Kentucky Fiction

The Time of Man (1926) by Elizabeth Madox Roberts (1881-1941) of Washington County was a novel that helped lead American literature from a period of romantic literature into realism. Six books about her and her writing have been published. River of Earth (1940) by James Still (1906-2001) of Knott County continues to attract readers. Jesse Stuart (1906-84) was a classmate of Still at Lincoln Memorial University near Cumberland Gap. He published over 60 books in a variety of genres, but Taps for Private Tussie (1943) sold more than any other. The first novel that Janice Holt Giles (1905-79) of Adair County published was The Enduring Hills (1950). It and many more were reprinted in book club editions. Harriette Arnow (1908-86) of Wayne County is best known for The Dollmaker (1954) which was made into an award-winning TV movie by Jane Fonda in 1984. Walter Tevis (1928-84) of Madison County, published The Hustler in 1959. It was the first of three of his novels to be made into major movies. Gurney Norman of Perry County published Divine Right’s Trip first in the Whole Earth Catalog and then in hardback and paperback editions in 1971. In 1996 Granta anointed Chris Offut of Rowan County as one of the twenty best young American fiction writers. The following year he published his first novel, The Good Brother. He has written comics, for tv, books in many genres and essays. Silas House of Laurel County published his first novel, Clay’s Quilt, in 2001. All the Living (2009) by C. E. Morgan, a Berea College graduate and sometimes townie, received the “5 Under 35” award from the National Book Foundation as a result. The Birds of Opulence (2016) garnered Crystal Wilkinson of Casey County the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, given to outstanding national African-American authors.

-- George Brosi