When I was invited, there was just no question about it . . . I wanted to be here. I want to be here. We had a death in the family not long before I was to leave, but I still thought I should be here. It makes me really sad, of course, because this was an older couple.
Death is always a surprise.
This conference is all about remembrances, so it wasn't just that I had committed. I thought being here would make me feel a little better. I do a lot in remembrance. I was asked recently what makes me an Appalachian writer. My Appalachian roots come out because of my sense of independence.