On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

I'd strongly recommend Ron Rash's work to any of you who haven't had the joy of reading him. My personal favorite is his first novel, One Foot in Eden. Rash is from the borderlands of western North and up country South Carolina, and his work is set there. He's poet as well as a fiction writer, and his poetry often echoes his fiction (or, more likely, vice versa). As you might expect, his prose style is lyrical and eloquent, and his themes are universal. When I taught One Foot in Eden, students who hadn't managed to finish most of the rest of the reading found themselves unable to put it down, and, in the short papers that they were required to write for each novel, almost to a person, they did their best work on this book.

Give One Foot in Eden a try--you won't regret it!

Just found out Ron Rash is coming out with a new book of short stories on Feb 19th. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15...

I had the chance to meet him last year at th SC book fest, and he is so nice and cool. Got him to sign all my books, we spent about 20 min talking about our fav books, really nice guy. So exited for this new book!!!!

Noticed that you're about to group read Serena by Ron Rash. I read this a long while ago and found it to be an interesting read. Hope you all enjoy it.

I am reading "Serena" now, and can't recommend it highly enough. I've never read Ron Rash before, but he's high on my list now.

I've never read anything else by the author despite enjoying my first foray... must seek out other reads sometimes soon.

Here is a reviewer who says she know whereof she speaks and who thinks that Ron Rash pushes the envelope too far in changing facts and misrepresenting dialects.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

See especially the comments where she and I have a bit of a dialog. I am not quite sure what I think about inaccuracy in "fiction" but it does reflect somehow on Rash's reputation, don't you think?

Maybe I would feel differently if I was from this place but I like Rash as an author and read his books because I find that they are enjoyable reads. I don't necessarily care if everything isn't exactly how it is in real life. It is fiction as you noted so I don't get too offended if the "facts" are a little off. I choose books over tv and movies because I like that as my entertainment.

I am not from the South so if the details are not accurate in Ron Rash's books I am otherwise clueless. I wouldn't know which direction the river runs unless I Google it which is unlikely.

But she definitely has a point. There is a popular thriller set in Chicago and the main summary blurb states the character lives in a waterfront condo. Well in Chicago nobody would call it a WATERFRONT condo rather it is a LAKEFRONT condo. This really bugged me and I thought the author should have done better research.

So basically Larry I agree with you. If you are familiar with a certain locale and an author makes these mistakes I does affect my reading experience

Only add in I would have is that certainly Rash knows the idiosyncratic tidbits of the areas covered by his books. If he "missed" them I'm positive it was done on purpose. He's as steeped in this area as anyone could be. To listen to him talk for 5 minutes is to listen to the common man from that area; in no way an "academic" from the standpoint that this guy does life in and around that area. He's a true local and would seem more comfortable pitchin horse shoes and drinkin a Cheerwine than giving a lecture to a group of literary types. Look for a short piece in Garden and Gun detailing his teenage summers and it's clear he's legit. So the question becomes why he got it wrong if he did so it wasn't accidental? Also, as to the original reviewers commentary about Rash being reluctant to sign a book all I can say is that in the times I've seem him at book events he's anything but pretentious: he has ALWAYS been the most approachable, most engaging author I've encountered. As interested having a conversation with me as I was with him. Perhaps if the original reviewer attacked his approach or let her "you're not my favorite" show through that reaction could have occurred but it would be opposite the reaction I have witnessed personally.

Thanks to the both of you for such prompt and interesting replies. Sometimes using these "old" threads because it is the same topic doesn't work but there are so many nooks and crannies to this site that it seems like aggregating is one way to go. The dialect issue is what got me going on this, not which way the river flows. I mean one of the things about regional literature is to get that sort of thing pinned down a little bit, I thought. I just bought Ron's book of short stories from last year so I have certainly not dumped him, Laura.

All great comments!

