The power of many (authors)
Several prominent Kentucky writers are speaking out against mountaintop removal mining, including Wendell Berry and Sena Jeter Naslund. The group will show up at Crescent Hill Baptist Church on Saturday afternoon for “Missing Mountains S.O.S.” (submitted photo) |
Louisville’s gathering, dubbed “Missing Mountains S.O.S.,” is just part of the “Kentucky Author Mountaintop Removal Tour,” which will have been to Berea, Hazard, Hindman and Lexington in previous days. At 2 p.m. in the church’s sanctuary, the authors will read and speak. There’s also community discussion and live music. At 3:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall, there’ll be a book sale and silent auction (featuring Kentucky-themed items). These events have no admission fee, but the participants encourage donations to Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, the organization that’s been in the lead role in opposing mountaintop removal.
For those who’d like a quieter and more private venue for some time to discuss the issue and share time with some of the notable authors, a private reception will precede the public event. Berry and others will be in attendance at 1 p.m. in the Heritage Hall at the church. Somewhat akin to the way “VIP areas” are set off for personal attention at concerts these days, this extra time with the notables comes with a notable price tag. The reception is open to the public, with a $50 entry fee.
That the authors are setting aside multiple days and events is just one additional sign of the momentum that the mountaintop issue has gathered. When the Kentuckians for the Commonwealth chose to work with authors as a channel for public awareness, they were looking to see the development of articulate viewpoints from people who know how to craft communication that lasts. But they probably won’t mind if Saturday’s draws in book collectors seeking autographs, and writer wannabes seeking a critical mass of the published as the next best thing to going to a writer’s workshop. Those who prefer pictures to words for raising awareness can wait until next week’s Sierra Club film event (details in next week’s LEO). And those who are just plain busy on Saturday can hold off for the upcoming debut of the “Missing Mountains” book, sure to be recognized with some sort of author event. But a gathering with the breadth of attendees that will be seen Saturday is rare indeed.
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The other multi-author event this week is in recognition of one publisher’s celebrated imprint. The “Harper Perennial World Tour” will have 25 authors reading their admired works at bookstores in four countries — all on the same night. This publisher’s line of “modern classics” is starting up a series of special editions where the paperback editions have added material about the author’s writing experiences — and someone had the bright idea that this was analogous to the bonus tracks on music CDs, which explains all the rock-concert trappings to this unique literary gig. Kentucky’s well represented with “Missing Mountains S.O.S.” participants Naslund and Mason. They’ll read from the Harper Perennial editions of “Ahab’s Wife” and “In Country,” respectively. Anyone buying one of these books at the event receives a free “concert tee” of the occasion, listing all the readings. This will be at the Carmichael’s Frankfort Avenue location Thursday evening.
BY T.E. LYONS
tlx@aol.com
Missing Mountains S.O.S.
Saturday, Oct. 22
Crescent Hill Baptist Church
2800 Frankfort Ave.
896-6950 or 589-3188
Free (donations encouraged); 2 p.m.
Harper Perennial
World Tour
Thursday, Oct. 20
Carmichael’s
2720 Frankfort Ave.
896-6950
Free; 7 p.m.
