Toward a Post-Appalachian Sense of Place

This article utilizes recent developments in postsouthern theory to explore Appalachian literature and culture. Analyzing novels by Ron Rash, Terry Roberts, and Charles Frazier, I argue that Appalachian literature will likely follow a trajectory similar to the one identified by scholars in southern...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of American studies 2016-08, Vol.50 (3), p.639-658
Main Author: VERNON, ZACKARY
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
American culture
Frazier, Charles (1950- )
Literary criticism
Literature
Novels
Regionalism
Southern states
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Summary:This article utilizes recent developments in postsouthern theory to explore Appalachian literature and culture. Analyzing novels by Ron Rash, Terry Roberts, and Charles Frazier, I argue that Appalachian literature will likely follow a trajectory similar to the one identified by scholars in southern literature more broadly. Despite the seeming persistence of historicity among leading Appalachian writers, I anticipate that the homogenization of the region will increasingly lead writers either to commodify outdated notions of Appalachian exceptionalism or to rely upon an ironic, parodic relationship with past Appalachian literary narratives.
ISSN:0021-8758
1469-5154
DOI:10.1017/S0021875815001127