Ron RashRon Rash

SignsSignsMy older kin always believed My older kin always believed in looking backward to explainin looking backward to explainthe here and now, always a signthe here and now, always a signpresent in the past each timepresent in the past each timea barn burned down, a life was lost.a barn burned down, a life was lost.So like boys turning over stonesSo like boys turning over stonesto find what dark had hid from the day,to find what dark had hid from the day,they’d turn over in their mindsthey’d turn over in their mindsthe way a mare turned from its stallthe way a mare turned from its stallas if she smelled hay smoldering,as if she smelled hay smoldering,a living hand so damp and colda living hand so damp and coldit seemed already in the grave.it seemed already in the grave.And so I learned to see the worldAnd so I learned to see the worldas language one might understandas language one might understandbut only when translated bybut only when translated bysigns first forgotten or misread.signs first forgotten or misread.

SerenaSerena

Ron Rash spins a web of Ron Rash spins a web of corruption set in 1930's corruption set in 1930's North Carolina mountains North Carolina mountains at the beginning of the at the beginning of the movement to create the movement to create the Smokey Mountain National Smokey Mountain National Park.  George and Serena Park.  George and Serena Pemberton, newly married, Pemberton, newly married, set out to clear cut the set out to clear cut the forest and take down forest and take down anyone who gets in their anyone who gets in their way. way.

Meet the Characters - SerenaMeet the Characters - Serena ““This is what we want,” she said, her voice deepening, the emotion This is what we want,” she said, her voice deepening, the emotion

so often controlled fully unbridled now. “To be like this. No past so often controlled fully unbridled now. “To be like this. No past or future, pure enough to live totally in the present.”or future, pure enough to live totally in the present.”

Serena slept all afternoon, and at dinner she ate until her stomach Serena slept all afternoon, and at dinner she ate until her stomach swelled visibly. Afterward, she sent Vaughn to the commissary, swelled visibly. Afterward, she sent Vaughn to the commissary, and he returned with a chamber pot and a gallon bucket filled with and he returned with a chamber pot and a gallon bucket filled with water. When Pemberton asked about food or quilts, Serena told water. When Pemberton asked about food or quilts, Serena told him she’d not eat or sleep again until the eagle did. For two nights him she’d not eat or sleep again until the eagle did. For two nights and a day Serena did not leave the stall.and a day Serena did not leave the stall.

She’d been told to stay in bed for six weeks, but when a month had She’d been told to stay in bed for six weeks, but when a month had passed Serena resumed supervising the cutting crewspassed Serena resumed supervising the cutting crews

““Secretary Albright’s commissioned a photograph of the Secretary Albright’s commissioned a photograph of the devastation we’ve wrecked upon the land,” Serena said to devastation we’ve wrecked upon the land,” Serena said to Pemberton when he joined her. “A further way to justify his Pemberton when he joined her. “A further way to justify his park.” “Why not, Pemberton,” Serena said. “I’m pleased with park.” “Why not, Pemberton,” Serena said. “I’m pleased with what we’ve done here. Aren’t you?”what we’ve done here. Aren’t you?”

Meet the Characters - RachelMeet the Characters - Rachel And now this brown-eyed child. Don’t love it, Rachel told And now this brown-eyed child. Don’t love it, Rachel told

herself. Don’t love anything that can be taken away.herself. Don’t love anything that can be taken away. Sell it, it’ll fetch a good price,Sell it, it’ll fetch a good price, Mrs. Pemberton had said when Mrs. Pemberton had said when

she handed Rachel the bowie knife. And it probably would, she handed Rachel the bowie knife. And it probably would, perhaps even as much as the ginseng, but Rachel couldn’t abide perhaps even as much as the ginseng, but Rachel couldn’t abide doing what Mrs. Pemberton had commanded her to do. She’d doing what Mrs. Pemberton had commanded her to do. She’d sell the shoes off her feet before taking the knife out of the box sell the shoes off her feet before taking the knife out of the box trunk and selling it. Widow Jenkins would say that Rachel was trunk and selling it. Widow Jenkins would say that Rachel was just being prideful, and maybe Preacher Bolick would agree, but just being prideful, and maybe Preacher Bolick would agree, but she’d had enough proud shucked off her the last few months to she’d had enough proud shucked off her the last few months to believe God wouldn’t begrudge her keeping just a little.believe God wouldn’t begrudge her keeping just a little.

““You cut up your feet pretty good, but nothing deep enough to You cut up your feet pretty good, but nothing deep enough to need stitches. That was almost a mile walk and you as sick as need stitches. That was almost a mile walk and you as sick as him, and barefoot to boot. I don’t know how you did it. You him, and barefoot to boot. I don’t know how you did it. You must love that child dear as life.”must love that child dear as life.”““I tried not to,” Rachel said. “I just couldn’t find a way to stop I tried not to,” Rachel said. “I just couldn’t find a way to stop myself.” myself.”

