Silas House
Encyclopedia
Silas Dwane House is an American
writer best known for his novel
s. He is also a music journalist
, environmental activist
and columnist
. House's fiction is known for its attention to the natural world, working class characters, and the plight of the rural place and rural people.
, Kentucky
, but he also spent much of his childhood in nearby Leslie County, Kentucky, which he has cited as the basis for the fictional Crow County, which serves as the setting for his first three novels. He has degrees from Sue Bennett College
(Associate's), Eastern Kentucky University
(BA in English with emphasis on American literature), and from Spalding University
(Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing). In 2000, House was chosen, along with since-published authors Pamela Duncan, Jeanne Braselton and Jack Riggs, as one of the ten emerging talents in the south by the Millennial Gathering of Writers at Vanderbilt University
.
and became a word-of-mouth success throughout the Southern United States
. It was a finalist for both the Southeast Booksellers' Association fiction award and the Appalachian Writers' Association Book of the Year Award. He followed with A Parchment of Leaves (2003), which became a national bestseller and was nominated for several major awards. The book was a finalist for the Southern Book Critics' Circle Prize and won the Award for Special Achievement from the Fellowship of Southern Writers, the Chaffin Award for Literature, the Kentucky Novel of the Year Award and many others.
House's next book, The Coal Tattoo (2004), was a finalist for the Southern Book Critics' Circle Prize as well as winning the Appalachian Writers' Association Book of the Year Award, the Kentucky Novel of the Year Award, and others. House's work has been championed by such acclaimed writers as Lee Smith
and Larry Brown
, who were both mentors for House.
In March 2009, House published Something's Rising with fellow anti-mountaintop removal activist Jason Howard. The book is a series of profiles of various anti-mountaintop removal activists from the region, including musician Jean Ritchie, author Denise Giardina, and activist Judy Bonds. The book was called "revelatory" by esteemed author and oral historian Studs Terkel, in his last blurb. Lee Smith wrote the introduction.
House's fourth novel, "Eli the Good," was published in September 2009 to great acclaim. The book emerged as a number one bestseller on the Southern lists and received the first annual [Storylines Prize] from the New York Public Library system, an award given to a book for use in the ESL and literacy programs of New York City.
His short story Recruiters, which has appeared in Anthology of Appalachian Writing, Vol. 2 now has a new Larkspur Press edition from Kentucky's Artisan Printer. This special edition is illustrated Arwen Donahue and includes the original song Brennen's Ballad by Sue Massek, which was the inspiration for the story.
House's writing has appeared in Oxford American
, Newsday
, Bayou, The Louisville Review, Night Train, Appalachian Heritage, Wind and other publications. His work has been nominated for two Pushcart Prize
s and anthologized in such books as New Stories From the South: The Year's Best, 2004. He has also written the introductions to Missing Mountains, a study of mountaintop removal; From Walton's Mountain to Tomorrow, a biography of Earl Hamner, Jr., and Gregory of Nyssa's Life of Moses, a new edition by HarperCollins.
In 2005, House wrote the play The Hurting Part, which was produced by the University of Kentucky
. In 2009 his second play, "Long Time Travelling," was produced by the Actor's Guild of Lexington (Kentucky).
2004-2005 and at Lincoln Memorial University
2005-2010. At LMU he also directed the Mountain Heritage Literary Festival. In 2010 House became the NEH Chair in Appalachian Studies at Berea College
in Berea, Kentucky
, where he teaches Appalachian Literature and a writing workshop. He has served on the fiction faculty at Spalding University's MFA in Creative Writing since 2005.
In 2010 House was selected as the focus of the Silas House Literary Festival at Emory and Henry College
in Emory, Virginia
. The same year he was chosen as Appalachian Writer of the Year by Shepherd University
in Shepherdstown, West Virginia
.
, Delbert McClinton
and many others. House is also an in-demand press kit writer for Nashville's music business, having written biographies for such artists as Kris Kristofferson
, Buddy Miller, Del McCoury and Leann Womack. In 2001 and 2002, he was a regular contributor to NPR's All Things Considered
.
that blasts the entire top off a mountain and fills the valley below with the debris. House wrote the original draft of the 2005 Kentucky authors' statement against the practice; since the draft more than three dozen authors have signed it. House has published many articles about mountaintop removal as well as performing at various concerts as a member of Public Outcry, an acoustic band formed for the purpose of raising awareness of mountaintop removal mining. The other members of the group are authors George Ella Lyon
and Anne Shelby, with musicians Jason Howard, Jessie Lynne Keltner and Kate Larken. Public Outcry tours college campuses to educate students about mountaintop removal. House and Howard also perform together as The Doolittles.
House has been joined in this fight by other important Kentucky writers, such as those who are members of Public Outcry, as well as Wendell Berry
, Bobbie Ann Mason
and Maurice Manning
.