Hi folks
I'm new to the group and this is my first post. It's been an interesting conversation . First let me say that I'm not a Southerner, but LOVE Southern authors and writing . The only Rash book I've read is One Foot in Eden and I absolutely loved it ! Beautiful writing !
I've never met an author ,and have no clue what way the river flows in a certain place , nor do I really care . If it's Fiction, then I think fiction writers have a license to take liberties with settings ,etc a bit. It's not meant to be a strictly nonfiction book where all the facts need to match up perfectly .
I guess everyone has the right to choose what authors and books they enjoy ,so it doesn't bother me if I like a book that someone else dislikes . It'd be a boring world if we all liked Vanilla ice cream. We need lots of flavors ( in ice cream AND books ) :)

Very well said JL. I really liked One Foot in Eden too!

Hi all, I wanted to put my two cents in on this.

I've met Mr. Rash many times and he has always been as nice as you could ask for. We usually end up talking about William Gay or Cormac McCarthy. He has been happy to sign any book that I've ever put in front of him, no matter if there were hundreds of people behind me or if we were the only ones in the room.

As for which way the river runs, I feel the same as Josh and Laura said above: It's fiction. There is no Yoknapatawpha County just the same as there is no Captain Kirk. The point of fiction is to tell a story that is true in your heart and mind, if it be real or imagined.

I'm sorry that the original reviewer did not like The Cove. I thought it was an amazing southern work of fiction, just as the rest of Ron Rash's work is.

Another plug for Rash, I personally think Serena's mid-three star rating is under rated on Goodreads. Really I think all his novels are rated too low, in my opinion.

Since all of a sudden we have a flash mob here, let me put this out: The Cove is, I think, considered historical fiction. I am far from an expert but it seems like that genre often has some connection with some facts as a requirement. Am I equivocating enough? Our errant reviewer thought Rash strayed too far, too often. Most of us agree that we are probably less demanding in our factual requirements than the reviewer. But she seemed especially firm in her determination that Rash got the regional dialect wrong and she and I talked about that in the comment section of her review so we can all read and reread her defense of her position. Not including dialect is one thing but presenting a dialect incorrectly in a book like this seems strange. As Josh suggests, maybe he got it wrong on purpose. But why? Since everyone seems to have talked with this guy Rash, maybe one of you could just ask him the next time you see him and report back? Maybe I will just direct our reviewer to this exchange and see if she wants to add something. How about that?

Ron Rash will be attending the South Carolina book festival in just under a month. I will be attending and will be happy to ask him. Give me the specific question(s)?? to be asked and I will do it.

Jason

Larry wrote: "Since all of a sudden we have a flash mob here, let me put this out: The Cove is, I think, considered historical fiction. I am far from an expert but it seems like that genre often has some connect..."

Larry, I hardly think we have a flash mob here. You threw out a point for discussion and several members responded expressing their enjoyment of Rash's work. I read the review in question and found it, shall we say, nitpicking. Rather than rest your discussion on one review, it might be more positive to read additional reviews. This is a public group. All members are entitled to invite whomever they wish to join the group.

But it seems to me you're putting all your eggs in one basket. As to the subject reviewer saying she heard no such dialect in present day Mars Hill, NC, I believe this novel is set in 1917. I imagine that dialects are not as distinct in the present day in many states. I imagine more kids attend school these days with a core curriculum not containing dialect used some ninety years ago.

Regarding your reference to historical fiction, is this historical fiction in the same sense as novels dealing with specific historical events? I don't think so.

This novel has an average rating of 3.63 rating with 4,810 ratings and 854 reviews. 17% rated it five stars. 41% rated it four stars. 31% rated it three stars. 8% rated it two stars. 2% rated it one star. In short 90% of all readers who rated this novel liked it.

So this discussion is based on a very narrow sample, wouldn't you say? Or are all those folks who liked it "pure dee ole idjits?" I can't form that opinion on one review. That's a good way to miss out on a fine read.

Mike

Wow! I really stirred up a hornet's nest, didn't I. First of all, let me say Hello. I'm from Mars Hill, NC and the "original reviewer" talked about above. I have never met Ron Rash, but I'm sure he's a very nice person. I know he's very busy at the moment and probably just dashed off an answer to my email that I misinterpreted. I apologize to him if he reads this.

I just reread my review and it was pretty harsh. I wished he had fleshed out his characters more, especially Laurel. (By the way, there is an area of this county that is called Shelton Laurel).

