Gurney Norman
Encyclopedia
Gurney Norman is an American
novelist, documentarian
, and professor
.
in 1937. He grew up in the southern Appalachian Mountains
and was raised alternately by his maternal grandparents in Southwest Virginia
and his paternal grandparents in East Kentucky in several towns, but primarily in the small community of Allais, near Hazard
, in Perry County
. He attended Stuart Robinson School in Letcher County, Kentucky
, from 1946-1955. Norman attended the University of Kentucky
from 1955-1959 graduating with a degree in journalism and English. In 1960, he received a Wallace Stegner Fellowship in Creative Writing at Stanford University
where he studied with literary critic Malcolm Cowley
and the Irish short story writer Frank O'Connor
After Stanford, Norman spent two years in the U.S. Army
. He returned to eastern Kentucky in 1963 to work as a reporter for his hometown newspaper, The Hazard Herald
. Leaving newspaper work to concentrate on his fiction writing, Norman took a job with the U.S. Forest Service as a fire lookout in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon
in the summers of 1966 and '67. In 1971, his novel Divine Right's Trip
was published in The Last Whole Earth Catalog
and subsequently by the Dial Press and Bantam Books. Norman was one of the founders of the Briarpatch Network in 1974, with Richard Raymond and Michael Phillips
. In 1977, his book of short stories Kinfolks, which received Berea College's Weatherford Award, was published by Gnomon Press.
In 1979, Norman joined the faculty of the University of Kentucky
as an Associate Professor of English. He currently serves as Director of the English Department’s Creative Writing Program. In 1996 his work as a fiction writer, filmmaker, and cultural advocate was honored at the Fifteenth Annual Emory and Henry College
Literary Festival, which celebrates significant writers in the Appalachian region. In 2002 he was honored by the Eastern Kentucky Leadership Conference for outstanding contribution to the advancement of regional arts and culture. In 2007 the Appalachian Studies Association
awarded Norman the Helen M. Lewis Community Service Award, which recognizes exemplary contributions to Appalachia through involvement with and service to its people and communities. He serves as Senior Writer-in-Residence at Hindman Settlement School
's annual Appalachian Writers Workshop. Norman was selected to serve as the 2009-2010 Poet Laureate
for the state of Kentucky, and was officially installed as Laureate on Friday, April 24, 2009. On May 8, 2011, Norman was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Berea College
. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky
.
follows DR Davenport and Estelle, a pair of hippie
stoners who leave California
for eastern Kentucky, where they settle on a farm raising rabbits. The novel was originally serialized in The Last Whole Earth Catalog
.
Kinfolks is a book of short stories concerning young Wilgus Collier and his relationships with his family members.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist, documentarian
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, and professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
.
Biography
Gurney Norman was born in Grundy, VirginiaGrundy, Virginia
Grundy is a town in Buchanan County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,105 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Buchanan County. The town is noted for its educational institutions and their role in the town's economic rebirth. In the past, the town served as a stopover for Union...
in 1937. He grew up in the southern Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
and was raised alternately by his maternal grandparents in Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the Appalachian Plateau, all Virginia counties west of the Eastern Continental Divide, or...
and his paternal grandparents in East Kentucky in several towns, but primarily in the small community of Allais, near Hazard
Hazard, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,806 people, 1,946 households, and 1,266 families residing in the city. The population density was 684.6 people per square mile . There were 2,291 housing units at an average density of 326.4 per square mile...
, in Perry County
Perry County, Kentucky
Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 29,390. Its county seat is Hazard. The county is named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, a naval hero in the War of 1812.- Geography :...
. He attended Stuart Robinson School in Letcher County, Kentucky
Letcher County, Kentucky
Letcher County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 25,277. Its county seat is Whitesburg. The county is named for Robert P...
, from 1946-1955. Norman attended the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
from 1955-1959 graduating with a degree in journalism and English. In 1960, he received a Wallace Stegner Fellowship in Creative Writing at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
where he studied with literary critic Malcolm Cowley
Malcolm Cowley
Malcolm Cowley was an American novelist, poet, literary critic, and journalist.-Early life:...
and the Irish short story writer Frank O'Connor
Frank O'Connor
Frank O’Connor was an Irish author of over 150 works, best known for his short stories and memoirs.-Early life:...
After Stanford, Norman spent two years in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He returned to eastern Kentucky in 1963 to work as a reporter for his hometown newspaper, The Hazard Herald
The Hazard Herald
Hazard Herald is a weekly newspaper based in Hazard, Kentucky. The newspaper was founded by Bailey P. Wootton in 1911. The paper celebrated 100 years on June 22, 2011...
. Leaving newspaper work to concentrate on his fiction writing, Norman took a job with the U.S. Forest Service as a fire lookout in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
in the summers of 1966 and '67. In 1971, his novel Divine Right's Trip
Divine Right's Trip
Divine Right's Trip is a 1972 novel by Gurney Norman set in the 1960s which chronicles the awakening of the hippie stoner Divine Right as he travels with his patient and introspective VW Bus, Urge...
was published in The Last Whole Earth Catalog
Whole Earth Catalog
The Whole Earth Catalog was an American counterculture catalog published by Stewart Brand between 1968 and 1972, and occasionally thereafter, until 1998...
and subsequently by the Dial Press and Bantam Books. Norman was one of the founders of the Briarpatch Network in 1974, with Richard Raymond and Michael Phillips
Michael Phillips (consultant)
Michael Phillips is the key person who created MasterCard in 1966. He is a published author of eleven books and a founder of the Briarpatch Network...
. In 1977, his book of short stories Kinfolks, which received Berea College's Weatherford Award, was published by Gnomon Press.