, one of House's literary idols. House is currently at work on his fifth novel and a play. He recently co-wrote a screenplay
for actress Ashley Judd
that has not yet been produced. House resides in London, Ky. with his two daughters.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer best known for his novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s. He is also a music journalist
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
, environmental activist
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
and columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
. House's fiction is known for its attention to the natural world, working class characters, and the plight of the rural place and rural people.
Early life and education
House was born and grew up in rural Lily, Laurel CountyLaurel County, Kentucky
Laurel County is a county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 58,849 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is London.The London Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Laurel County....
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, but he also spent much of his childhood in nearby Leslie County, Kentucky, which he has cited as the basis for the fictional Crow County, which serves as the setting for his first three novels. He has degrees from Sue Bennett College
Sue Bennett College
Sue Bennett College was a private college in London, Kentucky which operated from 1897 through 1997. It was affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
(Associate's), Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
(BA in English with emphasis on American literature), and from Spalding University
Spalding University
Spalding University is a private, co-educational university affiliated with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and located in Louisville, Kentucky.-History:...
(Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing). In 2000, House was chosen, along with since-published authors Pamela Duncan, Jeanne Braselton and Jack Riggs, as one of the ten emerging talents in the south by the Millennial Gathering of Writers at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
.
Writing
House's first novel, Clay's Quilt, was published in 2001. It appeared briefly on the New York Times Best Seller listNew York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
and became a word-of-mouth success throughout the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. It was a finalist for both the Southeast Booksellers' Association fiction award and the Appalachian Writers' Association Book of the Year Award. He followed with A Parchment of Leaves (2003), which became a national bestseller and was nominated for several major awards. The book was a finalist for the Southern Book Critics' Circle Prize and won the Award for Special Achievement from the Fellowship of Southern Writers, the Chaffin Award for Literature, the Kentucky Novel of the Year Award and many others.
House's next book, The Coal Tattoo (2004), was a finalist for the Southern Book Critics' Circle Prize as well as winning the Appalachian Writers' Association Book of the Year Award, the Kentucky Novel of the Year Award, and others. House's work has been championed by such acclaimed writers as Lee Smith
Lee Smith (author)
Lee Smith is an American fiction author who typically incorporates much of her home roots in the Southeastern United States in her works of literature. She has received many writing awards, such as the O. Henry Award, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Fiction, and the North...
and Larry Brown
Larry Brown (author)
Larry Brown was an American novelist, non-fiction and short story writer. He was a winner of numerous awards including the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters award for fiction, the Lila Wallace-Readers Digest Award, and Mississippi's Governor's Award For Excellence in the Arts...
, who were both mentors for House.
In March 2009, House published Something's Rising with fellow anti-mountaintop removal activist Jason Howard. The book is a series of profiles of various anti-mountaintop removal activists from the region, including musician Jean Ritchie, author Denise Giardina, and activist Judy Bonds. The book was called "revelatory" by esteemed author and oral historian Studs Terkel, in his last blurb. Lee Smith wrote the introduction.
House's fourth novel, "Eli the Good," was published in September 2009 to great acclaim. The book emerged as a number one bestseller on the Southern lists and received the first annual [Storylines Prize] from the New York Public Library system, an award given to a book for use in the ESL and literacy programs of New York City.
His short story Recruiters, which has appeared in Anthology of Appalachian Writing, Vol. 2 now has a new Larkspur Press edition from Kentucky's Artisan Printer. This special edition is illustrated Arwen Donahue and includes the original song Brennen's Ballad by Sue Massek, which was the inspiration for the story.
House's writing has appeared in Oxford American
Oxford American
The Oxford American is an American quarterly literary magazine "dedicated to featuring the very best in Southern writing while documenting the complexity and vitality of the American South."-First publication:...
, Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
, Bayou, The Louisville Review, Night Train, Appalachian Heritage, Wind and other publications. His work has been nominated for two Pushcart Prize
Pushcart Prize
The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are invited to nominate up to 6 works they have featured....
s and anthologized in such books as New Stories From the South: The Year's Best, 2004. He has also written the introductions to Missing Mountains, a study of mountaintop removal; From Walton's Mountain to Tomorrow, a biography of Earl Hamner, Jr., and Gregory of Nyssa's Life of Moses, a new edition by HarperCollins.
In 2005, House wrote the play The Hurting Part, which was produced by 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...
. In 2009 his second play, "Long Time Travelling," was produced by the Actor's Guild of Lexington (Kentucky).
Academic career
House served as a writer in residence at Eastern Kentucky UniversityEastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
2004-2005 and at Lincoln Memorial University
Lincoln Memorial University
Lincoln Memorial University is a private four-year co-educational liberal arts college located in Harrogate, Tennessee.LMU's campus borders on Cumberland Gap National Historical Park....