About the dialogue. There are lots of differences in dialogue here, even in places that are not that far apart. Ron grew up in Boiling Springs which is between Asheville and Charlotte and now lives in Cullowhee which is west of here. The people he describes in his novel are the ones that live in the coves and hollers of these mountains in this one tiny part of Appalachia. Their heritage is Scotch-Irish and you can hear some of that in their speech. Sometimes their dialect is so different from my own that we can barely understand each other. I think getting dialect correct in writing must be very difficult. Although there are numerous authors who have written about people from this area, the only one that I've read that truly gets the dialect correct is Sheila Adams in her book My Own True Love. She's lived in these mountains all her life and that's probably what it takes to get it down precisely.

The reason I pointed this out was that it was so distracting to ME when I read the book which is probably why I didn't care for it. It certainly is nitpicking and shouldn't affect anyone else's enjoyment of the book; perhaps I shouldn't have pointed it out. There are numerous novels written about this part of Appalachia and I always find the descriptions distracting as I try to figure out where they are and if it's factual.

This was a book club pick but I would have read it anyway as I've enjoyed his other novels.


So, please read and enjoy. I honestly don't think you're "pure dee ole idjits". This has been a fascinating discussion, but Larry, you really got me in trouble!

I love southern novels and read every one I can put my hands on. I hope you'll let me add my comments to your group in the future.

Bobbi, You're welcome to add your comments any time. This is a site dedicated to Southern literature. As you do, I also love the art of Southern story telling. It is the reason I founded the group and continue to moderate it today.

Yep. You got put on the hot seat. And, yep. I'm the fellow who called your review nitpicking. I've had similar experiences being distracted by works set in and around my home state. However, I've tried to concentrate on the author's writing keeping in mind that the work is a work of fiction.

As a point of interest, did you know your review was going to be spotlighted in a group discussion? Or did you become aware of it after the fact? *grin* It's an interesting experience to find you've become an overnight sensation if you weren't expecting it.

So pull up a chair on the porch and sit a spell. Folks don't always agree on everything around here. But the water's never too hot around here unless somebody sets the kettle on the stove to boil.

Mike

Welcome Bobbi! I think you may have found a very passionate group of people even if it was by accident on your part.

Hi Mike and Laura - No, I had no idea that Larry was going to "out" me. But I'm so happy that I found you - or maybe I should say that you found me!

I live in a fascinating place which I absolutely love. As I think about that book again, I'm sure I was a little defensive about someone writing "unkind" things about us - although certainly we can be unkind to each other at times. "I can say bad things about my son, but you'd better not". When I reread my review, I certainly see anger there. Interesting how our love of place can be so strong.

If I owe any apologies, I offer them sincerely. Especially to Bobbi who has been brave to step foot in the door.

Mike, I believe you have misinterpreted my use of the phrase "flash mob." I did not mean to inject the idea of a mob in the usual sense. Bad choice of words. Sorry.

I definitely put many of my eggs in the same basket and respect your right to call me on that fact. But I am still stuck on the dialect issue since when I read a book with dialect, I think I have a right to expect some accuracy in that dialect. Based on what Bobbi said in her review and following comments, I was confused about whether I got that in this case and was trying to plumb the depths of that question by asking for the help of others. Amazingly enough, even with the addition of Mike's useful observations, I still feel unable to come to a final conclusion. If Ron Rash sees the smoke, maybe he will stop by this fire!

I have no basis of personally judging the NiceGuyness of Ron Rash. He does sound like a delight as others have described their experience with him. I am enjoying his books as I think my reviews have indicated.

I do hope the participants in this conversation have gotten something positive from it. I don't mind being in the minority and regret that the term "idjits" has entered the fray.

Larry wrote: "If I owe any apologies, I offer them sincerely. Especially to Bobbi who has been brave to step foot in the door.

Mike, I believe you have misinterpreted my use of the phrase "flash mob." I did no..."

Larry, isn't it about time to stick a fork in this discussion and call it done? And if you have a problem with anything I've said, for which I have no regret, consider e-mailing me privately and we can discuss the matter.

Mike

Bobbi wrote: "Hi Mike and Laura - No, I had no idea that Larry was going to "out" me. But I'm so happy that I found you - or maybe I should say that you found me!

