About this item
Like an old-fashioned hymn sung in rounds, Somethings Rising gives a stirring voice to the lives, culture, and determination of the people fighting the destructive practice of mountaintop removal in the coalfields of central Appalachia. Each persons story, unique and unfiltered, articulates the hardship of living in these majestic mountains amid the daily desecration of the land by the coal industry because of Americas insistence on cheap energy. Developed as an alternative to strip mining, mountaintop removal mining consists of blasting away the tops of mountains, dumping waste into the valleys, and retrieving the exposed coal. This process buries streams, pollutes wells and waterways, and alters fragile ecologies in the region. The people who live, work, and raise families in central Appalachia face not only the physical destruction of their land but also the loss of their culture and health in a society dominated by the consequences of mountaintop removal. Included here are oral histories from Jean Ritchie, "the mother of folk," who doesnt let her eighty-six years slow down her fighting spirit; Judy Bonds, a tough-talking coal-miners daughter; Kathy Mattea, the beloved country singer who believes cooperation is the key to winning the battle; Jack Spadaro, the heroic whistle-blower who has risked everything to share his insider knowledge of federal mining agencies; Larry Bush, who doesnt back down even when speeding coal trucks are used to intimidate him; Denise Giardina, a celebrated writer who ran for governor to bring attention to the issue; and many more. The book features both well-known activists and people rarely in the media. Each oral history is prefaced with a biographical essay that vividly establishes the interview settings and the subjects connections to their region. Written and edited by native sons of the mountains, this compelling book captures a fever-pitch moment in the movement against mountaintop removal. Silas House and Jason Howard are experts on the history of resistance in Appalachia, the legacy of exploitation of the regions natural resources, and areas unique culture and landscape. This lyrical and informative text provides a critical perspective on a powerful industry. The cumulative effect of these stories is stunning and powerful. Somethings Rising will long stand as a testament to the social and ecological consequences of energy at any cost and will be especially welcomed by readers of Appalachian studies, environmental science, and by all who value the mountains majesty -- our national heritage.
About the Author
Silas House is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels and one book of creative nonfiction. His latest book is Southernmost (June 2018) , which has been long listed for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and was a top ten Southern bestseller and in July 2020 his first three books were reissued with new supplemental material, including new forewords, author notes, and a family tree. A former commentator for NPR's "All Things Considered", House's writing often appears in The New York Times and he has been published in The Atlantic, Time, The Advocate, Ecotone, Newsday, Garden and Gun, Oxford American, and many other major publications. House is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. His awards include an EB White Award, the Storylines Prize from the NY Public Library/NAV Foundation, the Nautilus Award, the Appalachian Novel of the Year, the Hobson Medal for Literature, and many others.House is also a music writer who often writes publicity campaigns. His clients have included Jason Isbell, Lucinda Williams, Kris Kristofferson, Lee Ann Womack, and many others. He also hosts a popular podcast called "On the Porch with Silas House" where he has been in conversation with people like bell hooks, Ashley Judd, Allison Moorer, Barbara Kingsolver, and others. House serves as the NEH Chair at Berea College and on the fiction faculty of the Spalding School of Creative and Professional Writing. Visit him at www.silas-house.com.
