February is Black History Month, and the Jesse Stuart Foundation recognizes the contributions of generations of African Americans with my review of “Hidden Heroism” by Robert Edgerton. This book investigates the history of African-American participation in American wars, from the French and Indian Wars [...]
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air. At twenty-two, Fort had escaped Nashville’s debutante scene for a fresh start as a flight instructor in Hawaii. She and her students were in the middle of [...]
Gwyn Hyman Rubio’s novel revolves around Icy Sparks, a young girl growing up in the hills of eastern Kentucky during the 1950’s. Icy Sparks is an unforgettable heroine in the tradition of Scout in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The author lives in Kentucky and [...]
New year’s resolutions reflect personal values. Many resolutions relate to our physical being: we resolve to lose weight or start an exercise program. Some resolutions relate to strengthening our spiritual lives, but it seems to me that people should also resolve to improve their minds.In [...]
Well into his sixties and with a history of heart problems, Jesse Stuart continued to write and publish at an incredible pace. He also continued to teach and directed seven creative writing workshops at Murray State University from 1969 to 1977. The University established [...]
“True Christmas Stories From the Heart of Appalachia,” is a book that captures the spirit of Christmas in 43 stories by 39 authors. Thirty-five of the stories are from Kentucky and the others are from neighboring states. This book was sponsored by JSF Board [...]
After five years of intense research and thoughtful writing, Jesse Stuart Foundation Board Member Edwina Pendarvis has published “Another World: Ballet Lessons from Appalachia.” This boundary-crossing book views ballet through the eyes of twenty-four Appalachian women — most from the Tri-State area — who [...]
For more than four decades, the Jesse Stuart Foundation has been preserving the human and literary legacy of one of America’s most popular and influential writers. We have published more than 155 books, keeping Stuart’s books in print while also advancing the works of [...]
The Jesse Stuart Foundation has recently reprinted an attractive soft cover edition of “The Best-Loved Short Stories of Jesse Stuart,” a collection of 34 stories with an introduction by Robert Penn Warren. First published in 1982, this was the last Stuart book during the [...]
The late Poet Laureate of Kentucky, Jesse Hilton Stuart, published 2,000 poems, 460 short stories, and more than 60 books. He was one of Appalachia’s best known and most anthologized authors, and his works have been translated into many foreign languages. In 1976, eight [...]
