Gurney Norman
Gurney Norman | |
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| Born | 1937 (age 86–87) Grundy, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Alma mater | Stuart Robinson School University of Kentucky Stanford University |
Gurney Norman (born 1937) is an American writer documentarian, and professor.
Biography
Gurney Norman was born in
Eastern Kentucky in several towns, but primarily in the small community of Allais, near Hazard, in Perry County.[1] He attended Stuart Robinson School[2] in Letcher County, Kentucky, from 1946 to 1955. Norman attended the University of Kentucky from 1955 to 1959, graduating with a degree in journalism and English.[1] In 1960, he received a Wallace Stegner Fellowship in Creative Writing at Stanford University where he studied with literary critic Malcolm Cowley and the Irish short story writer Frank O'Connor.[3]
After Stanford, Norman spent two years in the
Cascade Mountains of Oregon in the summers of 1966 and 1967.[4] In 1971, his novel Divine Right's Trip was published in The Last Whole Earth Catalog and subsequently by the Dial Press and Bantam Books.[5] Norman was one of the founders of the Briarpatch Network in 1974, with Richard Raymond and Michael Phillips.[6] In 1977, his book of short stories Kinfolks, which received Berea College's Weatherford Award, was published by Gnomon Press.[7]
In 1979, Norman joined the faculty of the University of Kentucky as an associate professor of English. He served as Director of the English Department's Creative Writing Program from 2000 to 2014.Poet Laureate for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and was officially installed as Laureate on April 24, 2009.[13] On May 8, 2011, Norman was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Berea College.[14] On February 13, 2019, he was inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame, which recognizes distinguished Kentucky writers whose work reflects the state's rich literary heritage.[15][16][17][18] He lives in Lexington, Kentucky.
Writing
Divine Right's Trip follows DR Davenport and Estelle, a pair of hippie stoners who leave California for eastern Kentucky, where they settle on a farm raising rabbits. The novel was originally serialized in The Last Whole Earth Catalog.
Kinfolks is a book of short stories concerning young Wilgus Collier and his relationships with his family members.[19]
Ancient Creek is a satirical folktale about a rebellion by mountain people against an absurd and oppressive king in a mythical American region.[20]
Filmography
As writer and presenter
- 1987 - Time on the River - A historical look at the important role the KET production.[21]
- 1989 - From This Valley - Explores the Big Sandy region of Eastern Kentucky, including its trails, people, history, and literary heritage. KET production.[22]
- 1991 - Wilderness Road - Retraces the route of the famous pioneer trail from Kingsport, Tennessee, to Boonesborough, Kentucky. KET production.[23]
Based on Norman's work
- 2000 - The Wilgus Stories - Dramatization of three Norman short stories--"Fat Monroe," "Night Ride" and "Maxine"—by filmmaker Andrew Garrison.[24]
Publications
Fiction
- Book One From Crazy Quilt: A Novel in Progress (Monterey, KY: Larkspur Press), 1990.
- Divine Right's Trip: A Folk-Tale (New York: ISBN 0-917788-42-7
- Kinfolks: The Wilgus Stories (Frankfort, KY: Gnomon Press), 1977. ISBN 0-917788-07-9
- Ancient Creek: A Folktale (Lexington, KY: Old Cove Press), 2012. ISBN 0-967542-42-1
Nonfiction
- An American Vein: Critical Readings in Appalachian Literature with Danny Miller and Sharon Hatfield (Athens, OH: Ohio University Press), 2005. ISBN 0-8214-1589-1
- Confronting Appalachian Stereotypes: Back Talk from an American Region with Dwight B. Billings and Katherine Ledford (Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky), 1999. ISBN 0-8131-2099-3
References
- ^ a b Elliott, Allison (March 14, 2009). "Gurney Norman Named Kentucky Poet Laureate". University of Kentucky. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ "Stuart Robinson School Collection | Special Collections: Hutchins Library - Berea College". Berea.edu. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ "Gurney Norman | Appalachian Heritage - Berea College". Community.berea.edu. July 22, 1937. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ Mendes, Guy (November 28, 2001). "Living by Words – Gurney Norman Interview". Kentucky Educational Television. Archived from the original on January 18, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ Jones, Malcolm (March 18, 2007). "Baby Boomers and Books: A Love Affair With Literature". Newsweek.com. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ Claude Whitmyer (January 1, 2007). "History of The Briarpatch Network aka The Briarpatch Society aka The Briarpatch". Briarpatch.net. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ "Past Winners | Appalachian Center : Weatherford Award - Berea College". Berea.edu. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ Courier, The (March 16, 2009). "Local News | The Courier-Journal". courier-journal.com. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ "The Wilgus Stories: The Author – Gurney Norman". Independent Television Service. Archived from the original on March 7, 2009.
- ^ "Eastern Kentucky Leadership Awards – 2002 recipients". Archived from the original on July 26, 2011.
- ^ "Past Award Winners :: ASA ::". Appalachianstudies.org. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ "Gurney Norman New Kentucky Poet Laureate | Hindman Settlement School". Hindmansettlement.org. April 24, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ "Kentucky.gov: Kentucky Arts Council Home Page". Artscouncil.ky.gov. January 31, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ Buckner, Jay (May 8, 2011). "Appalachian author Gurney Norman tells Berea College graduates to find wisdom in unexpected places". Bcnow.berea.edu. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ "Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame Inductees 2019". carnegiecenterlex.org. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Piercy, Lindsey (January 30, 2019). "Norman, McClanahan, Vance Join Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame". uknow.uky.edu. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Eblen, Tom (December 11, 2018). "They wrote from heart of California counterculture. Now they'll join Kentucky hall of fame". kentucky.com. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ "Ed McClanahan and Gurney Norman Make the Kentucky Hall of Fame". aceweekly.com. February 11, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ webeditor. "April 2000 bookclub@ket". Ket.org. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ "Ancient Creek". Old Cove Press. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
- ^ "Time on the River". KET. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ "From This Valley". KET. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ "Wilderness Road". KET. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ "The Wilgus Stories". itvs.org. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
Further reading
- Chaney, Candace "A Man of His Words", Lexington Herald-Leader, Page E1, April 26, 2009.
- Howell, Rebecca Gayle "Gurney Norman: Poet Laureate", Lexington Herald-Leader, page A15, April 24, 2009.
- Arnold, Timothy W. "Hero Trip: Divine Right's Journey of Self", Border States: Journal of the Kentucky-Tennessee American Studies Association, No. 9 (1993).
- Holbrook, Chris. "Gurney Norman Remembers His 'Kinfolks'", Lexington Herald-Leader, April 26, 1992.
- Ward, William S. A Literary History of Kentucky (Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press), 1988. ISBN 0-87049-578-X
External links
- Faculty page from the University of Kentucky
- Gurney Norman biography, from Appalachian Books
- Gurney Norman interview
- Gurney Norman at IMDb
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