Ron Rash Ron Rash:
2011 Appalachian Heritage Writer in Residence: 'Burning Bright: The Language and Storytelling of Appalachia and the Poetry and Prose of Ron Rash'

2011 schedule of events

Monday, Sept. 26 - Oct. 14


Anthology of Appalachian Writers Photographic Art, Scarborough Library Exhibit, Scarborough Reading Room.

Monday, Sept. 26


Screening of Film Appalachia: Power and Place, 7:00 p.m. Reynolds Hall—the event sponsored by the Shepherdstown Film Society and the discussion leader, History Professor Emeritus Dr. Jerry Thomas.

Tuesday, Sept. 27


"A Celebration of Appalachian Storytellers: A Carolina Muse" and The Anthology of Appalachian Writers and Photographers, 7:00 p.m., at the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies—the event sponsored by the West Virginia Center for the Book; Reception and Book Signing at 8:00 p.m. in Scarborough Reading Room.

Wednesday, Sept. 28


1) Visit with Martinsburg, Jefferson, and Berkeley Springs Students at Martinsburg High School, 9:00 a.m.; 2) Reading at Martinsburg Public Library and Reception, 10:30 a.m.; 3) Lunch with AHWIR Project Director and Friends; 4) "The Writing Life, with Ron Rash," Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies, 7:00 p.m.—the writer discusses his work, the writing process, his journey toward authorship and publication.

Thursday, Sept. 29


1) Writers Master Class, 3:00-4:30 p.m. at Byrd Center; 2) Dinner at Yellow Brick Bank with Ron Rash and Fiction Competition Winners, 6:00 p.m.; 2) Scarborough Society Lecture and Awards Ceremony, 8:00 p.m.—Ron Rash will receive the Appalachian Heritage Writer's Award and present his keynote address at Erma Byrd Hall, followed by a reception and book signing. The WV Fiction Competition awards will also be presented by Ron Rash.

Friday, Sept. 30


Friday, September 30, 2011: 1) Public Radio Interview, Inside Appalachia; Antietam Review Interview; 2) Appalachian Heritage Festival Concert Evening Reading of Award-Winning Work of Fiction, West Virginia Fiction Competition, at 16th Annual Appalachian Heritage Festival Concert.

Saturday, Oct.


Appalachian Heritage Festival at various venues through out Shepherdstown and evening Festival Concert; see Festival Website at.

Ron Rash: 2011 Appalachian Heritage Writer in Residence: “Burning Bright: The Language and Storytelling of Appalachia and the Poetry and Prose of Ron Rash”

Born in Chester, South Carolina, poet and fiction writer Ron Rash grew up in the mountains of western North Carolina, near Boiling Springs. Rash graduated from Gardner-Webb and Clemson universities, publishing his first collection of short stories in 1994, The Night the New Jesus Fell to Earth. Rash has since published a number of award-winning books, including collections of poetry such as Eureka Mill (1998), Among the Believers (2000), and Raising the Dead (2002). His novels include One Foot in Eden (2002), Saints at the River (2004), The World Made Straight (2006), and Serena (2008). Rash's other story collections include Casualties (2000), Chemistry and Other Stories (2007), and his latest collection Burning Bright (2010). The quality and depth of Rash's work has placed him into a select group of American and Appalachian writers that includes Fred Chappell, Denise Giardina, Robert Morgan, and Lee Smith. His work is richly reflective of the cultural traditions of the region but laden and prescient with contemporary issues and ideas that also transcend the region. Among Rash's prestigious awards are The Sherwood Anderson Prize (1996), Appalachian Book of the Year for One Foot in Eden (2002), Southern Book Critics Circle Award for Saints at the River (2004), O. Henry Prize (2005), and Pen/Faulkner Finalist (2009) for Serena. Rash currently holds the John Parris Chair in Appalachian Studies at Western Carolina University and was most recently awarded The Frank O'Connor International Short Story Prize for "Burning Bright."