I live in a fascinating place which I absolu..."

Welcome to our world! We are glad to have you on board however you got here. I am originally from NC myself, so it's always good to have another tarheel in the group. We don't always agree, but polite dissension can be interesting and informative at times.

Thanks, Diane. I must admit that I've been a little intimidated with all this coming at once. For me, Goodreads was a little group of 6 of us who read about the same things and commented back and forth. As I said, I'm glad I'm here and hope to take part in further discussions.

Another Tarheel! That's great as long as you're a Duke fan.

Oh Bobbi, you might have just started a cat fight in reference to Duke!

That's what I figured. Then I should have written Dook instead of Duke. We are few in number but mighty in spirit! (Even though we lost in the first round) Better continue this in private. LOL

Well my blood runs orange! You and diane can proceed in duke vs NC talk.

OK, we'll stick to books and leave college basketball out of it. Til next season.......

anne wrote: "Hi folks
I'm new to the group and this is my first post. It's been an interesting conversation . First let me say that I'm not a Southerner, but LOVE Southern authors and writing . The only Rash b..."

Anne, in the midst of this thread, I failed to welcome you to the group! So, welcome! And a good first comment it was.

Mike

For those of you who've read Ron Rash's works, is there a common thread you would ask him about? I'm hosting a book club scavenger hunt at my home in a few weeks based on his novle, "Serena." Mr. Rash has graciously accepted my invitation to "throw out the first pitch" and open the scavenger hunt with a short chat & the reading of their first clue.

In his first three books, I see commonality with the themes of parenthood, environmental loss, and the fact that the sheriff always wears a white hat and silver star.

What would you ask him about his collective works if you had the chance? Thank you!

I would like to know what role if any Steinbeck may have played a role in his writing. Ex) Kate/cathy in East if Eden vs Serena ex) title East of Eden vs One Foot in Eden ex) biological father not the father who claims child and raises them in East of Eden vs One Foot in Eden. Seems like there could be a connection but I could be grasping at straws.

I am sure he is tired of people asking him when the movie (Serena) is going to appear! He seems to have totally lost (or given up) control over his "baby" and must have some misgivings or maybe even agony about that experience! (Or is he just glad that the check cleared and he got his money?)

I'm going to vote on "he's just glad the check cleared". He's a writer not a movie producer. But this time last year he was saying Spring 2014. You know it's got to be frustrating. But he did say last year he was not involved at all in the movie process.

I read an interview with him and they asked him about Serena and the movie. He said he gave up all control for the money, and was able to pay off his mortgage with it. He has a paid for home, so he didn't care what they did.

@Laura, I wondered about East of Eden too, when I first read the book years ago but had forgotten. Thanks for bringing it up. Ive only read three of his books (plus the beginning of The Cove), and he brings in deep seated family issues in all of them.

In "Serena" we see that while Kephart left his wife and children, Galloway dotes on his mother. Rachel's mother abandoned her, but her alcoholic father did his best. Pemberton's father died "from his liver," and one can only imagine what Serena's father did to her to foster nightmares and her sociopathic tendencies. I think she was born faulty, but her upbringing certainly had to play a role.

@ Larry, Laura, and Diane - I'm glad you brought up the film rights...we will tread gently around the issue.

I'll be sending him a Louisiana care package the week before our author chat and scavenger hunt and will include our clue book, crossword puzzle, some black licorice, New Orleans coffee, and a nice bottle of vino. Any recommendations?

Any other items to ask him about? I will certainly share here! Thank you again!

This sounds like a lot of fun. My book club had a live phone chat a few years ago with Donna Woolfolk Cross, author of "Pope Joan.". She was just delightful and talked with us for over an hour. I hope yours is great, you are certainly putting a lot of effort into it.

Thanks, Diane. So glad your group got to do that! Did you tell your members ahead of time or surprise them? I'm springing it on my crew, so that's why I'm gathering other folks' perspective on what to ask him. I can actually type these up and pass them around if the ladies are too dumbfounded to come up with ideal topics. His time will be limited, so we need to be prepared.