2005-2010. At LMU he also directed the Mountain Heritage Literary Festival. In 2010 House became the NEH Chair in Appalachian Studies at 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...
in Berea, Kentucky
Berea, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,851 people, 3,693 households, and 2,426 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,055.4 people per square mile . There were 4,115 housing units at an average density of 440.9 per square mile...
, where he teaches Appalachian Literature and a writing workshop. He has served on the fiction faculty at Spalding University's MFA in Creative Writing since 2005.
In 2010 House was selected as the focus of the Silas House Literary Festival at 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...
in Emory, Virginia
Emory, Virginia
Emory is a census-designated place in Washington County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,251 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA...
. The same year he was chosen as Appalachian Writer of the Year by Shepherd University
Shepherd University
Shepherd University, formerly Shepherd College, is a state-funded university in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, United States. The University currently serves more than 4,200 students.- Accreditation :...
in Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, located along the Potomac River. It is the oldest town in the state, having been chartered in 1762 by Colonial Virginia's General Assembly. Since 1863, Shepherdstown has been in West Virginia, and is the oldest town in...
.
Music writing
House is also a music journalist and a contributing editor to No Depression magazine, for which he has written features on Lucinda WilliamsLucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...
, Delbert McClinton
Delbert McClinton
Delbert McClinton is an American blues rock and electric blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player, and pianist....
and many others. House is also an in-demand press kit writer for Nashville's music business, having written biographies for such artists as Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
, Buddy Miller, Del McCoury and Leann Womack. In 2001 and 2002, he was a regular contributor to NPR's All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
.
Activism
Since 2005 House has been increasingly visible in the fight against mountaintop removal mining, an environmentally devastating form of coal miningCoal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
that blasts the entire top off a mountain and fills the valley below with the debris. House wrote the original draft of the 2005 Kentucky authors' statement against the practice; since the draft more than three dozen authors have signed it. House has published many articles about mountaintop removal as well as performing at various concerts as a member of Public Outcry, an acoustic band formed for the purpose of raising awareness of mountaintop removal mining. The other members of the group are authors George Ella Lyon
George Ella Lyon
George Ella Lyon is a Kentucky author who has published in many genres, including picture books, poetry, juvenile novels, and articles.-Biography:...
and Anne Shelby, with musicians Jason Howard, Jessie Lynne Keltner and Kate Larken. Public Outcry tours college campuses to educate students about mountaintop removal. House and Howard also perform together as The Doolittles.
House has been joined in this fight by other important Kentucky writers, such as those who are members of Public Outcry, as well as Wendell Berry
Wendell Berry
Wendell Berry is an American man of letters, academic, cultural and economic critic, and farmer. He is a prolific author of novels, short stories, poems, and essays...
, Bobbie Ann Mason
Bobbie Ann Mason
Bobbie Ann Mason is an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and literary critic from Kentucky.With four siblings Mason grew up on her family's dairy farm outside of Mayfield, Kentucky. As a child she loved to read, so her parents, Wilburn and Christina Mason, always made sure she had...
and Maurice Manning
Maurice Manning (poet)
Maurice Manning is an American poet. His first collection of poems, Lawrence Booth's Book of Visions was awarded the Yale Younger Poets Award, chosen by W.S. Merwin....
.
In progress
House has recently finished editing the posthumous manuscript of poet and novelist James StillJames Still
James Still was an American poet, novelist and folklorist. He lived most of his life in a log house along the Dead Mare Branch of Little Carr Creek, Knott County, Kentucky...
, one of House's literary idols. House is currently at work on his fifth novel and a play. He recently co-wrote a screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
for actress Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd is an American television and film actress, who has played lead roles in films including Ruby in Paradise, Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy, Where the Heart Is and High Crimes...
that has not yet been produced. House resides in London, Ky. with his two daughters.
Works
- 2001 Clay's Quilt-novel
- 2003 A Parchment of Leaves-novel
- 2004 The Coal Tattoo-novel
- 2005 The Hurting Part-play
- 2008 The Hurting Part-published playscript
- 2009 Something's Rising-non-fiction, co-authored with Jason Howard
- 2009 Long Time Travelling (forthcoming play)
- 2009 Eli the Good-novel
- 2011-2012 In Progress Play for Berea College
External links
- Silas House's website
- Silas House's MySpace page
- Southern Hum Interview
- Creative Loafing interview
- Random House books discussion guide on Clay's Quilt
- Random House books discussion guide on The Coal Tattoo
- Random House Books discussion guide on A Parchment of Leaves
- No Depression website
- Lee Smith website
- Audio recording: Silas House at the Key West Literary Seminar, 2008