Unique People, Unusual Events, and the Occasional Ghost

West Virginia Histories #1

by Gerald D. Swick

“Historical human interest stories.”That’s how a reader described Gerald D. Swick’s column of West Virginia history, “Once, Long Ago,” which appeared each Sunday in the Clarksburg Exponent Telegram for over 16 years. His unique combination of historical research, skillful narrative, a bit of editorializing, a handful of humor, and a pinch of snark led one fan to tell him, “When I read your column I feel like you are sitting in my living room telling me a story.” The columns received a Press Association Lifestyles Writing award for excellence in journalism and contributed to the West Virginia Humanities Council awarding Gerald a Literary Fellowship in Nonfiction Writing. The West Virginia Histories series collects the best of those columns, divided into categories such as Animals, Crime, Civil War, Education, etc. Volume 1 presents samples from each category that will be featured in future volumes. The stories come not just from large communities like Bluefield, Charleston, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Huntington, Morgantown, Wheeling and so on, but from Spencer, Volcano, Wellsburg and other small towns. Gerald decided from the beginning that the columns would be about more than just “dead white guys,” and stories of the state’s women and its diverse ethnic groups get their due. Occasionally, especially at Halloween, he set aside the history books to examine Appalachian folklore, from cures for warts to tales of a headless ghost. Additionally, the 100 stories presented in Volume 1 include some never-before-published articles. If you like a little humor with your history, some fun while learning facts, then open these pages and invite Gerald Swick into your living room to tell you some stories.

354 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 2017

About the author

Thanks for stopping by my page. Although I've had some short fiction published in anthologies and literary magazines, I'm primarily a writer of creative nonfiction – narrative historical nonfiction, to be more exact. My West Virginia Histories series collects a newspaper column I wrote for over 16 years that appeared in my hometown newspaper and explored everything from what is called the "first land battle of the Civil War" to what is believed to be the first cesarean section performed in North America.

For 10 years I competed in (and sometimes won, thank you for asking) the O. Henry Pun-Off in Austin, Texas, so it isn't surprising that puns and other wordplay often slip into what I write. I blame my junior year in college, when I O.D.'d on George Carlin and Groucho Marx.

Reviews

[Steph Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories about West Virginia history told in short story with sources cited for further study. Gerald D Swick is a true wordsmith. His stories give a look at the subject on a wider stage. Its not just for West Virginians, but anyone who is interested in history and politics, humor and pain. Teachers would find it a great reference source and the short story length could get everyone reading.