We've got 16 in our group, and I pair up with another gal to do scavenger hunts & host overnights. It is a lot of work, but it happens only once in eight months. The plotting and planning is a hoot! I just finished digging through my hub's sock drawer, looking for lonely singles. Poor Ron Rash - he is getting one of my husband's old socks filled with marbles in his care package. Ha - what better way to thank him for his time?

One of the more interesting parts of Rash is his use of and connection to water. I've heard him answer his draw to it and how he uses it before. I'd certainly ask him about it as his response will be a great "book clubish" discussion. Especially evident in some of his short story themes. I think his boyhood days of trout fishing (look up his Garden & Gun short contribution from a few years back) had to contribute in some way.

Josh, thank you for the water suggestion! Ive made

(Hate this premature SEND thang...)
Ive made him a care package with the clue book for our scavenger hunt, some New Orleans coffee & Zulu coconuts, etc.

His name is actually one of the "fill in the blank" answers for a section called Dead Fish Ditch. I wrote a poem about dead brook trout! PERFECT :)

Thanks again!

Karen wrote: "I'd strongly recommend Ron Rash's work to any of you who haven't had the joy of reading him. My personal favorite is his first novel, One Foot in Eden. Rash is from the borderlands of western North..."
Karen, I agree with you 100%. I have read all of Rash's novels except Above the Waterfall. The first one I read was One Foot in Eden and I was hooked. Quick story: A couple of months ago I wrote Mr Rash to simply express my appreciation for his work. Never done anything like that before. Anyway, he was nice enough to respond with a short handwritten note. We both are about the same age and had childhood experiences up in the Boone, NC (Tweetsie RR). He spent summers on his grandparents farm and used to hear the Tweetsie train whistle. I think he's a class act.

My Dad grew up in Boone, I have a lot of memories from there too. Ron Rash gets the speech patterns just exactly right. I can be sensitive to that, but his people always ring true.

Back in the summer of 60 or 61 my Dad attended Appalachian St Teacher's College for about 6-8 weeks. I was a young boy but I recall the experience quite well. The college had us in a country house in Sugar Grove outside Boone. A farm family was next door with an old work horse we could ride. The most friendly people you could hope to meet. Ron Rash apparently summered with his grandparents near Boone when he was a boy and he remembers those days fondly. We currently have a family place (our "stone cabin") in Blk Mt., NC. Love going there and we will be there next month. Today I received Rash's Above the Waterfall in the mail.

A little Ron Rash trivia: Wm Faulkner was born on 25 Sept 1897. Mr Rash made his appearance exactly 56 yrs later. Also, I read somewhere that Rash was greatly influenced by Walker Percy and that The Moviegoer is one of his all-time favorite novels. The book that influenced him most as a youngster was Crime & Punishment.

B. R. wrote: "A little Ron Rash trivia: Wm Faulkner was born on 25 Sept 1897. Mr Rash made his appearance exactly 56 yrs later. Also, I read somewhere that Rash was greatly influenced by Walker Percy and that Th..."

Very cool about his birthday, BR! And yes - Rash did his dissertation on the works of Percy. There is a scene in Serena that is a bit of an homage to The Moviegoer.

I embarrassed myself in finding this out. We were doing an author chat by phone at my house when I mentioned to Ron that, so weird, I had recently read The Movie Goer and in the early portion of the book, the main character goes into a lovely Garden District home and admires one very, very expensive table. The table was made of one single slab of wood, and the character slides his hand over it as if he were running it over an expensive pelt.

In Serena, of course, the first thing the title character does at the timber camp is to RUN HER HAND OVER a table made of one slab of wood. My question to Ron was, during the 1920s and 30s, was that type table a sign of great affluence?

Duh. He put that in as a tip of his hat to Walker Percy. I had no idea what Ron had studied to earn his PhD, but you can bet I do now. He is SUCH a kind and funny man...we had a great time.

LeAnne wrote: "B. R. wrote: "A little Ron Rash trivia: Wm Faulkner was born on 25 Sept 1897. Mr Rash made his appearance exactly 56 yrs later. Also, I read somewhere that Rash was greatly influenced by Walker Per..."

I hear nothing but raves about Mr Rash being a very decent human being. I'd love to go trout fishing with him on the French Broad.