In 1979, Norman joined the faculty of the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
as an Associate Professor of English. He currently serves as Director of the English Department’s Creative Writing Program. In 1996 his work as a fiction writer, filmmaker, and cultural advocate was honored at the Fifteenth Annual Emory and Henry College
Emory and Henry College
Emory & Henry College, known as E&H, Emory, or the College, is a private liberal arts college located in Emory, Virginia, United States. The campus comprises of Washington County, Virginia, which is part of the mountain region of Southwest Virginia...
Literary Festival, which celebrates significant writers in the Appalachian region. In 2002 he was honored by the Eastern Kentucky Leadership Conference for outstanding contribution to the advancement of regional arts and culture. In 2007 the Appalachian Studies Association
Appalachian Studies Association
The Appalachian Studies Association is an organization of scholars and activists interested in Appalachian studies.According to its web site, “The Appalachian Studies Association was formed in 1977 by a group of scholars, teachers, and regional activists who believed that shared community has...
awarded Norman the Helen M. Lewis Community Service Award, which recognizes exemplary contributions to Appalachia through involvement with and service to its people and communities. He serves as Senior Writer-in-Residence at Hindman Settlement School
Hindman Settlement School
Hindman Settlement School is a settlement school located in Hindman, Kentucky in Knott County. Established in 1902, it was the first rural settlement school in America.-Mission:...
's annual Appalachian Writers Workshop. Norman was selected to serve as the 2009-2010 Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
for the state of Kentucky, and was officially installed as Laureate on Friday, April 24, 2009. On May 8, 2011, Norman was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Berea College
Berea College
Berea College is a liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky , founded in 1855. Current full-time enrollment is 1,514 students...
. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
.
Writing
Divine Right's TripDivine Right's Trip
Divine Right's Trip is a 1972 novel by Gurney Norman set in the 1960s which chronicles the awakening of the hippie stoner Divine Right as he travels with his patient and introspective VW Bus, Urge...
follows DR Davenport and Estelle, a pair of hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
stoners who leave California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
for eastern Kentucky, where they settle on a farm raising rabbits. The novel was originally serialized in The Last Whole Earth Catalog
Whole Earth Catalog
The Whole Earth Catalog was an American counterculture catalog published by Stewart Brand between 1968 and 1972, and occasionally thereafter, until 1998...
.
Kinfolks is a book of short stories concerning young Wilgus Collier and his relationships with his family members.
As writer and presenter
- 1987 - "Time on the River" - A historical look at the important role the Kentucky RiverKentucky RiverThe Kentucky River is a tributary of the Ohio River, long, in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The river and its tributaries drain much of the central region of the state, with its upper course passing through the coal-mining regions of the Cumberland Mountains, and its lower course passing through the...
played in the settlement of the state. KETKetKet can also refer to:*Ket people, a people of Siberia*Ket language, the language of the Ket people*Ket River, a river in Siberia*Keť, a village in south-west Slovakia...
production. - 1989 - "From This Valley" - Explores the Big Sandy region of Eastern Kentucky, including its trails, people, history, and literary heritage. KETKetKet can also refer to:*Ket people, a people of Siberia*Ket language, the language of the Ket people*Ket River, a river in Siberia*Keť, a village in south-west Slovakia...
production. - 1991 - "Wilderness Road" - Retraces the route of the famous pioneer trail from Kingsport, TennesseeKingsport, TennesseeKingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
to Boonesborough, KentuckyBoonesborough, KentuckyBoonesborough is an unincorporated community in Madison County, Kentucky, United States. It lies in the central part of the state along the Kentucky River. Boonesborough is part of the Richmond–Berea Micropolitan Statistical Area....
. KETKetKet can also refer to:*Ket people, a people of Siberia*Ket language, the language of the Ket people*Ket River, a river in Siberia*Keť, a village in south-west Slovakia...
production.
Based on Norman's work
- 2000 - "The Wilgus Stories" - Dramatization of three Norman short stories--"Fat Monroe," "Night Ride" and "Maxine"--by filmmaker Andrew Garrison.
Fiction
- Book One From Crazy Quilt: A Novel in Progress (Monterey, KY: Larkspur Press), 1990.
- Divine Right's Trip: A Folk-Tale (New York: Dial PressDial PressThe Dial Press was a publishing house founded in 1923 by Lincoln MacVeagh.Dial Press shared a building with The Dial and Scofield Thayer worked with both. The first imprint was issued in 1924. Authors included Elizabeth Bowen, W.R...
), 1972. ISBN 0-917788-42-7 - Kinfolks: The Wilgus Stories (Frankfort, KY: Gnomon Press), 1977. ISBN 0-917788-07-9
Nonfiction
- An American Vein: Critical Readings in Appalachian Literature with Danny Miller and Sharon Hatfield (Athens, OH: Ohio University Press), 2005. ISBN 0-8214-1589-1
- Confronting Appalachian Stereotypes: Back Talk from an American Region with Dwight B. Billings and Katherine Ledford (Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky), 1999. ISBN 0-8131-2099-3
Further reading
- Chaney, Candace "A Man of His Words." Lexington Herald-Leader, Page E1, April 26, 2009.
- Howell, Rebecca Gayle "Gurney Norman: Poet Laureate." Lexington Herald-Leader, Page A15, April 24, 2009.
- Arnold, Timothy W. "Hero Trip: Divine Right's Journey of Self." Border States: Journal of the Kentucky-Tennessee American Studies Association, No. 9 (1993).
- Holbrook, Chris. "Gurney Norman Remembers His 'Kinfolks'" Lexington Herald-Leader, April 26, 1992.
- Ward, William S. A Literary History of Kentucky (Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press), 1988. ISBN 0-87049-578-X
External links
- Faculty page from the University of Kentucky
- Gurney Norman biography, from Appalachian Books
- Gurney Norman interview
- Gurney Norman filmography at IMDb