As I read his work I am in awe...amazed and astounded by his ability. I've read thousands of books by an array of authors, but never before have I been so moved by one paragraph as I am by the third paragraph of the prologue of "Saints at the River". This man has the magic.