Jim Wayne Miller (1936-1966) was one of the most beloved of the handful of people who established the academic fields of Appalachian Studies and Appalachian Literature. Ironically, his own academic field was German Language and Literature. Born in rural Western North Carolina, he grew up on a farm where his mother's people were the tenants of his father's people. After Berea College and Vanderbilt University, he taught throughout his career at Western Kentucky University. One of his poetry books is entitled, "Nostalgia for 70" because Jimmy Carter reduced speed limits to decrease gasoline use, and Jim Wayne was always driving from Western Kentucky to the Appalachians to lead workshops. Jim Wayne Miller uses the term "Brier" for a mountaineer that humbly takes on this mildly pejorative moniker. This poetry collection was published by Jim Wayne's good friend, Jonathan Greene at Gnomon Press, known for his ability to capture the very best available work of writers he appreciated.
Frankfort, Kentucky: Gnomon Press, 1988. 68 pages. Hardback in dust jacket.