J. D. Vance Is a Fake Hillbilly: Think Twice Before Calling (All) Coalfield Appalachians Racists, Sexists, and Ignoramuses

by Frank Kilgore

Discover the Point of View of a Real MountaineerFor far too many decades, the residents of the Appalachian Mountains have faced the ridicule, prejudice, and misunderstanding from those outside the region.

With this book, author Frank Kilgore, a lifetime resident of Virginia’s coalfield counties and descendant of generations of hard-working mountaineers, sheds light on the grit, tenacity, and multiculturalism found among the hills and “hollers” of this beautiful region.

Come see the Appalachian Mountains and those who call this wild and wonderful land home through the eyes of one who not only knows the land and her people, but who knows how to share the best of our mountain culture and calls out the worst of those who would disparage others for personal or political gain.


1. A Real Mountaineer’s Challenge to J.D. Vance
2. Think Twice Before Calling (All) Coalfield Appalachians Racists, Sexists, And Ignoramuses
3. We’re More Multi-Racial Than You May Think!
4. Women and Other Innovators
5. Education and Athletics
6. Appalachian Military Participation and Standouts
7. Coal Mining
8. West Virginia
9. Eastern Kentucky
10. Eastern Tennessee
11. The United Mine Workers of America
12. The History Channel Insults All Appalachians and Their Ancestors
Bonus Sections
Giving President Carter a Jar of Honey From Honey Branch
Unsolicited Advice From An OWG Regarding Current Issues of Interest
Parting Thoughts From a Real Mountaineer

About the Author
Frank Kilgore resides in Russell County, Virginia, and graduated from Clinch Valley College (now the University of Virginia’s College at Wise), where he designed and completed the nation’s first Appalachian Studies college major. He is the descendant of a dozen or so Patriots that fought at the Battle of King’s Mountain, and the son, grandson, nephew, and cousin of dozens of coal miners.

The author has been a country trial lawyer for nearly forty years, an Appalachian conservationist, historian, author, and he’s the proud founder of the Appalachian College of Pharmacy located in Buchanan County, Virginia.

Frank has also designed and helped build over seventy miles of hiking and biking trails in what is known as Far Southwest Virginia and mentored over a hundred at-risk young mountaineers along the way.

In addition to this book, Frank is the author of The Clinch A World-class Treasure, a science textbook highlighting the natural resources and conservation activities within the watershed. Soon thereafter he researched and edited The Virginia Headwaters of the Big Sandy A Story of Revitalization and Nature’s Resilience, a textbook focusing on a neighboring watershed. Both books were donated to high school students as part of a place-based science studies project within their watersheds.

Frank’s book Far Southwest A Postcard Journey, co-authored with Katharine Shearer, came out in 2004. An expanded and redesigned edition titled Far Southwest A Postcard and Photographic Journey, was published in 2014.

When he has time and takes a notion, Frank publishes a new edition of Mountain Peeks Magazine.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 23, 2022

Reviews

[Paul Dellinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Look at Old Cliches

The author takes on the Appalachian stereotypes perpetuated by J. D. Vance (and Bette Midler while he’s at it) in the early part of this highly-readable book. Most of the rest gives us a quick history of the region at odds with those stereotypes and tells us much many hadn’t known about the region and it’s people. You may never think of Appalachia in the same way. The reader is also likely to learn much about the history of coal mining, the pitfalls of strip mining, the ups and downs of unionization, and more. Kilgore is the real deal…he’s lived through a lot of these struggles and has shown a feisty response at times to the clueless politicians and bullies while contributing much to the betterment of his part of the region in law, education and other ways. A recommended read.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a breath of fresh air! I don’t care if you’re red or blue in your politics, this Appalachian man knows what has gone on in his hills in the past and what needs to be happening now and in the future. All Americans owe it to themselves to learn the history and story of Appalachia and how they can save us as a country. You might be surprised to know that they are better quality human beings than Mr. Vance and Ron Howard would have you believe.

