Beginning in 1937, a new book had been tumbling around in Jesse Stuart’s head. It was a book about education—a hymn and personal testimony to the profession of teaching. In 1948, he finished the book, and it was published the following year. “The Thread That Runs So True,” a classic of educational philosophy and educational history, is treasured by teachers throughout the world. It is the autobiographical story of [...]

Unlike Harriette Arnow and Jesse Stuart, whose novels have appeared on best-seller lists, James Still (1906-2001) never won a popular national audience. He did, however, win many honors and was well praised by a small but select band of supporters until late in his life when, between 1990 and his death in 2001, the University Press of Kentucky published five of Still’s works, including “Sporty Creek” which had previously [...]

My friend Sam Piatt died on June 25 at the age of 88. He was a much-loved man and a much-respected journalist. Like thousands of others in northeastern Kentucky and surrounding areas, I enjoyed his weekly column in The Daily Independent, where he had worked as a full-time news reporter for 30 years. After he retired in 1998, he continued writing his outdoor column until his recent death. Sam’s [...]