As a science teacher at Loyall Elementary School, one of the most innovative classroom exercises she created happened when controversy arose about whether strip mining should be allowed on Kentucky’s highest mountain, Black Mountain. She assigned her kids to prepare testimony to give at state hearings on the topic, taking whichever side they wished to take. And they really did go to the Kentucky state capitol and some of those who had parental permission did testify. It was as a teacher that she first decided to edit books composed of a selection of the folklore, humor, fictional stories or actual experiences of her students. Since her retirement, she has personally authored some books, but also put together anthologies of contributions from other adults around the country and in Europe. This is her third collection of stories of encounters with Panthers. She got interested in this topic when she personally saw a big cat in Harlan County at a time where there was no consensus among biologist as to whether or not their habitat remained within the county boundaries.
Harlan, Kentucky: self-published, 2020. 327 pages with photos and illustrations. Trade paperback.