[Susanna Walker Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite it's title, this isn't a book about exposing J.D. Vance (although he may learn something about Appalachian people and history if he read it). It's an insightful book discussing the amazing history, the culture and people of the area, which includes many states. Appalachian history is American history and has contributed to the Revolutionary and Civil War in big ways. It's also a very progressive and inclusive area, despite the negative inferences by media and books like Vance's that portray them unfairly. Excellent read..fast read. Author is very eloquent and a lawyer and resident, who represented many coalminers in the era of unionization and safety.

[Erin Colson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was not at all what I was expecting. Honestly I don’t know what I was expecting but this small little volume was so good. There is some really cool obscure (to many of us) history in this little 165 pages that should be read. And the author is such a normal human it’s almost an anomaly. I highly recommend this book. Quick read, lots of information and insight. Hell you might even want to move to Appalachia after reading this.

[MaryBeth Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and informative.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative, lots of great historical facts about Central Appalachia. Author Frank Kilgore is a gem! I was sorry to hear he passed away recently.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

J.D. Vance is a Fake Hillbilly: Think Twice Before Calling (All) Coalfield Appalachians Racists, Sexists, and Ignoramuses by Frank Kilgore (Fake Hillbilly Publishing 2022) (~817) (3986).

I call big-time bullshit on this little volume, but not because I disagree in any way with author Frank Kilgore’s criticism of the despicably loathsome toad James David Vance. Instead, I call bullshit on the author’s 165 page screed.

I was extremely impressed (and very surprised) with Kilgore’s ability to communicate in writing. His vocabulary, his pacing, his syntax, and his grammar jumped off the page. I wish that I could write as well as Kilgore.

But this book elicited at best a tepid “meh” from this reader for one overriding reason: Rather than a cogent, objective, well-constructed, and well-deserved critical response to some portion of JD Vance’s whiny “woe is we” political perspective, my impression is that Frank Kilgore felt morally obligated to pen this response to Vance’s positions one paragraph at a time - every time Kilgore read some outrageously absurd internet post reporting on Vance’s latest example of inanity or insanity and felt obliged to respond.

I have no more interest in reading Kilgore’s screeds (even though I might agree wholeheartedly) than I do in reading Vance’s.

Vance needs to shut up and go away. Kilgore needs to shut up and go away, but not until after Kilgore helps assure that Vance and his cronies will see their fantasies crumble to dust in November 2024.

Keep your hand in your own pants, JD Vance.

My rating: 7/10, finished 9/1/24 (3986).

[Marcy Novak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected from the title. I thought it would be more of an examination and debunking of the things that Vance wrote in his book, but there was very little about Vance at all. About 95% of this was a seemingly well-written, interesting look at the history of the Appalachian coal fields. It felt like a pretty long term project, and as an historical book I found it well done. But then there were the very occasional paragraphs that mentioned Vance, and basically ranted about him being an idiot. Would have been better just leaving him out of it, but I think it was used to get the attention- grabbing title. The most unfortunate part, probably the last 5%, was the continuing whining about "Wokeness". Most of it reads straight out of the MAGA handbook as last minute additions, but in the more thought-out parts of the book the author actually comes across as being woke (but the non-MAGA version that encourages empathy, fairness, inclusion, and diversity). Just a few minutes of learning the actual meaning would have kept the book on track, and earned it a 4.5-5 star rating from me.

[Cinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you find JD Vance's perspective on Appalachia infuriating? Superficial and condescending? Wearisome, dismissive, and ignorant, even? Does it seem that the folks most unhappy with Mr Vance's morality tale are Appalachians themselves?

Frank Kilgore agrees, and he is here to tell you why. You may not agree with everything Mr Kilgore says, but there is no doubt that this is written by a person whose knowledge of Appalachia, its diverse people, and its history is earned on the ground. Kilgore's love for his birthplace shines from every page.

[Ronda Charping]

Mr. Kilgore was a respected member of a mountain community that I’m familiar with. He read J. D. Vance’ book with the same distain that I did. Vance did not grow up in the mountains that he falsely wrote about, but did grow up in Ohio, a child of drug addicted mother. His grandparents provided some stability in a dysfunctional home, but their home was far from stable. Vance has received lots of blowback from REAL people who grew up in the mountains.
Mr. Kilgore gives some real world information on the coal mining mountains and the people you will find there.

[Jacob Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick easy read and some interesting history on Appalachia. Author has beef with JD Vance.