Meet the Characters - LoggersMeet the Characters - Loggers ““The way things is balanced. Everything in the world has its natural The way things is balanced. Everything in the world has its natural

place, and if you take something out or put something in that ought place, and if you take something out or put something in that ought not be out or in, everything gets lopsided and out of sorts.”not be out or in, everything gets lopsided and out of sorts.”““So what happens when there ain’t nothing left alive at all?” he asked.So what happens when there ain’t nothing left alive at all?” he asked.

““Used to be thick with trout too, this here stream. There was many a Used to be thick with trout too, this here stream. There was many a day you and me took our supper from it. Now you’d not catch a day you and me took our supper from it. Now you’d not catch a knottyhead.”knottyhead.”““And I had my part in the doing of it.”And I had my part in the doing of it.”““We had to feed out families,” Henryson said.We had to feed out families,” Henryson said.““Yes, we did,” Ross agreed. “What I’m wondering is how we’ll feed Yes, we did,” Ross agreed. “What I’m wondering is how we’ll feed

them once all the trees is cut down and the jobs leave.”them once all the trees is cut down and the jobs leave.” ““I think this is what the end of the world will be like.,” McIntyre said, I think this is what the end of the world will be like.,” McIntyre said,

and none among them raised his voice to disagree.and none among them raised his voice to disagree.

One Foot in EdenOne Foot in Eden

Mill VillageMill Village

Mill houses lined both sides of every roadMill houses lined both sides of every roadlike boxcars on a track.  They were so close like boxcars on a track.  They were so close a man could piss off of his own front porch,a man could piss off of his own front porch,hit four houses if he had the wind.hit four houses if he had the wind.

Everytime your neighbors had a fight,Everytime your neighbors had a fight,then made up in bed as couples do,then made up in bed as couples do,came home drunk, played the radio,came home drunk, played the radio,you knew, whether or not you wanted to.you knew, whether or not you wanted to.

So I bought a dimestore picture, a country scene,So I bought a dimestore picture, a country scene,built a frame and nailed it on the wall,built a frame and nailed it on the wall,no people in it, just a lot of land,no people in it, just a lot of land,stretching out behind an empty barn.stretching out behind an empty barn.

Sometimes at night if I was feeling low, Sometimes at night if I was feeling low, I'd stuff my ears with cotton. Then I'd stare I'd stuff my ears with cotton. Then I'd stare up at that picture like it was a window,up at that picture like it was a window,and I was back home listening to the farm.and I was back home listening to the farm.

But what was done was done.  Before too longBut what was done was done.  Before too longthe weave room jarred the hearing from my ears,the weave room jarred the hearing from my ears,and I got used to living with a crowd.and I got used to living with a crowd.Before too long I took the picutre down.Before too long I took the picutre down.

To enter we find the gapTo enter we find the gapbetween barbed wire and briars,between barbed wire and briars,pass the German Shepherd chainedpass the German Shepherd chainedto an axle, cross the ditchto an axle, cross the ditchof oil black as a tar pit,of oil black as a tar pit,my aunt compelled to come heremy aunt compelled to come hereon a Sunday after church,on a Sunday after church,asking me when her husbandasking me when her husbandrefused to search this islandrefused to search this islandreefed with past catastrophes.reefed with past catastrophes.We make our way to the heartWe make our way to the heartof the junkyard, cling of rustof the junkyard, cling of rustand beggarlice on our clothes,and beggarlice on our clothes,bumpers hot as skilletbumpers hot as skillet

as we squeeze between car husksas we squeeze between car husksto find this foreverto find this foreverstilled traffic one Ford pickup,stilled traffic one Ford pickup,tires stripped, radio yanked out,tires stripped, radio yanked out,driver’s door open. My auntdriver’s door open. My auntgets in, stares through glass her songets in, stares through glass her sonlooked through the last time he knewlooked through the last time he knewthe world, as though believingthe world, as though believinglike others who come here shelike others who come here shemight see something to carrymight see something to carryfrom this wreckage, as I willfrom this wreckage, as I willwhen I look past my aunt’s ruinedwhen I look past my aunt’s ruinedSunday dress, torn stockings, findSunday dress, torn stockings, findher right foot pressed to the brake.her right foot pressed to the brake.

At Reid Hartley’s JunkyardAt Reid Hartley’s Junkyard

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Short StoriesShort Stories

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HonorsHonors 1987 – General Electric Young Writers Award1987 – General Electric Young Writers Award 1996 – The Sherwood Anderson Prize1996 – The Sherwood Anderson Prize 2002 – Novello Literary Award and Appalachian 2002 – Novello Literary Award and Appalachian

Book of the Year for Book of the Year for One Foot in EdenOne Foot in Eden 2004 – 2004 – Saints at the River Saints at the River awarded Fiction Book of awarded Fiction Book of

the Year by Southern Book Critics Circle & the Year by Southern Book Critics Circle & Southeastern Booksellers AssociationSoutheastern Booksellers Association

2005 – “Speckled Trout” included in O. Henry Prize 2005 – “Speckled Trout” included in O. Henry Prize StoriesStories

2008 – 2008 – Chemistry and Other StoriesChemistry and Other Stories finalist for finalist for PEN/Faulkner AwardPEN/Faulkner Award

2009 – 2009 – SerenaSerena finalist for PEN/Faulkner Award finalist for PEN/Faulkner Award