Our Southern Highlanders

[cowtime]

I love this book. But then it's about my "mountain people" here in the Appalachians.

Written by Horace Kephart in the 19teens, it is a true portrait of how my folks lived then. It also explains a lot about why we are like we are today, and how the still to this day, stereotypical, "hillbilly" came about and how it is all wrong.

This book made me even prouder to be from where I am from, to have descended from these folks and to continue on this heritage.( I particularly enjoy the fact that we still use many of the same types of speech listed in the book, still have the same independence and toughness of these folks)

Here's practically the whole thing -
http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe ... oshtoc.htm

[Walden]

I can relate to this bit. To me, I always wanted to write with proper spellings, because to do otherwise would be like admitting local pronunciations are sub-par, which I do not think. OTOH, you want to get across the color of it.

ONE day I handed a volume of John Fox's stories to a neighbor and asked him to read it, being curious to learn how those vivid pictures of mountain life would impress one who was born and bred in the same atmosphere. He scanned a few lines of the dialogue, then suddenly stared at me in amazement.

" What's the matter with it? " I asked, wondering what he could have found to startle him at the very beginning of a story.

" Why, that feller don't know hoes to spell!"

Gravely I explained that dialect must be spelled as it is pronounced, so far as possible, or the life and savor of it would be lost. But it was of no use. My friend was outraged. " That tale-teller then is jest makin' fun of the mountain people by misspellin' our talk. You educated folks don't spell your own words the way you say them."

A most palpable hit; and it gave me a new point of view.

To the mountaineers themselves their speech is natural and proper, of course, and when they see it bared to the spotlight, all eyes drawn toward it by an orthography that is as odd to them as it is to us, they are stirred to wrath, just as we would be if our conversation were reported by some Josh Billings or Artemas Ward.

The curse of dialect writing is elision. Still, no one can write it without using the apostrophe more than he likes to; for our highland speech is excessively clipped. " I'm comin' d'reck'ly " has a quaintness that should not be lost. We cannot visualize the shambling but eager mountaineer with a sample of ore in his hand unless the writer reports him faithfully: "Wisht you'd 'zamine this rock fer me-I heern tell you was one o' them 'sperts."

[Lambchop]

Oh, wow! Wonderful reading!

[rebelpiper]

also read the cracker culture, celtic ways in the old south, by grady mcwhiney

a very good read!

[Lambchop]

also read the cracker culture, celtic ways in the old south, by grady mcwhiney

a very good read!

Where? Website? Book?

[Flyingcursor]

Great reading so far.

I've always had a fascination with the culture of the mountains Ever since I was a wee lad and our family made a couple trips to the Huntington WV area to visit an aunt who'd married a coal miner from there. I'm sure the image I've developed, in spite of trying, is still flawed but there's no doubt that my love of bluegrass music and Old Time fiddle tunes exists because of the strong associations between it and my childhood impressions.

I'm sure "The Waltons" gave the general population a different viewpoint about the people of the mountains but was it accurate?

[Flyingcursor]

For those that are interested:

A CD Written especially to accompany Kephart's book

http://www.elephantrock.com/waysThatAreDark/hk.asp

Plus I just found out Kephart was instrumental in founding the Smokey Mountain Natl Park. Probably as a reaction to the lumber companies.

[Jack]

Great reading so far.

I've always had a fascination with the culture of the mountains Ever since I was a wee lad and our family made a couple trips to the Huntington WV area to visit an aunt who'd married a coal miner from there. I'm sure the image I've developed, in spite of trying, is still flawed but there's no doubt that my love of bluegrass music and Old Time fiddle tunes exists because of the strong associations between it and my childhood impressions.

I'm sure "The Waltons" gave the general population a different viewpoint about the people of the mountains but was it accurate?

Huntington is "the city" (which is strange, considering how Charleston has more people, but I've always felt more "at home", rural or whatever in Charleston) and have only heard Huntington referred to as "the city".

If you think Huntington is typical of "hillfolk" life, you should really go further south, into Mingo and Logan counties. I live down here in "Hatfield and McCoy Country". That's what the city dwellers call it anyway. It kinda seems a derogatory name, though, they way they use it.

[rebelpiper]

also read the cracker culture, celtic ways in the old south, by grady mcwhiney

a very good read!

Where? Website? Book?

peggy, its a book i bought at a highland games. amazon.com has it.

[anniemcu]

I can relate to this bit. To me, I always wanted to write with proper spellings, because to do otherwise would be like admitting local pronunciations are sub-par, which I do not think. OTOH, you want to get across the color of it.

ONE day I handed a volume of John Fox's stories to a neighbor and asked him to read it, being curious to learn how those vivid pictures of mountain life would impress one who was born and bred in the same atmosphere. He scanned a few lines of the dialogue, then suddenly stared at me in amazement.

" What's the matter with it? " I asked, wondering what he could have found to startle him at the very beginning of a story.

" Why, that feller don't know hoes to spell!"

Gravely I explained that dialect must be spelled as it is pronounced, so far as possible, or the life and savor of it would be lost. But it was of no use. My friend was outraged. " That tale-teller then is jest makin' fun of the mountain people by misspellin' our talk. You educated folks don't spell your own words the way you say them."

A most palpable hit; and it gave me a new point of view.

To the mountaineers themselves their speech is natural and proper, of course, and when they see it bared to the spotlight, all eyes drawn toward it by an orthography that is as odd to them as it is to us, they are stirred to wrath, just as we would be if our conversation were reported by some Josh Billings or Artemas Ward.

The curse of dialect writing is elision. Still, no one can write it without using the apostrophe more than he likes to; for our highland speech is excessively clipped. " I'm comin' d'reck'ly " has a quaintness that should not be lost. We cannot visualize the shambling but eager mountaineer with a sample of ore in his hand unless the writer reports him faithfully: "Wisht you'd 'zamine this rock fer me-I heern tell you was one o' them 'sperts."

When it is done with honesty and reverence for the people, it is beautiful. When it is used to stereotype and belittle it is very ugly. This is beautiful.

Thanks both of you.

[Flyingcursor]

I've read the first 8 chapters. Excellent. I'll have to wait until later to read the rest.

[gonzo914]

also read the cracker culture, celtic ways in the old south, by grady mcwhiney

a very good read!

And Born Fighting : How the Scots-Irish Shaped America by James Webb . When he's talking history and not whining about poor white folks or tootig his own horn, it's pretty interesting.

[gonzo914]

also read the cracker culture, celtic ways in the old south, by grady mcwhiney

a very good read!

And Born Fighting : How the Scots-Irish Shaped America by James Webb . When he's talking history and not whining about poor white folks or tootig his own horn, it's pretty interesting.

[Jack]

also read the cracker culture, celtic ways in the old south, by grady mcwhiney

a very good read!

And Born Fighting : How the Scots-Irish Shaped America by James Webb . When he's talking history and not whining about poor white folks or tootig his own horn, it's pretty interesting.

The other week I was running eBay searches for Scots language (or the English-variant, if one prefers) and that book came up more often than 'Mary, Queen of Scots' type of books.

I almost bought it, just because it seemed interesting.

Only found one single book on Scots (the language), though.

[DCrom]

Isn't Scots also known as "Lallans"?

I always figured that's the language Stacy (she of the bodacious fipples and flashy avatars) uses for her posts.