Appalachian Gateway: An Anthology of Contemporary Stories and Poetry
Featuring the work of twenty-five fiction writers and poets, this  anthology is a captivating introduction to the finest of contemporary  Appalachian literature. Here are short stories and poems by some of the  region’s most dynamic and best-loved authors: Barbara Kingsolver, Ron  Rash, Nikki Giovanni, Robert Morgan, Lisa Alther, and Lee Smith among  others. In addition to compelling selections from each writer’s work,  the book includes illuminating biographical sketches and bibliographies  for each author.These works encompass a variety of themes that,  collectively, capture the essence of Appalachia: love of the land,  family ties, and the struggle to blend progress with heritage.  Readers  will enjoy this book not just for the innate value of good literature  but also for the insights it provides into this fascinating area. This  book of fiction is an enlightening companion to non-fiction overviews of  the region, including theEncyclopedia of AppalachiaandA Handbook to Appalachia: An Introduction to the Region,  both published by the University of Tennessee Press in 2006. In fact  the five sections of this book are the same as those of the  Encyclopedia.Educators and students will find this book  especially appropriate for courses in creative writing, Appalachian  studies and Appalachian literature. Editor George Brosi’s foreword  presents an historical overview of Appalachian Literature, while Kate  Egerton and Morgan Cottrell’s afterword offers a helpful guide for  studying Appalachian literature in a classroom setting.George Brosi is the editor ofAppalachian Heritage, a  literary quarterly, and, along with his wife, Connie, runs a retail book  business specializing in books from and about the Appalachian region.  He has taught creative writing, Appalachian studies and Appalachian  literature.Kate Egerton is an associate professor of English at  Berea College. She has taught Appalachian literature and published  scholarship in that field as well as in modern drama.Samantha Cole majored in Appalachian Studies and worked forAppalachian Heritagewhile a student at Berea College. Morgan Cottrell is a West Virginia  native who took Kate Egerton's Appalachian literature class at Berea  College.